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Homer

The Iliad

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Cover of The Iliad, translated by Robert Fagles
Best for most

Robert Fagles · 1990

Fast, dramatic, easy to fall into — the version most first-time readers actually finish. He trades a little fidelity for momentum; for a first read, that's a fair trade.

Buysave 20%$18.00$14.39Borrowfrom a libraryFree

Price as of Jun 13, 2026 · subject to change

Cover of The Iliad, translated by Emily Wilson
Newest

Emily Wilson · 2023

The 2023 arrival critics put on every best-of list: brisk, clear, contemporary. A few purists find it too modern — which tells you exactly what it is.

Buysave 25%$39.95$30.00Borrowfrom a libraryFree

Price as of Jun 13, 2026 · subject to change

Cover of The Iliad, translated by Richmond Lattimore
Most literal

Richmond Lattimore · 1951

The scholar's standard — closest to the Greek, with the rhythm intact. You feel the rigor, and the slower pace that comes with it.

Buysave 10%$25.00$22.50Borrowfrom a libraryFree

Price as of Jun 13, 2026 · subject to change

Cover of The Iliad, translated by Peter Green
Best for going deep

Peter Green · 2015

Scholarly and richly annotated, accurate without being stiff. The one to read for a class, or coming back a second time.

Buysave 15%$24.95$21.20Borrowfrom a libraryFree

Price as of Jun 13, 2026 · subject to change

Cover of The Iliad, translated by Robert Fitzgerald
Most lyrical

Robert Fitzgerald · 1974

Homer as poetry first — lyrical and warm, easier going than Lattimore. The one quirk is his idiosyncratic spelling of the names.

Buysave 17%$18.00$15.00Borrowfrom a libraryFree

Price as of Jun 13, 2026 · subject to change

See the full comparisonRead the same passage across all 5 editions, side by side — plus translator, notes, and format.

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