The ultimate, full-cast dramatisations of Homer’s two epic Greek masterpieces, with exceptional casts including Derek Jacobi, Christopher Eccleston, Tim McInnerny and Benedict Cumberbatch REDISCOVER THE EPIC MYTHS BEFORE YOU SEE CHRISTOPHER NOLAN'S MAJOR MOTION PICTURE Attributed to the Greek poet Homer, The Iliad and The Odyssey are among the greatest and most influential works of the past 3000 years, often claimed as the cornerstones of Western literature. These unmissable BBC dramas breathe new life into the classic stories, adding an extra dimension with stunning casts and specially composed music. Vivid, visceral and action-packed, they will transport you to the battlefield of Troy, and take you on a fantastic journey with the wandering king of Ithaca... The Iliad – In pursuit of the beautiful Helen, stolen by the Trojan prince Paris, an Achaean battle fleet has sailed from Greece. For nine years the army of the Achaeans has lain siege to Troy, but still the great city stands – and in the ranks, failure breeds resentment and feuding. When the great warrior Achilles is humiliated by his leader, Agamemnon, he refuses to take any further part in the fight. But when the Trojan hero Hector kills his closest friend, Patroclus, he rampages back into battle to take a terrible revenge… Derek Jacobi narrates Homer's gripping tale of fury, grief, love and war, dramatised by Tom Holland and starring Christopher Eccleston, Iain Glen, Imogen Stubbs and Andrew Sachs. The Odyssey – The Trojan War is long over, but Odysseus is still struggling to get home. After a decade of fighting and a further ten years battling storms and calamities, the Gods have decided that it is time for him to return to Ithaca. But Poseidon still wants revenge… As Odysseus is freed from the coils of Calypso, who had held him prisoner for seven years, we hear the incredible tale of his seafaring adventures, and his encounters with enchantresses, nymphs, monsters, prophets and ghosts. And we learn of his faithful wife Penelope who waits for him, besieged by suitors, and their son Telemachus who has a quest of his own… This stunning production won Gold at the 2005 Spoken Word Awards and was acclaimed Best Audio Drama at the 2009 Audie Awards. Tim McInnerny stars as Odysseus, with Amanda Redman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Bertie Carvel, Adjoa Andoh and Frances Barber. The Iliad Homer – Derek Jacobi Achilles – Christopher Eccleston Hector – Iain Glen Agamemnon – Bill Wallis Helen – Imogen Stubbs Chryses – Clive Mantle Athena/Andromache – Suzanna Hamilton Hero/Hecuba – Mia Soteriou Odysseus – Michael Elwyn Priam – Andrew Sachs Paris – Tom Espiner Menelaus – John MacKay Thetis – Jacqueline Tong Zeus – Michael Fenton Stevens Patroclus – Jamie Glover Apollo – Chris Donnelly Dramatised by Tom Holland Produced and directed by Viv Beeby and Jeremy Howes The Odyssey Odysseus – Tim McInnerny Penelope – Amanda Redman Telemachus – Benedict Cumberbatch Athena – Janet McTeer Zeus – John Wood Eurycleia – Mary Wimbush Hermes – Bertie Carvel King Alcinous – Geoffrey Whitehead Queen Arete – Cheryl Campbell Princess Nausicaa – Alice Hart Calypso – Adjoa Andoh The Cyclops – Barrie Rutter Antinous – Danny Webb Eurymachus – Jonathan Keeble Amphinomus – Chris Pavlo Eurylochus – Ewan Bailey Polites – John Rowe Elpenus – Stephen Hogan Eurybates – Philip Fox Antiphus/Shipmate – Jon Glover Eumaeus – Ioan Meredith Circe – Frances Barber Ghost of Anticleia – Joanna McCallum The Elena Ferarri, Belinda Sykes, Harriet Williams Dramatised by Simon Armitage Directed by Janet Whitaker 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
Author
In the Western classical tradition, Homer (Greek: Ὅμηρος) is considered the author of The Iliad and The Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest of ancient Greek epic poets. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature. When he lived is unknown. Herodotus estimates that Homer lived 400 years before his own time, which would place him at around 850 BCE, while other ancient sources claim that he lived much nearer to the supposed time of the Trojan War, in the early 12th century BCE. Most modern researchers place Homer in the 7th or 8th centuries BCE. The formative influence of the Homeric epics in shaping Greek culture was widely recognized, and Homer was described as the teacher of Greece. Homer's works, which are about fifty percent speeches, provided models in persuasive speaking and writing that were emulated throughout the ancient and medieval Greek worlds. Fragments of Homer account for nearly half of all identifiable Greek literary papyrus finds.
