Few stories have had quite the same level of impact on the world as The Iliad. An epic poem about one of the most significant episodes in the semi-mythological Trojan War, The Iliad has remained since Antiquity one of the keystones of Western literature and culture.
The Iliad depicts a period towards the end of the war when the tides finally begin to turn against the defending Trojans, who have been placed under siege by the armies of the Greeks for the better part of ten years. It describes the inhuman rage of Achilles, the most fearsome warrior in the war, who is wronged by the Greek leader Agamemnon and refuses to fight any longer for him. When Achilles finally returns to the...