Iliad. Odyssey. Complete edition in one volume

The classical poems of Homer, the “Iliad” and the “Odyssey,” are presented in the translations by N. I. Gnedich and V. A. Zhukovsky, which are considered classical and most fully convey the characteristics of the originals. The introductory essay on Homer's epic is written by the famous philosopher and poet Vyacheslav Ivanov. The edition utilizes illustrations by the English artist John Flaxman, which brought him international fame. A glossary at the end of the book helps readers better understand the relationships between the characters and gods mentioned in the “Iliad” and the “Odyssey.”

Nikolai Ivanovich Gnedich (1784–1833) graduated from the philosophical faculty of Moscow University and later worked in St. Petersburg in the Department of Public Education. His talented poetry and translations later allowed him to become the head of the Greek books department of the Public Library. The complete poetic translation of the “Iliad,” published in 1829, earned him well-deserved fame. It was written in hexameter, which was previously considered a difficult and cumbersome poetic meter. Gnedich endowed it with resonance and elevated nobility. Pushkin noted that he hears in this translation the “sound of divine Hellenic speech,” while Belinsky stated that Gnedich managed to grasp the very spirit of the poetry of ancient Greeks.

Vasily Andreyevich Zhukovsky (1783–1852) is rightly considered one of the classics of Russian poetry. He wrote in various genres and meters - he was the author of romances and ballads, elegies, songs, and the anthem of royal Russia, and he translated extensively. Zhukovsky boldly experimented with various poetic rhythms, preparing Russian poetry for new achievements and breakthroughs into new areas of creativity. His contemporaries called him “the Columbus who discovered the Americas of Romanticism in Russia.” He worked on the “Odyssey” with great meticulousness, analyzing the nuances of grammatical meaning of literally every word. This translation was published in 1849 and quickly gained wide recognition.

John Flaxman (1755–1826) is considered one of the leaders of European Neoclassicism. He was born in York to a sculptor's family and received a solid artistic education at the Royal Academy in London. He began his career by creating paintings for the famous Wedgwood pottery factory. Flaxman's interest in antiquity received a powerful development after the artist's trip to Rome, where he spent a long five years with his wife. As a result, a whole series of works was born, which were used both as illustrations for the Iliad and Odyssey, and for the design of numerous theatrical productions. It was these illustrations that brought Flaxman worldwide fame.