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The Trojan war as described in The Iliad (audio)

Adam Nicholson introduces the story of the Trojan War. He starts at the tip of the Hellespont as a geographical point from which to introduce the arrival of the Greek fleet at Troy. He covers the key themes of the Iliad: glory, revenge, pride and rage. These he states are the inner qualities of man that are revealed in battle. He contrasts the simplicity of the world of battles with the complicated ritual of civilisation, using the piratical behaviour of Agamemnon's men versus the civilised men behind the walls of Troy. He then explains how the ower of the Iliad as a text is derived from the effect of the meeting of these elements - dignity in war, military glory over domestic peace and the frailty of human life.

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3 minutes