The Iliad

Composed in ancient Greece, probably in the late eighth or early seventh century BC, Homer’s The Iliad is one of the foundational works of Western literature, an epic poem of war, honour, pride and the devastating consequences of human anger. Set during the final weeks of the Trojan War, the poem centres on the quarrel between Achilles, the greatest warrior of the Greek army, and Agamemnon, its commander. When Agamemnon publicly dishonours Achilles, the warrior withdraws from battle, leaving the Greeks vulnerable to the Trojans, led by the formidable Prince Hector. As the fighting intensifies and the gods intervene in mortal affairs, the conflict becomes an exploration of glory, loyalty and the terrible price of wounded pride.

Beneath its vivid accounts of combat, The Iliad is a profoundly humane meditation on mortality, grief and the limits of heroic ambition. Achilles embodies both the extraordinary power and the destructive cost of rage, while Hector’s devotion to his family and city lends the Trojan cause a poignant dignity. Homer’s characters inhabit a world governed by honour and reputation, yet the poem’s most affecting moments emerge when compassion breaks through the demands of war. Its influence reaches across centuries, shaping Greek tragedy, Roman epic and the wider literary imagination, while its treatment of conflict continues to resonate in modern discussions of violence and human suffering. Alongside The Odyssey, The Iliad stands at the beginning of the Western literary canon, an enduring achievement whose vision of war is as concerned with the vulnerability of the human heart as with the glory of heroes.