The Iliad of Homer (1880), translated by Theodore Alois Buckley, is a Victorian-era English rendition of Homer’s epic, notable for its archaic grandeur and adherence to the original Greek’s formal structure. Buckley’s translation employs a stately, 19th-century prose style—replete with thee’s and thou’s—that aims to evoke the ancient text’s solemnity but can feel stilted to modern readers.
While less dynamic than later translations (Lattimore’s 1952 version or Fagles’ 1990 one), Buckley’s work reflects the scholarly rigor of its time, with extensive footnotes on Homeric language and customs. This edition, often bound in decorative cloth with gilt edges, appeals to collectors of antique books rather than those seeking readability.
A historical curiosity, best suited for enthusiasts of translation history or Victorian philology.
