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, and free will in this magnificent epic,
Homer masterfully dissects the darkest human
impulses and lays bare the horrors of war.