Pope's polished pentameters, when read, are very unlike the full-voiced hexameters of Homer; but the errors in the translation are comparatively few and unimportant, and his own poetry is in his best vein.
The poem was published by subscription, and was a great pecuniary success.
This was in part due to the blunt importunity of Dean Swift, who said: "The author shall not begin to print until I have a thousand guineas for him." Parnell, one of the most accomplished Greek scholars of the day, wrote a life of Homer, to be prefixed to the work; and many of the critical notes were written by Broome, who had translated the Iliad into English prose.

Pope was not without poetical rivals.

Tickell produced a translation of the first book of the Iliad, which was certainly revised, and many thought partly written, by Addison.

A coolness already existing between Pope and Addison was increased by this circumstance, which soon led to an open rupture between them.

The public, however, favored Pope's version, while a few of the _dilettanti_ joined Addison in preferring Tickell's.
The pecuniary results of Pope's labors were particularly gratifying.