The Iliad. An epic tale of gods and heroes set at Troy over three thousand years ago. At its heart, the story of a great warrior afflicted by terrible rages. Achilles, son of the sea nymph Thetis, an immortal named Peleus.
The setting. The war begun almost ten years ago when Helen of Sparta was stolen away by the Trojan prince, Paris. A war manipulated by gods who take opposing sides. Total war. Ancient style.
We begin a Troy, besieged by King Agamemnon and his Greek army. The stubborn king offends Achilles, the Greeks'best warrior, by claiming his spoil of war, the maiden, Briseis. Achilles leaves the battlefield, honor affronted.
So Achilles'mother, Thetis, asks Zeus to let the Trojans have the upper hand to show the Greeks they need her son. For now, there's a truce, although Paris, a lover not a warrior, is almost killed in a duel with Helen's husband. Heading into battle, Trojan champion Hector says an emotional goodbye to his wife and child. Fighting resumes, spurred on by the gods, and the Trojans are winning.
Achilles still refuses to fight, but the Greeks know their foes fear him, so his best friend Patroclus tries to fool the Trojans by wearing Achilles'armor. He is killed in battle. Enraged, Achilles vows revenge, wearing armor newly fashioned by Hephaestus, the blacksmith god. He re-enters the battle and slays Hector.
Still incensed, Achilles defiles Hector's corpse. This angers Zeus. He helps Hector's father Priam find Achilles and beg for Hector's body. Priam reminds Achilles of his own father.
And the two weep together, lamenting the vagaries of war. And our story ends with Hector's funeral. and mourning a Troy.