A project of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF).
Project management: Prof. Dr. Anton Bierl.
Founded by Prof. Dr. Joachim Latacz (1996) and edited by Anton Bierl and Joachim Latacz in the series "Sammlung wissenschaftlicher Commentare (SWC)", Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin/Boston (previously K.G. Saur Verlag, München/Leipzig; former B.G. Teubner, Stuttgart/Leipzig).
Since the publication of the last scientific commentary on Homer's Iliad published in German (Ameis-Hentze-Cauer, 1868-1913), Homeric scholarship has made immense progress in all traditional areas (language, realia, structure, etc.). In addition, fundamentally familiar fields such as research on narrative technique have been placed on a systematic basis. Finally, new fields such as Mycenaeology (Linear B), oral poetry, performance, audience response and new studies on Troy revolutionized the unterstanding of the Iliad.
The new 'Basler Kommentar' (BK) sees its task in documenting the research progress that has now been achieved as completely as possible and in further advancing research through its own new suggestions.
The BK thus reflects the current state of Homer scholarship in a comprehensive breadth. Special emphasis is placed on the inclusion of the widely-despersed international research work published in the main research languages. In this respect, the commentary can also be used as a general bibliography for international Homeric research.
The commentary was conceived in such a way that it can address a range of audience from high school students to college professors to Homeric specialists. It appeals to Classicists in the broad sense as well as to students and scholars of the humanities in general.
Financial support is made available by the SNF, the Freiwillige Akademische Gesellschaft Basel, the Max Geldner-Stiftung Basel, the Frey-Clavel-Stiftung Basel and the Hamburger Stiftung zur Förderung von Wissenschaft und Kultur.
Until today a volume Prolegomena and the commentaries on the books 1–4, 6–7, 14, 16, 18–19, 21 and 24 of the Iliad have been published. In the current project period (1.1.2021-31.12.2024), book 11 is being worked on collectively by Dr Marina Coray and Dr Martha Krieter.
The work on the books 9 and 22 is in progress.
On the basis of a cooperation agreement, the following are also collaborating:
Prof. Dr. René Nünlist was involved in the preparation of Prolegomena and Volume I, and Prof. Dr. Edzard Visser in Volume II and XIII.
volumes already published
Homers Ilias. Gesamtkommentar (Basler Kommentar / BK), ed. by Anton Bierl and Joachim Latacz:
volumes in preparation
Homers Ilias. Gesamtkommentar (Basler Kommentar / BK), ed. by Anton Bierl and Joachim Latacz:
Homer’s Iliad. The Basel Commentary (BKE)
In 2013, a contract was signed with the publisher Walter De Gruyter for the revised and updated translation of the Basel Homer Commentary Homers Ilias: Gesamtkommentar (BK) in English, bringing the standard work to worldwide attention.
The English version, Homer’s Iliad. The Basel Commentary (BKE), edited by Anton Bierl and Joachim Latacz, is supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, New York , the Freiwillige Akademische Gesellschaft (FAG), Basel and the L. & Th. La Roche-Stiftung, Basel.
Professor Stuart Douglas Olson, specialist in Greek philology at the University of Minnesota, is the General Editor of the English Edition. Under his direction, his team consisting of Dr Sara Strack and Dr Benjamin Mills translates the volumes updated by the Basel Homer Commentary team. On the Basel side, Dr Magdalene Stoevesandt is responsible as Managing Editor.
volumes already published
volumes in preparation
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