This is CBS Eye on the World.

Here's John Batchelor.

I'm John Batchel with Professor Emily Wilson, the University of Pennsylvania.

Her new work is the Iliad by Homer, translated here in the 21st century with all of the nuance of Greek,

translated into the nuance of modern English with iambic pentameter as the choice by the professor

to help us read it not only silently on the page, but also allowed to ourselves and also to listen to the reading of Audrey

McDonald, the actress and opera singer, whose range of voice helps a deal. And I believe

Professor influences my attention to the female characters, because hearing it read by a woman

with that range of voice,

you immediately hear the whispering going on and the doubts and the hesitations.

But we get to the plot.

The plot begins with Agamemnon, the leader of the Greeks, nine years into the siege of Troy,

and he has offended Achilles. What did he do,

Professor? How has Achilles taken up this rage that will eventually be his undoing?

So all the leaders of the Greeks in the Greek encampment who are besieging the Trojan City,

all of them have various trophy women as their enslaved prizes who represent their honour.

Bonavagamemnon's women turns out to be the daughter of a priest of Apollo.

The priest of Apollo wants his daughter back, which is, you know, gods,

gods have a kind of sway over human life, which humans don't always take account for. Agamemnon has failed to take account of the fact that this woman wasn't actually available for the taking.

So Apollo causes plague on the Greek camp, which forces Agamemnon to give back this woman, Chrysias.

But then he's down a woman. So Agamemnon, who is, you say he's the leader, it's really

unclear to what extent do other Greek leaders think he's the leader. He's the one who's brought

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