Around the 8th century BC, it is said to have been a great Greek poet named Homer. This guy is a big deal, let me tell you. He's the mastermind behind not one, but TWO epic poems that are basically the foundation of ancient Greek literature. We're talking about the Iliad and the Odyssey. These works are so iconic that people still study them today, centuries and centuries later. And let me tell you, Homer, whether he existed or not, is not just some run-of-the-mill author. This guy is the real deal. He's one of the most revered and influential authors in the entire history of humanity. I mean, come on, he wrote about gods, heroes, and epic battles. He took us on epic journeys, from the Trojan War to the trials and tribulations of Odysseus trying to make his way back home. He weaved tales of love, loss, and redemption that have captured the hearts and imaginations of people for thousands of years. Alright, let me tell you about the Iliad. It's one of the OG epic poems of ancient Greece, and it's attributed to none other than the legendary storyteller, Homer. This baby is old, but it's still holding up - modern audiences are still all about it. And when I say old, I mean we're talking about a work of literature that's been around since the late 8th or early 7th century BC. So, what's the deal with the Iliad? Well, it's one of two major epic poems credited to Homer, the other being the Odyssey. The poem is divided into 24 books, written in dactylic hexameter, and contains a whopping 15,693 lines in its most widely accepted version. We're talking about some serious page-turning action here. The story takes place during the final weeks of the Trojan War, a ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Mycenaean Greek states. It's all about some major events that went down during the battle, including a legendary feud between King Agamemnon and the great warrior, Achilles. This thing is so epic that it's a central part of the Epic Cycle - that's like, the cinematic universe of ancient Greek epic poems. But what really makes the Iliad stand out is the way it tackles some major themes. We're talking about stuff like glory, pride, fate, and wrath. This is some heavy stuff, folks. And let's not forget the Olympian gods - they play a major role in the poem, intervening in battles and personal disputes. In fact, the way they're characterized in the Iliad humanized them for Ancient Greek audiences and gave them a real sense of cultural and religious tradition. But hey, this is also an epic poem about war, so don't be surprised if there's some serious weaponry, battle tactics, and graphic violence being described in detail. And yeah, this one is definitely more of a guy's story than the Odyssey, with fewer female characters taking center stage. At the end of the day, the Iliad is a massive achievement. It's considered to be the first substantial piece of European literature, and it's still capturing imaginations today. So if you're looking for a good read, give this one a shot. And if you're feeling really ambitious, try reading it in the original Homeric Greek - that's some serious bragging rights right there. Get ready to travel back in time to ancient Greece and witness the epic tale of the rage of Achilles, the greatest hero of the Trojan War! Our story begins with an invocation to the Muse, the goddess of inspiration, to guide us through this tale of heroic deeds and divine intervention. The Achaeans have been warring with the Trojans for what seems like an eternity, and we find ourselves smack dab in the middle of the action. Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae and commander of the united Achaean armies, is holding captive a Trojan priest's daughter, Chryseis. The priest, Chryses, offers the Achaeans a hefty sum of wealth for her return, but Agamemnon is a stubborn fellow and refuses. Bad move, Agamemnon! Chryses prays to Apollo, the god of plagues, to teach these Achaeans a lesson, and boy does he deliver. The Achaean army is struck with a terrible plague, leaving them weak and vulnerable. Enter Achilles, the best of the Greeks and leader of the Myrmidon forces. He's not too pleased with Agamemnon's stubbornness and calls a meeting to deal with the problem. After some heated discussion, Agamemnon reluctantly agrees to return Chryseis to her father, but in a fit of greed, decides to take Achilles' captive, Briseis, as compensation. This is a major insult to Achilles and he is beyond angry. He declares that he and his men will no longer fight for Agamemnon. As the drama unfolds, the gods get involved. Achilles prays to his sea-nymph mother, Thetis, to ask Zeus to let the Trojans beat the Achaeans until their ships are in danger of burning. Only then will Agamemnon understand the gravity of the situation and restore Achilles' honor. Thetis delivers the message to Zeus and he agrees. He even sends a dream to Agamemnon, urging him to attack Troy. But first, Agamemnon decides to test the army's morale by telling them to go home. This turns out to be a major flop, as the soldiers are tired and fed up with the war. Only the intervention of the clever Odysseus, inspired by Athena, prevents a complete rout. The armies finally meet on the Trojan plain, ready for battle. The Trojan king, Priam, hears of the Achaean deployment and sends out a sortie. The two sides are about to clash when Paris, the infamous thief of Menelaus' wife Helen, offers to end the war by dueling Menelaus. Helen will marry the winner. Paris is defeated, but with a little divine intervention from the goddess of love, he escapes and runs off with Helen. The gods debate whether the war should end there, but Hera convinces Zeus to wait for the total destruction of Troy. Athena convinces the Trojan archer, Pandaros, to shoot Menelaus, breaking the truce and starting the fighting once again. It's a bloody battle, with many minor Trojans meeting their demise. The war continues, and the battle is heating up! Diomedes, a fierce Achaean warrior, is slicing through Trojans left and right, racking up a serious body count. He even manages to take down Aeneas, but Aphrodite swoops in to rescue him before Diomedes can finish the job. Well, Diomedes ain't one to back down from a fight, even if it's against a goddess. He takes a swing at Aphrodite and actually manages to wound her wrist. That's gotta hurt! But Apollo, the god of archery and healing, ain't too happy about mortals warring with his divine kin. He warns Diomedes to back off, but our boy is too hot-headed to listen. So, Apollo sends in Ares, the god of war, to take care of business. Now, this is where things get really crazy. Heroes and commanders are joining the fray left and right, and the gods are duking it out in the heavens, trying to sway the battle in their favor. But Diomedes ain't backing down. With the encouragement of Athena, goddess of wisdom and battle, he manages to wound Ares and take him out of the fight. Meanwhile, Hector, the Trojan hero, is rallying his troops and preventing a total rout. In the middle of all this chaos, Diomedes manages to find some common ground with the Trojan Glaukos, and they exchange some...interesting gifts. Glaukos tells Diomedes the wild tale of Bellerophon, and honestly, it's worth a listen. Hector enters the city and urges prayers and sacrifices to the gods, rousing his brother Paris to get back in the fight. But not before he says a heartfelt goodbye to his wife Andromache and their son Astyanax. He rejoins the battle, dueling with Ajax, but nightfall brings a much-needed break in the action. During the break, the Trojans have a bit of a squabble about returning Helen, the woman whose abduction started this whole mess. Paris offers to give back the treasure he stole and offer further wealth, but not Helen herself. The Achaeans ain't having it and refuse the offer. Both sides agree to a day's truce to burn their dead and tend to their wounded. The Achaeans even build a wall and trench to protect their camp and ships. The Trojans and Achaeans are at it again, with both sides fighting like the fierce warriors they are! Zeus, the king of the gods, has prohibited divine interference, leaving the mortals to duke it out on their own. The Trojans are gaining the upper hand, pushing the Achaeans back to their wall. Even Hera and Athena are forbidden from lending a helping hand! Night falls before the Trojans can make a full-on assault, so they camp out in the field, ready to attack at the crack of dawn. Their watchfires light up the plain like a sky full of stars. Meanwhile, the Achaeans are feeling desperate. Agamemnon admits his mistake and sends an embassy to Achilles, offering his captive Briseis and extensive gifts if only he would return to battle. Achilles and his pal Patroclus receive the embassy well, but the insult to his honor is too great. Achilles angrily refuses the offer, saying he'll only return if the Trojans come for his ships with fire in their eyes. The embassy returns empty-handed. But things start to heat up when Odysseus and Diomedes sneak out to the Trojan lines that night, killing a Trojan named Dolon and wreaking havoc in the Thracian camps. The next day, the fighting is intense, and even Agamemnon, Diomedes, and Odysseus are wounded. Achilles sends Patroclus to check on the Achaean casualties, and he's moved to tears by a speech from the wise Nestor. Nestor asks Patroclus to beg Achilles to return to battle, or at least let Patroclus lead the army wearing Achilles' armor. The Trojans launch a fierce attack on the Achaean wall, led by Hector. Despite a bad omen, he charges ahead, and the Achaeans are overwhelmed and forced to retreat. The wall's gate is broken, and Hector charges in. The Achaeans are falling back to their ships. But don't count them out just yet! Poseidon, the god of the sea, takes pity on the Achaeans and decides to help them, going against Zeus' orders. He rallies their spirits, and they start to push the Trojans back. Many fall on both sides, including Poseidon's nephew Amphimachus. But Poseidon imbues Idomeneus with godly power, and the tide of the battle starts to turn. Hera, always the clever one, seduces Zeus and puts him to sleep, allowing Poseidon to continue his aid to the Achaeans. Ajax wounds Hector, who is carried back to Troy. Zeus wakes up and is angry, but reassures Hera that Troy will fall once Hector kills Patroclus. Poseidon is recalled from the battlefield, and Zeus sends in Apollo to aid the Trojans. The Trojans breach the wall again, and the battle reaches the ships. Patroclus, unable to stand by and watch any longer, goes to Achilles in tears. He chides Achilles for his stubbornness and asks to fight in his place, wearing Achilles' armor so that the Trojans will think it's him. Achilles reluctantly agrees, but warns Patroclus not to pursue the Trojans and to come back to him safely. Patroclus leads the Myrmidons into battle, arriving just as the Trojans are setting fire to the first ships. The Trojans are caught off guard and quickly routed by the sudden attack. Patroclus starts his assault by taking down Zeus' son Sarpedon, a key ally of the Trojans. But, ignoring Achilles' orders, Patroclus charges ahead and even reaches the gates of Troy. Apollo himself steps in and puts a stop to Patroclus, joined by Euphorbos. Patroclus is ultimately killed by Hector. Hector takes Achilles' armor from the fallen Patroclus, and the Achaeans are determined to retrieve Patroclus' body from the Trojans. Antilochus is sent to break the news to Achilles and plead for his help in retrieving the body. When Achilles hears of Patroclus' death, he lets out a scream so loud that even his mother, Thetis, hears it from the depths of the ocean. Thetis is heartbroken, knowing that her son is fated to die young if he kills Hector. But despite the risk, Achilles swears to avenge Patroclus and vows to kill Hector. With no armor to wear, he stands by the Achaean wall, bathed in a radiant glow by Athena, and roars with rage. The Trojans are terrified by his appearance, and the Achaeans manage to retrieve Patroclus' body. Achilles mourns the loss of his dear friend, and Thetis requests that Hephaestus make new armor for Achilles. The god crafts a magnificent set of armor, including a beautifully wrought shield. Achilles, the mightiest warrior among the Greeks, had been nursing his anger and refused to fight. But when his best friend Patroclus is killed by Hector, the Trojan prince, Achilles is consumed with rage and decides to take revenge. Zeus, the king of the gods, lifts the ban on their interference, and the divine beings begin to take sides in the war. Achilles, armed with his new set of armor, charges into battle, killing countless Trojans. He is so relentless that he even battles the river god, Scamander, and defeats him with the help of the god of fire, Hephaestus. As the Trojans retreat into the city, Achilles pursues Hector, who, despite his family's pleas, decides to face him. However, when he sees Achilles, Hector's courage falters, and he runs for his life. Achilles chases him around the city, until Athena tricks him into stopping. Hector turns to face his opponent, but Achilles swiftly kills him with a stab to the neck. Achilles, consumed with his anger and pride, dishonors Hector's body by dragging it behind his chariot, day after day. But one night, the ghost of Patroclus comes to Achilles in a dream, urging him to bury his body and let him rest in peace. Achilles realizes the error of his ways and agrees to give Hector's body back to his father, King Priam of Troy. Priam, with the help of Hermes, the messenger of the gods, sneaks into the Achaean camp and pleads with Achilles for his son's body. Moved by Priam's grief, Achilles relents and returns Hector's body to the Trojans. The city mourns for twelve days, during which Achilles honors Patroclus with funeral games.