Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
THIS IS PART 2 OF A 4 PART SERIES - Watch it all at:
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlpN8mmVl6oH2MtHUGv2wgLFXjGI2fGxJ
I'm Mike - this is Riiff Raff's Reading Renaissance. Welcome!
I’m deep into Homer’s Iliad — books 7 through 12 — and what continues to strike me is the unsettling contrast between brutal, gory battlefield deaths and the deeply human backstories Homer gives even the most minor characters. In this reading vlog, I reflect on why the violence feels so immediate, humane, and strangely modern.
This episode explores Ajax’s duel with Hector, the strange honor between enemies, battlefield “timeouts,” the role of the meddling gods, Achilles still on strike, and the turning tide of war. I also talk about Homer’s use of simile, personification (Panic, Strife, Terror), and the vivid realism of combat in Robert Fagles’ translation.
From the respectful exchange of gifts between mortal enemies to the eerie calm with which soldiers kill and withdraw, The Iliad presents war as both savage and ritualized. I draw parallels with modern sport, superhero storytelling, and even rugby culture — where violent competition coexists with deep mutual respect.
I also reflect on why the Fagles translation feels so accessible and immersive, how Homer’s imagery activates the senses, and why this 3,000-year-old poem still feels physically present — dusty, loud, chaotic, and alive.
This video is part of my ongoing Iliad reading journey, book by book, sharing real-time reactions and reflections for anyone curious about reading Homer for the first time — or returning to it after years away.
TIMESTAMPS / CHAPTERS PART 2
00:00 Daily Vlog: Day 7, Book 7 Ajax Duels with Hector
05:50 Check in with Steve #5 (Dynamics of conflict)
08:04 Daily Vlog: Day 8, Book 8 The Tide of Battle Turns
11:38 Check in with Steve #6 (The Immersive Experience)
14:37 Daily Vlog: Day 9, Book 9 (with Layla!) The Embassy to Achilles
19:25 Check in with Steve #7 (Personified Abstractions)
21:19 Daily Vlog: Day 10, Book 10 Marauding Through the Night
22:37 Daily Vlog: Day 11, Book 11 Agamemnon’s Day of Glory
31:55 Daily Vlog: Day 12, Book 12 The Trojans Storm the Rampart
37:20 Check in with Steve #8 (Fagles Translation)
41:45 Link to PART THREE
With thanks to Steve @saintdonoghue for the buddy read chats.
And for the almighty algorithm:
#TheIliad
#BookTube
#ClassicLiterature
#GreekMythology
#GreatBooks
THIS IS PART 2 OF A 4 PART SERIES - Watch it all at:
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlpN8mmVl6oH2MtHUGv2wgLFXjGI2fGxJ
I'm Mike - this is Riiff Raff's Reading Renaissance. Welcome!
I’m deep into Homer’s Iliad — books 7 through 12 — and what continues to strike me is the unsettling contrast between brutal, gory battlefield deaths and the deeply human backstories Homer gives even the most minor characters. In this reading vlog, I reflect on why the violence feels so immediate, humane, and strangely modern.
This episode explores Ajax’s duel with Hector, the strange honor between enemies, battlefield “timeouts,” the role of the meddling gods, Achilles still on strike, and the turning tide of war. I also talk about Homer’s use of simile, personification (Panic, Strife, Terror), and the vivid realism of combat in Robert Fagles’ translation.
From the respectful exchange of gifts between mortal enemies to the eerie calm with which soldiers kill and withdraw, The Iliad presents war as both savage and ritualized. I draw parallels with modern sport, superhero storytelling, and even rugby culture — where violent competition coexists with deep mutual respect.
I also reflect on why the Fagles translation feels so accessible and immersive, how Homer’s imagery activates the senses, and why this 3,000-year-old poem still feels physically present — dusty, loud, chaotic, and alive.
This video is part of my ongoing Iliad reading journey, book by book, sharing real-time reactions and reflections for anyone curious about reading Homer for the first time — or returning to it after years away.
TIMESTAMPS / CHAPTERS PART 2
00:00 Daily Vlog: Day 7, Book 7 Ajax Duels with Hector
05:50 Check in with Steve #5 (Dynamics of conflict)
08:04 Daily Vlog: Day 8, Book 8 The Tide of Battle Turns
11:38 Check in with Steve #6 (The Immersive Experience)
14:37 Daily Vlog: Day 9, Book 9 (with Layla!) The Embassy to Achilles
19:25 Check in with Steve #7 (Personified Abstractions)
21:19 Daily Vlog: Day 10, Book 10 Marauding Through the Night
22:37 Daily Vlog: Day 11, Book 11 Agamemnon’s Day of Glory
31:55 Daily Vlog: Day 12, Book 12 The Trojans Storm the Rampart
37:20 Check in with Steve #8 (Fagles Translation)
41:45 Link to PART THREE
With thanks to Steve @saintdonoghue for the buddy read chats.
And for the almighty algorithm:
#TheIliad
#BookTube
#ClassicLiterature
#GreekMythology
#GreatBooks
