The frontispiece of The Iliad of Homer translated by Alexander Pope, which appears in the quarto set of the first complete edition and is being offered in the August 2012 Book Sale.
Can such names as Paris and Helen of Troy, Hector and Agamemnon, Priam and Achilles ever be forgotten? By the date of his Works of 1717, Alexander Pope had already published the first instalment of his most monumental enterprise, a translation of Homer’s masterpiece.
Pope's Iliad was not intended to introduce an unknown author. His readers wanted to hear Homer speak in the accents of their own time. The translation was a resounding triumph. As the great Greek scholar Bentley admitted, it is not Homer, but it is a poem, which few translations are.
Quarto Set of the First Complete Edition of Alexander Pope's Iliad. Estimate: £2,500.
This handsome quarto set is the first complete edition of one of the great poetic works of the 18th century. It is offered for auction in the Book Sale, which will be held at our Honiton salerooms, on 30th August 2012 and is expected to reach £2,500.
- Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood
- Fine Art Auctioneers
- Antique Book Auctions
- Alexander Pope
- The Iliad of Homer
