Simone Weil's The «Iliad» or the Poem of Force: A Critical Edition

by James P. Holoka

Overview

Simone Weil, a brilliant young teacher, philosopher, and social activist, wrote the essay, The ‘Iliad’ or the Poem of Force at France at the beginning of World War II. Her profound meditation on the nature of violence provides a remarkably vivid and accessible testament of the Greek epic’s continuing relevance to our lives. This celebrated work appears here for the first time in a bilingual version, based on the text of the authoritative edition of the author’s complete writings. An introduction discusses the significance of the essay both in the evolution of Weil’s thought and as a distinctively iconoclastic contribution to Homeric studies. The commentary draws on recent interpretations of the Iliad and examines the parallels between Weil’s vision of Homer’s warriors and the experiences of modern soldiers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780820463612
Publisher:	Peter Lang Inc., International Academic Publishers
Publication date:	05/26/2006
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	130
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 5.12(h) x 0.02(d)

About the Author

The Editor and Translator: James P. Holoka is Professor of Classics and Ancient History at Eastern Michigan University. He received his Ph.D. in comparative literature from the University of Michigan.

Editorial Reviews

«The ‘Iliad’ is arguably the most influential work in the whole of Western literature. No discussion of it is more precious than the passionate, profound, and penetrating essay of Simone Weil, who uses the Greek epic to illuminate the human condition and the tragic theme of destruction and war. Its appearance in this book is welcome and important.» (Jasper Griffin, Professor of Classical Literature, Balliol College, Oxford University; Author of ‘Homer on Life and Death’)
«This new edition of Weil’s well-known essay on the ‘Iliad’ is welcome on several counts. James P. Holoka’s commentary and notes draw richly yet judiciously from scholarship on both Weil and her beloved Homer, and his translation fairly matches the limpid French of the original. In an age feverish with wars and their rumor, it is hard to imagine that any reader will be unaffected by Weil’s vigorously argued perceptions in what must be rated one of the most effective briefs ever written against the inhuman nature of violence. This book will benefit students and teachers in French, classical studies, philosophy, psychology, and anthropology.» (Thomas R. Nevin, Professor of Classical Studies, John Carroll University; Author of ‘Simone Weil: Portrait of a Self-Exiled Jew’)

From the Publisher