• Iliad 04 •
• Homer •
Duration: 46 min 26 sec
Unabridged
Recorded: 2025
Price : $/€ 24
About rhapsody 04 of the Iliad
The 4th rhapsody begins with an assembly of the gods, where Hera and Zeus dispute the fate of Troy. Hera seeks its destruction, while Zeus, though initially resistant, yields in exchange for the right to later destroy a city dear to her if he so wills. Athena is sent to incite the Trojans to break the truce.
Athena’s deception of Pandarus sets the war back in motion. Menelaus is wounded but spared a fatal blow. Agamemnon expresses remorse and determination, while Menelaus reassures him. The healer Machaon tends to the injury.
Agamemnon inspects the Greek forces, alternately praising and chastising leaders: Idomeneus, the Ajaxes, Nestor, Menestheus with Odysseus, and Diomedes. His leadership blends sternness with diplomatic recovery when faced with resistance.
The fighting resumes with vivid similes and divine intervention. Casualties mount on both sides, Apollo heartens the Trojans by revealing Achilles’ absence, and the rhapsody closes with a stark image of the battlefield’s carnage.
Homer
Though Homer doesn't need an introduction, in case you'd like to refresh your knowledge about his life and work, you can read enough in published books, or online by consulting websites like: the Center for Hellenic Studies of Harvard University (using their search field), Encyclopaedia Britannica, the "Living Poets" website, even Wikipedia, Biography.com, or elsewhere.
About the audiobook
The recording contains the unabridged Ancient Greek text of the 4th rhapsody.
This recitation is trying to find a balance between dramatisation and metrical correctness. I've avoided excess on both sides: not to render it as mechanically rhythmic as it usually happens in educational context on all levels and, not over-dramatise it, as is often needed in live performances in larger venues. I hope this is a proper approach for this medium.
After purchase you will be able to download the relevant mp3 file (audiobook)
The videobook shall be available when completed in .mp4 + .srt format (videobook + captions).
You can listen to a short sample in the following video.
