Homer: Iliad

The wrath of courageous Achilles is at the heart of the Iliad. When Agamemnon, the leader of the Greek army, shows contempt and disrespect to the great warrior, Achilles decides to withdraw from the war. Meanwhile Hector, the prince of Troy, is leading the Trojans on from one victory to another. But when Hector kills Patroclus -loyal friend of Achilles- the great hero rejoins the war effort with vengeance his savage and all-consuming goal. The clash between Achilles and Hector, and the larger conflict between Greeks and Trojans that unfolds throughout the epic, is a portrait of the many forces that drive us to war: honour, pride, love, vengeance, and the desire for glory. The Iliad covers a relatively short period of time (fifty-one days out of the ten years of bloody fighting), but it captures the essence of an entire war and explores the complex human emotions and motivations that drive it. The Iliad is an invitation to enter the world of the ancient Greeks, and to explore the rich legacy of one of the greatest works of literature ever written. This abridged edition includes the ancient greek text and the english translation.