The Iliad is a historically important poem. We know very little from the Dark Ages of Greece. It was composed in the Greek language by Homer in the 7th or 8th century B.C., 400-500 years after the 10 year siege of Troy, but it was not written onto paper until the first century A.D. It is probably differs from the original, but it still has the main plot. Since it was originally composed as ballad, Homer has written the battles like an announcer calling a football game.
The story begins during the last year of the siege of Troy by the Achaians(Greeks). There has not been much fighting. The reason for the war was that the prince of Troy, Paris, had kidnapped Helen, the wife of King Agamemnon’s brother, Menelaus. Hundreds of ships had come with thousands men. The King Agamemnon refused to give up fighting for 10 years, even when the Trojans gave very generous offers.
But when Agamemnon takes the daughter of a priest of Apollo, Apollo sends sickness and death into the Achaian camp. Achillês, the son of a mortal man and an immortal Sea Nymph, is forced by Agamemnon to give his girl to Agamemnon if he is to give the Priest’s daughter back. Achillês gives in, but his mother has asked Zeus to make her son the hero of the war for the Achaians. Achillês sits brooding at the boats while the rest of the army attacks the Trojans. Paris’ brother, Hector, turns out to be the champion for the Trojans.
With the help of Artemis, Ares, and Aphrodite, among others; Hector turned the tide of war. He drove the Achaians back to their ships. Paris is mortally injured during the fighting and dies inside Troy. Achillês sends his best friend out in his own armor, but he is killed after killing about twenty people. Achillês is heartbroken and decides to join the battle. His mother brings him new armor from the forges of Mt. Olympus. Could Achillês turn the tide of tide of war and defeat Hector and the Trojans?
It was a slow but entertaining book. The original ballad version was probably riveting. It is still a major book, despite being thousands of years old.