The Iliad – Homer

Homer’s Iliad is one of the greatest literary works of antiquity. This epic poem, consisting of 24 books that correspond to the 24 letters of the Greek alphabet, grapples with the crucial final phase of the Trojan war and its ramifications.The warrior hero Achilles, son of Peleus (a mortal) and Thetis (a sea goddess), is the central figure of The Iliad. Given a choice, Achilles bravely embraces a short and glorious life in war over a long life lacking heroic glory. The Iliad depicts the Trojan war as not just a battle between the Greeks and the non-Greeks, the gods are both keen watchers and active participants in the unfolding conflict.While exploring the themes of love, friendship, honour, fate, will in this magnificent epic, Homer masterfully dissects the darkest human impulses and lays bare the horrors of war.