The heroic story of the siege of Troy is presented here in a stunning hardback edition featuring gold cover embossing, patterned endpapers and printed page edges.

After nine years of war, the Greeks are still fighting to reclaim the beautiful Helen and it is hardly the time for their supreme warrior, Achilles, to drop out of the fighting. But he does, in revenge against the overlord Agamemnon for seizing his concubine, Briseis. Only the death of his best friend, Patroclus, persuades Achilles to return to battle and confront the Trojan leader Hector in single combat.

This handsome gift edition features a classic prose translation by Samuel Butler and is presented with stunning gold cover embossing, luxury creamy paper, illustrated page edges and striking neoclassical illustrations throughout.

ABOUT THE SERIES: Arcturus Epic Classics brings together stunning hardback gift editions of classic works, presented with striking illustrated page edges and illustrated throughout by such greats as Gustave Doré and Harry Clarke.

The legendary poet of Greek antiquity Homer is surrounded by almost as much myth as the characters of his two epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey. As two of the oldest extant works of Western literature they formed the foundations for Ancient Greek culture, and have been read, translated, adapted and enjoyed across the globe since the 8th century BC.

The Iliad takes place in the final weeks of the long-fought Trojan War. As the Greeks fight to reclaim the beautiful Helen, King Agamemnon seizes Briseis, the concubine of Achilles. In disgust the legendary warrior abandons the conflict, taking his men with him.

The Odyssey joins the heroic Odysseus on his epic and tumultuous journey home following the fall of Troy. Having angered the sea-god Poseidon he and his men are beset by obstacles including a man-eating Cyclops, deadly storms, and a witch who transforms her enemies into pigs.

The translations presented in this wonderful collection are easily accessible prose editions translated by highly-esteemed authors. The Iliad is translated by the late-Victorian novelist Samuel Butler, and The Odyssey by adventurer Lawrence of Arabia, T.E. Lawrence.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Arcturus Classic Collections series features delightful, high-quality paperback box sets of classic works of literature with striking contemporary cover designs.

'The best translation of The Odyssey yet' Telegraph

'Fast, fluent, thrilling, and a hugely impressive' Lee Child

NOW A MAJOR FILM DIRECTED BY CHRISTOPHER NOLAN

With his Odyssey, best-selling author and classicist Daniel Mendelsohn has created a momentous new work, hailed by classicists and poets alike – a translation to stand with those of E. V. Rieu and Robert Fagles.

Setting aside the streamlining, modernizing approach of many recent translations, Mendelsohn artfully reproduces the epic’s formal qualities – meter, enjambment, alliteration, assonance – and in so doing restores to Homer’s master work its archaic grandeur. His expansive six-beat line, far closer to the original than that of other recent translations, allows him to capture each of Homer’s verses line for line, without sacrificing the amplitude and shadings of the original.

The result is the richest, most precise, and most musical Odyssey in English, one that fully conveys its oral poetics while bringing to vivid life the gripping adventure, profound human insight and powerful themes that make Homer’s work resonate some twenty-eight centuries after its composition. Supported by an extensive introduction and the fullest notes and commentary currently available, Mendelsohn’s Odyssey is poised to become the authoritative English-language version of this magnificent, endlessly enjoyable masterpiece.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE ANGLO-HELLENIC LEAGUE RUNCIMAN AWARD 2026

This elegant collector's edition presents Homer's classic epic myth, The Odyssey, featuring gold cover embossing and gilded page-edges.

Trouble is brewing at the home of the hero Odysseus, who has spent years fighting in the Trojan Wars and is now captive of the beautiful nymph Calypso. Hordes of suitors to his wife have invaded the family house, and Odysseus' son Telemachus sets out to find his father. Freed from the clutches of Calypso after the intervention of Jupiter, Odysseus begins his epic return journey.

The timeless themes of the Odyssey - survival, courage, loyalty and hospitality - have resonated with readers through the ages, making it the most enduring classic in western civilization.

This beautiful pocket-sized gift edition contains the classic prose translation by T. E. Lawrence, presented with a gold embossed cover design, ivory pages, beautifully designed endpapers and gold gilded page edges. Part of the Arcturus Ornate Classics series, this book makes wonderful gift for any lover of classic literature.

ABOUT THE SERIES: Arcturus Ornate Classics are beautiful pocket editions of iconic literary works from across history. Presented with striking foil cover embossing, gilded page edges, and deluxe ivory paper, these editions make the perfect gift for lovers of classic literature.

This magnificent hardback edition presents Homer's legendary epic The Odyssey, featuring deluxe cover embossing, printed page edges and stunning neoclassical illustrations.

The Odyssey is the most enduring classic of western civilization, telling the story of Ulysses and his eventful voyage home after the Trojan War. This deluxe edition features Alexander Pope's classic 1726 translation which perfectly captures the lyricism of this epic poem. Featured alongside the text are wonderful illustrations derived from John Flaxman's neoclassical designs, as well as a useful introduction by George Davidson and commentary by Emma Woolerton which allows you to easily follow the action.

With beautiful page-edge designs, a gold embossed cover design and beautifully illustrated endpapers, this elegant and timeless hardback edition makes a wonderful collector's item or gift.

ABOUT THE SERIES: Arcturus Epic Classics brings together stunning hardback gift editions of classic works, presented with striking illustrated page edges and illustrated throughout by such greats as Gustave Doré and Harry Clarke.