Theodore Buckley was primarily a translator of classical works. His scholarly efforts focused on Homeric epics, with his literal prose translations of the Odyssey and the Iliad, complete with explanatory notes, making these foundational works accessible. Beyond translation, Buckley explored the grandeur and ruin of ancient cities, as evidenced by his influential book on the subject, rich with stories and legends. His literary contribution lies in his meticulous approach to rendering and contextualizing ancient texts and history for contemporary readers.
The Iliad is one of the two great epics of Homer, and is typically described as one of the greatest war stories of all time, but to say the Iliad is a war story does not begin to describe the emotional sweep of its action and characters: Achilles, Helen, Hector, and other heroes of Greek myth and history in the tenth and final year of the Greek siege of Troy.