In an interview on Love and Greats

Let’s move on to Homer’s Iliad. People say that it’s the greatest war story of all time. Is this true?

Yes it is. What’s interesting is that The Iliad is the first book, and it’s about war. Why is that? I’ve got a funny feeling that war and narrative are tightly bound together. Both narrative and conflict are the products of civilisations. Once you start building cities, having private property, creating hierarchies, etc, then the inescapable fact is that conflict will occur. And conflict is the stuff of drama, of stories.

I think The Iliad has much to say to politicians now – it’s completely clear-eyed about collateral damage, about problems of post-conflict and about the ghastly things that happen to women and children in war.

Was Homer anti-war?

I think every generation reads The Iliad slightly differently and there are plenty of people who read it as anti-war because it’s so full of pity and sorrow for the victims of war, and for the young soldiers whose lives are cut short by war. And it has characters, notably Achilles, who clearly articulate the complete uselessness of war. At one point in the poem he says that he has two choices: he can go back home and live peacefully to old age or he can continue to fight and be killed as a young man. Whatever you choose you’re going to the same place, you’ll still end up dead: so what’s the point? Paradoxically, though, massive tracts of the poem are beautifully described battle scenes. And, like it or not, the poem does take a certain sort of pleasure in the glory of battle, which can be a bit unpalatable for modern readers.

Is it the Trojan War we’re talking about?

Yes. It’s the ten-year siege of Troy and The Iliad is set during a 40-day period in the tenth year of the war. It tells how Achilles is insulted and dishonoured by his commander-in-chief, Agamemnon, which is immediately a dramatic moment because Achilles is the best fighter and the most distinguished warrior. So you’ve got this tension between two competing alpha males. Then Achilles refuses to fight, he’s so angry with Agamemnon, and this means the Greeks start suffering terrible losses and things begin to go very badly for them. Finally, Achilles allows his beloved comrade Patroclus to go into the fighting and he is killed by Hector, prince of the Trojans. Achilles then, in redoubled and unspeakable fury, goes into battle and slaughters tens and tens of Trojans – it’s a blood-drenched series of poetic imaginings, ending when he downs Hector and drags his mutilated body around the walls of Troy. Then Priam, Hector’s old father, comes into the Greek camp and persuades Achilles to ransom the body. It’s an extraordinary scene – by no means a reconciliation but it’s a recognition of shared humanity. And there the poem ends. It’s very powerful.

It sounds amazing. Is there a film?

Troy. Terrible film.

Is this the best translation, Robert Fagles?

Purists might prefer Chapman, the 17th-century first English translation, and there’s the Robert Fitzgerald, which many people love. But I am fond of the Robert Fagles version partly because it has a wonderful power when spoken aloud. For me, one of the great pleasures in life is finding someone who will be persuaded to read The Iliad aloud to you.

Have you found someone who’ll do that?

Yes!