About
Homer's Iliad (c. 8th century BCE) recounts 51 days during the 10-year Trojan War, focusing on Achilles's rage after Agamemnon dishonors him, his withdrawal from battle, the death of his companion Patroclus, and his return to kill the Trojan hero Hector. It is the oldest work of European literature and arguably the most influential.
The Iliad introduced literary concepts still used today: the in medias res opening, the extended simile, the tragic hero, and the exploration of war's glory and horror simultaneously. Its characters — the brilliant-but-doomed Achilles, the noble Hector, the wise Odysseus — have been portrayed in art, literature, and film for 2,800 years.
# Top 10 The Iliad facts
- 1The Iliad covers only 51 days of the 10-year Trojan War — its tight focus created the model for narrative epic
- 2Alexander the Great slept with a copy of the Iliad annotated by Aristotle under his pillow — and a dagger
- 3The word 'Achilles' heel' (a fatal weakness) comes from the myth of Achilles — not the Iliad itself, but associated mythology
Fascinating Facts
- ◆The Iliad covers only 51 days of the 10-year Trojan War — its tight focus created the model for narrative epic
- ◆Alexander the Great slept with a copy of the Iliad annotated by Aristotle under his pillow — and a dagger
- ◆The word 'Achilles' heel' (a fatal weakness) comes from the myth of Achilles — not the Iliad itself, but associated mythology
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