The Iliad (c. 750 BCE) is one of the oldest works of literature in existence and continues to stir the imagination of contemporary readers thanks to its epic depictions of martial prowess, heroism, and tragedy.

Aiming to bring the legendary story to a new audience, Samuel Butler eschewed the traditional poetical style in favor of a prose translation more akin to that used in the 18th and 19th centuries without losing any of the beauty of the original. The narrative details the fall of Troy and the many tragedies that befall both sides of the war. Heroes clash in sweeping and brutal battle as the Gods watch on in delight, Kings rise and fall by their honor-bound mandates while their men toil in the mundanity of war, and lovers die desperately trying to turn the tides of fate. The Iliad is a meditation on fate, honor, and heroism, painting a world in which the chaos of humanity's clashing vanities means something greater to not only ourselves, but the Gods above.

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With thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.

Homer (circa 8th century BCE) is the legendary ancient Greek poet traditionally credited with composing the foundational epics of Western literature, The Iliad and The Odyssey. Though little is known about his life, and scholars continue to debate whether the poems were the work of a single individual or a collective oral tradition, his masterpieces structurally defined the epic form. Samuel Butler (1835?1902) was an iconoclastic English author, critic, and translator, best known for his satirical novel Erewhon and the semi-autobiographical masterpiece The Way of All Flesh. A dedicated classical scholar, Butler translated both of Homer's epics into accessible, modern English prose, aiming to capture the vital, living spirit of the original narratives for contemporary readers. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]