This is the second volume in the major six-volume commentary on The Iliad now being prepared under the general editorship of Professor Kirk. Volume I was published in 1985. As before the volume consists of four introductory essays followed by the commentary itself. The Greek text is not included. This project is the first large-scale commentary on The Iliad for nearly 100 years, and takes special account of language, style and thematic structure as well as of the complex social and cultural background to the work.