The seventh book of the Iliad has received little attention in recent decades; Katharina Wesselmann’s commentary thus fills a desideratum in Homeric scholarship. The twelfth volume of the Basler Kommentar series is based on Martin West’s edition of Homer’s text and presents the features that have been appreciated in the previous publications in the series, of which it follows the usual structure.[1] A very brief introduction by the author (pp. vii–viii) is followed by a few pages explaining the typographical and editorial choices of the commentary (Hinweise zur Benutzung, pp. ix–xiii). Before reading the Kommentar, the reader is invited to consult the 24 Regeln zur Homerischen Sprache (pp. 1–7) and an outline of book 7 (pp. 8–10). The clarifications on Homeric language, which are usefully complemented by the grammatical annotations at the foot of the page within the commentary, are particularly useful and are based on the approach of the classic Ameis-Hentze(-Cauer), the reference commentary in the German-speaking countries.[2]
The narrative of book 7 can be divided into two parts. The first (vv. 1–312) focuses on the duel between Hector and Ajax that was instigated by Apollo and Athena to temporarily stop the fighting after the arrival of Hector and Paris in the field (vv. 1–16). The clash ends before there is a winner due to the intervention of the heralds as night is about to fall (vv. 273–312). The second part of the book (vv. 313–482) presents an ordered structure by Parallelszenen representing the assemblies of the two opposing camps, the Trojan embassy and the burial of the dead. The book ends with the construction of the wall to protect the Achaean camp (vv. 433–442) and Poseidon’s complaints about the lack of sacrifice in honor of the gods before its construction (vv. 443–464). The structure and content of the book have posed problems for both ancient and modern scholars: perhaps for this reason, Wesselmann’s commentary is the only contribution of significant breadth since the Cambridge Commentaries series edited by Kirk (1996).[3] Although the author does not conceive her work as an alternative to Kirk’s (on the contrary, she makes frequent reference to it), the new commentary ends up constituting a step forward in Homeric studies, thanks in part to the fact that it benefits from almost thirty more years of Homeric scholarship.
Wesselmann’s work has considerable merit. The author treats linguistic, metrical, philological, and poetic issues with equal care, without neglecting problems of toponymy and Iliadic geography. The reader is always provided with a survey of the most recent bibliography and obtains an up-to-date view of the latest trends in Homeric criticism, from Narratology to the Evolutionary Model, from New Oral Poetry to the Theory of Mind. In addition, Wesselmann makes clever use of the interpretative solutions offered by ancient criticism by offering, when consistent with the discussion, the Alexandrians’ position on philological and poetic issues in a much more systematic manner than in previous commentaries. The result is a work that is very dense with information without ever being repetitive, thanks to frequent reference to material and discussions in other volumes of the series[4] and in the Prolegomena. The extensive use of abbreviations, acronyms and symbols, and cross-reference to other volumes may at first glance seem an obstacle to consultation but in fact is necessary for a product conceived as a component of a single, coherent publishing project.[5] Despite the specific genre of the commentary and the undeniable difficulty involved in dealing with a large amount of secondary literature, the author finds space to state her position on individual issues.[6] Wesselmann’s research is particularly fruitful for specialists on Homer and the Archaic epics for many reasons. In particular, the compilation of parallels for formulas, typical expressions, and scenes is useful: for example, the occurrences of a formula (not only in the Iliad, the Odyssey, and in the Homeric Hymns but also in the rest of archaic poetry) are listed in a systematic and reasoned manner, thus offering material for further research.[7]
Among the most remarkable pages of the volume is the presentation of the content and structure of the book, which opens the commentary section (pp. 11–19). Here, the author examines, one by one, the problems identified by the critics regarding the coherence of certain episodes of the text in relation to the rest of the poem.[8] Each issue is effectively resolved, and book 7 is presented as a narrative unit with its own internal coherence and, at the same time, as a necessary part of the Iliad in terms of structure and content. The author accurately highlights the anticipation of the events of book 7 in the preceding books as well as the allusions in it to episodes from later ones, as in the case of the Hector/Ajax duel[9]. The structure of the duel, the fulcrum of the text, is studied and presented through reference to parallels between it and the Paris/Menelaus duel in book 3: the two scenes are not copies of one another but show adherence to traditional motifs and are adapted to the narrative context. Also of interest are the similarities, analyzed from a comparative perspective, between the Hector/Ajax duel, the Nestor/Ereuthalion clash (7.150–160) and the fight between David and Goliath in the biblical tradition (Sam. 17). In these introductory pages, as well as in the rest of the commentary, Wesselmann identifies the points of contact between book 7 and the rest of the Iliad from a linguistic, structural, and contextual point of view, convincingly offering the idea that the Iliad has a coherent narrative unity.
The dense pages of commentary are followed by a rich bibliography that takes into account, alongside more classic studies, recent publications reflecting the latest trends in Homeric scholarship. No major errors were noted. An English translation already in the making (planned for 2023) will make this highly valuable volume accessible to a wider audience, although it is important to stress that Wesselmann’s writing style is rather user-friendly and allows the volume to be read without difficulty, even by non-native speakers who read German only for research purposes. Katharina Wesselmann deserves much credit for having tackled such a stimulating, yet arduous, task for a Homerist. She has rendered an important and invaluable service to the community of specialists, who now find in the commentary to book 7 a sure support and an indispensable point of reference.
Notes
[1] The volumes already published are the commentaries to Books 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 14, 16, 18, 19, 22, and 24. After Wesselmann’s volume, volumes XIII and XIV with commentaries on Books 4 and 21 have also been published. An English translation of the series has also been undertaken. See previous reviews of other volumes in German or English: among others Haubold (BMCR 2001.09.01), Lethbridge (BMCR 2005.08.16) and Lesser (BMCR 2017.04.25).
[2] As stated by the editors (BMCR 1997.07.12).
[3] G.S. Kirk, The Iliad. A Commentary: Book 5–8, Cambridge 1996.
[4] For example, see the commentary on book 1 for the noun ἄναξ (p. 26) or books 1 and 24 for the Mycenaean contacts of the noun κήρυξ (p. 104).
[5] See the review of the Prolegomena by van Emde Boas (BMCR 2016.08.22).
[6] To cite one example among many, the convincing discussion of athetesis in verses 334–335 (pp. 163–164), that still posed a problem for Kirk.
[7] One may mention here the excursus on the similarity of Ajax to Ares and the parallels with the similarities between men and gods in vv. 208–213 (p. 113).
[8] Among other things, the fact that the behavior of Athena and Apollo gives the impression of being incongruent with the rest of the story; the motivation for the conclusion of the duel between Hector and Ajax appears weak; the description of the construction of the wall in the camp of the Achaeans seems so late in the chronology of the war that it has been considered an interpolation (pp. 11–13).
[9] P. 15.