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The Iliad of Homer cover art

The Iliad of Homer

By: Elizabeth Vandiver,The Great Courses
Narrated by: Elizabeth Vandiver
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Summary

For thousands of years, Homer's ancient epic poem the Iliad has enchanted readers from around the world. When you join Professor Vandiver for this lecture series on the Iliad, you'll come to understand what has enthralled and gripped so many people.

Her compelling 12-lecture look at this literary masterpiece - whether it's the work of many authors or the "vision" of a single blind poet - makes it vividly clear why, after almost 3,000 years, the Iliad remains not only among the greatest adventure stories ever told but also one of the most compelling meditations on the human condition ever written.

As you'll learn, the grandeur and immediacy of Homer's world would seem to defy time and space. Throughout these lectures, you'll explore this legendary era in brilliant, unforgettable hues. You'll meet its towering heroes who thirst for honor and the gods who inspired and instigated them. You'll go deep inside the shattering battles at Troy that act out mankind's awesome passions for glory, love, and vengeance. But more than that, you'll focus on the timeless human issues this masterpiece raises, all of them evoked by the power of a single dramatic question: Why does Achilles rage? The limits of freedom, the common humanity we share, the line between justice and revenge, the nature of destiny, the meaning of life - Professor Vandiver uses the Iliad as a potent lens through which to study them all.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©1999 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)1999 The Great Courses

What listeners say about The Iliad of Homer

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Informative and intriguing!

As someone with no prior knowledge of the story line, I found the narration easy to follow, and constantly interesting to learn about. It’s not only a concise summary of the story line, it does a fantastic job of explaining the key themes, ideologies and the societal values it carries. I was listening to it at 1.25x speed and found that to be a good pace for myself.

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6 people found this helpful

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Great Lecture Series

This series of lectures on the Iliad is great for anyone who wants to learn about the text more deeply. The lecturer is amazing and she explains everything in a way that it easy to understand and informative.

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4 people found this helpful

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Grabbed my attention!

Thoroughly enjoyed prof Vandiver's argumentation of the Iliad. I highly recommend it for its exposition.

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3 people found this helpful

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scandalous

Would you try another book written by The Great Courses or narrated by Professor Elizabeth Vandiver?

I have listened to other courses by Professor Vandiver and have enjoyed them so i probably will.The performance was fine and i love the Illiad.

What could The Great Courses have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

My problem is the constant claim that Helen was guilty or complicit in her relationship with paris.This is not the case as she was made to fall in love or lust with paris because she was promised to him by Aphrodite.Given this she had nocontrol over her actions

Which scene did you most enjoy?

I am not sure i really enjoyed any of this which is a great shame

What character would you cut from The Iliad of Homer?

nothing should be cut from the Illiad itself.It is probably the greates story of western culture/history

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3 people found this helpful

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Enthralling and unforgettable

This series of lectures by Elizabeth Vandiver on Homer’s Iliad is one of the best experiences I have had on Audible. It may sound dry but don’t let that put you off, she is a wonderfully fluent and expressive speaker who transports you to the world of the ancient Greeks, gods and goddesses, while making astute literary and historical comparisons to contemporary culture. I had not realised how our whole Western culture has been so influenced by this piece of writing. I couldn’t stop listening! I’m now looking forward to hearing what she has to say about The Odyssey, if it’s half as erudite and fascinating as The Iliad I will be delighted.

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1 person found this helpful

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  • 20-08-22

Excellent Professor- opened up a whole new world for me

Really fantastic lecture series- easy to understand, captivating and the language flow and understanding is spot on!
Thank you Professor Vandiver for enabling and opening up a new world for me.
Will look for other work done by this Professor she is excellent.

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Brilliant!

Yes - absolutely brilliant! A wonderfully intelligent, enthusiastic and indeed moving introduction to the Iliad. Very highly recommended.

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Well read and informative

I have read the Iliad before and now my appetite has been rekindled. The lectures bring out the humanity of the story.

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Fascinating and informative

Dr Vandiver's passion for and knowledge of The Iliad shines through in these insightful and thoroughly informative lectures.

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I thought this was actually The Iliad

If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?

Classical scholars

What could The Great Courses have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Given a much better description that it was a series of lectures about the Iliad by an American lady.

Would you be willing to try another one of Professor Elizabeth Vandiver’s performances?

No.

What character would you cut from The Iliad of Homer?

Achilles

Any additional comments?

My wrath!

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1 person found this helpful