Claude Brügger - Böcker

Research into traditional areas of Homeric scholarship (e.g., language, the structure of the text, etc.) has come a long way since the last comprehensive commentaries on the Iliad were carried out, that is, the commentary by Ameis-Hentze in German language in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century as well as the Cambridge commentary by Kirk et. al. in English language in the 1980/90s. Much of this kind of research is now set upon a much surer methodological and theoretical foundation. Developments in the field of Mycenology and in the study of Linear B, oral poetry, and the history of ancient Troy in particular, have made possible a number of new insights and interpretive possibilities in Homer’s epic. Moreover, modern secondary literature of all major languages has been systematically covered. The "Basel Commentary" to the Iliad is a new, up-to-date, standard work that addresses these issues directly and will be of interest to scholars, teachers, and students alike. Central to the commentary on Iliad 24 is the interpretation of one of the most exciting and most moving scenes of the Iliad: how Priam, the king of Troy, makes his way to his mortal enemy Achilles, by whose hand his son Hector had fallen; how the god Hermes leads the old man almost magically into the army camp of the Greeks; how Achilles, at the end of an emotional encounter with Priam, leaves the body of Hector for burial.

No comprehensive scholarly commentary on Homer's Iliad has been published in German since the commentary by Ameis-Hentze-Cauer (1868–1913). In the meantime, Homer research has made considerable progress in all traditional areas (language, realia, structure, etc.). In addition, fundamentally known areas such as narrative research have been placed on a systematic footing. Finally, Mycenaeology (Linear B) and oral poetry and Troy research have opened up entirely new possibilities for text analysis.Based on the old Ameis-Hentze-Cauer commentary, this commentary reflects the current state of knowledge in Homer research in a comprehensive manner. The ‘Basel Commentary’ on the Iliad is highly regarded by experts worldwide as a new fundamental work. A concept that is innovative in terms of content and form meets the needs of different user groups. The commentary on individual verse groups or verses is divided into up to four explanatory levels, each typographically distinct, ranging from basic explanations of Homeric language to questions of structure and poetic technique. It is aimed at students and lecturers at universities and schools, not only in classical studies, but also in literary and cultural studies in general.

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.