Table of Contents

1. Introduction; 2. Divinity, humanity and wisdom; 3. Gilgamesh and glory; 4. Gilgamesh confronts death; 5. Interlude on Homer and the muse; 6. The race of half-gods; 7. The plan of Zeus; 8. The coming of Achilles; 9. The strife of the Iliad; 10. Achilles looks inward; 11. The death of the friend; 12. Achilles responds; 13. From lamentation to vengeance; 14. Achilles like a lion; 15. Mortality and wisdom; 16. The truths of lamentation; Conclusion: the slender-winged fly.

Promotional Information

Interprets the poetic meaning of the Iliad in relation to the heroic literature of the Ancient Near East.

About the Author

Michael Clarke is Established Professor of Classics  at the National University of Ireland, Galway. His interests lie in the comparative study of classical and medieval literatures, especially ancient Greek and medieval Irish, and especially in the emergence of the Homeric epic out of the Ancient Near East. He is the author of Flesh and Spirit in the Songs of Homer: A Study of Words and Myths (2000).

Reviews

'Engaging, up-to-date, and deeply informed across disciplinary lines, this is an important resource for those interested in classics, mythology, and world literature.' P. E. Ojennus, Choice