<p>Most people approach The Iliad expecting the Trojan Horse. Instead, they find something darker: a story about wounded pride, uncontrollable rage, brutal violence and the moment vengeance finally gives way to pity.<br /><br />In this review, I break down Samuel Butler’s translation of Homer’s epic, the feud between Achilles and Agamemnon, Hector’s terrifying presence, the petty interference of the gods, the oral tradition behind the poem, and whether a modern reader should actually tackle this ancient monster of a book.<br /><br />00:00 — An Ancient Epic in My Hands<br />00:42 — The Samuel Butler Translation<br />01:03 — Did Homer Actually Write The Iliad?<br />02:23 — What Is an Epic Poem?<br />03:05 — This Is Not the Trojan Horse Story<br />03:40 — Achilles, Hector and the Gods<br />04:53 — How This Edition Structures the Story<br />06:15 — The Core of The Iliad: Rage<br />07:33 — Achilles Loses Everything<br />08:19 — The Gods Are Petty as Hell<br />09:49 — Violence, Nature and Ancient Imagery<br />11:41 — The Sections I Fast-Read<br />13:19 — The Power of Oral Storytelling<br />15:00 — The Brutality of Battle<br />15:43 — Hector Smashes Through the Gates<br />17:29 — No Simple Villains, Only Human Beings<br />18:13 — Honour, Glory and the Heroic Code<br />19:03 — Should You Read The Iliad?<br />19:22 — The Odyssey Review Is Coming</p> <p><br /><br />Connect with Mere Mortals:<br />Website: <a href="https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/" target="_blank">https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/</a><br />Discord: <a href="https://discord.gg/Xs9DjsurFq" target="_blank">https://discord.gg/Xs9DjsurFq</a><br />Twitter/X: <a href="https://twitter.com/meremortalspods" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/meremortalspods</a><br />Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/</a><br />TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts" target="_blank">https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts</a><br /><br />Value 4 Value Support:<br />Website: <a href="https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support" target="_blank">https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support</a><br />Paypal: <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast" target="_blank">https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast</a></p>