The Iliad of HomerTranslated by Mr. Pope. London: Printed by W. Bowyer, for Bernard Lintott, 1715-1720. 3 volumes. Restored through the generous contribution of Elliott Shore, PhD 1984.
Alexander Pope's classic translation of Homer's Iliad was printed in six installments over the period 1715-1720, and was a landmark work in eighteenth-century English literature. Pope's work also represents an important advancement in the position of the writer in society, since his arrangement with the publisher, Bernard Lintott, allowed him to become one of the first authors to live entirely off of the profits from his books.
In Bryn Mawr's set, the six books of the Iliad were bound in three volumes with plain, contemporary leather bindings. The bindings all show significant wear, with many scuff marks, rounded corners, and hinges that are badly cracked. Restoration work will repair the damaged leather, strengthen and tighten the hinges that attach the front and back boards to the spine, and reattach loose pages. |
