Homers Iliad: The Basel Commentary. Book XIX

Homers Iliad: The Basel Commentary. Book XIX, First Edition 2016

Main subject categories: • Literary Criticism • Literary Analysis • Ancient Literature • Classic Literature

The renowned Basler Homer-Kommentar of the Iliad, edited by Anton Bierl and Joachim Latacz and originally published in German, presents the latest developments in Homeric scholarship. Through the English translation of this ground-breaking reference work, edited by S. Douglas Olson, its valuable findings are now made accessible to students and scholars worldwide.

At the centre of the commentary on Book 19 of the Iliad is the interpretation of speeches and events at the assembly of the Achaean army. It is here that the argument between Achilles and Agamemnon was settled, thus enabling the Achaeans to take the field in the decisive battle against Hector and the Trojans. Since Ameis-Hentze-Cauer (1868-1913) no comprehensive, scholarly commentary of Homer’s Iliad has been published in German. In the meantime considerable progress has been made in many traditional areas of Homeric studies (language, realia, structure etc.). In addition, generally acknowledged new fields such as narratology have been systematically studied. Furthermore, the knowledge of the Mycenaean language (Linear B) and oral poetry provide completely new possibilities of textual constitution and analysis. Using the old Ameis-Hentze-Cauer as a starting point, the new commentary reflects the current scholarship on Homer in a comprehensive way. As a new standard work, the “Basel Commentary” of the Iliad has received considerable recognition among scholars worldwide. The fresh concept in terms of content and form serves the needs of different groups of users. The commentary primarily aims at students and academic teachers (at schools and universities), not only of Classics but also of cultural and literary studies as well as of humanities in general.