Read as part of my degree and as part of my love of classics, the Iliad holds a certain charm.

However, it didn't compare to The Odyssey which I adored.

Possibly due to the lack of mythological creatures and rather more battles and lists of ships and names, the Iliad made it that much harder to struggle through.

The detailed descriptions of battles and the numerous mentions of ships and names can be overwhelming at times.

Nevertheless, it is still a great read as one of the original classics.

It provides valuable insights into the ancient Greek culture and the nature of war.

But if I had to choose between the two, I would choose The Odyssey over the Iliad anytime.

The Odyssey offers a more diverse and engaging narrative with its tales of adventure, heroism, and the return home.

It has a wider range of characters and a more complex plot that keeps the reader hooked from start to finish.

While the Iliad is an important work of literature, The Odyssey simply has a greater appeal to me.

4,5 балла, округлено до 5.

I in no way belittle or underestimate the enormous historical and cultural significance of Homer's "Iliad", which tells about the 50 days of the siege of Troy, of course, with the unchanging interference of the gods of Olympus. However, this work appealed to me much less than the "Odyssey" because the main actor in this poem is war, strife, and accordingly, there are many battles, many deaths, many tears, tragedies. And yet, this war is senseless, meaningless, and its goals are completely incomprehensible to both the gods and the participants in the battles. This war, as a way to prove one's right or rights by force. And still, no one proved anything to anyone. The poem ends with the prayers of the old Priam to take the body of his beloved son Hector to give him a worthy burial.

It was interesting to learn that in ancient Greece there was such a large number of peoples and leaders described in the second Song, which creates the feeling that this is a full-fledged historical work, with a detailed and thorough description of all those who participated in the war. In the poem, the reason for the war was the abduction of Helen by Paris. And it would be interesting to know what was the real reason for the Trojan War? Did Helen exist and who was she?

In the poem, the Olympian gods actively participate in the war, have their favorites, for whom they "root" and help. It有点像 they are participating in an online computer game, each for their own hero or uniting against someone. The gods have human character traits - they are not at all majestic. They can cheat, show cunning, they try to outwit each other, they lust and engage in sex.

Homer's poems should be read by everyone, because this is the source from which literature began. Although, I still tend to the opinion that both literature and music still have their source in folklore - folk art. The "Iliad" existed even before Homer, as an epic created by the people. He brought it to us.

**TROY VI: THE INVENTION OF ACHILLES**

“The Classics, it is the Classics!” William Blake exclaimed, perhaps with a pointed reference to Homer and the wars that have plagued Europe. His words might not be as harsh as they seem at first glance, as there could be some truth to them, a universal truth. However, the ancients understood war differently. They saw it as the catastrophe that it is.

Strabo, the Roman geographer, described the Trojan wars, stating that both the Greeks and the barbarians lost what they had at home and what they had acquired during the campaign. After the destruction of Troy, the victors turned to piracy due to poverty, and the vanquished who survived the war were in an even worse situation. It is in this spirit that I chose The Iliad as my first read for the World War I centenary.

Over the centuries, the understanding of The Iliad has been twisted. The images of Achilles and Hector have been manipulated, with Hector becoming the great defender of his country and Achilles the insubordinate soldier. This is why there is a need to revisit the original tragic purpose of the epic, which was against all wars. The Iliad starts and ends on the eve of war, focusing on a couple of crucial weeks. It opens with both Hector and Achilles reluctant and ambivalent towards war, and closes with their deaths.

In the epic, we are made to focus on Hector, but all the while, there is an absence - that of Achilles. After an initial skirmish, Achilles plays no part in the events described in Books 2 through 8. He sits by his ships, playing his harp and waiting for the promised end. Hector, on the other hand, is the most human among the heroes. The scene where he meets Andromache and his infant son is one of the most poignant in the epic.
Achilles, on the other hand, is almost non-human, close to a god. He shares the knowledge of the future with the gods, which allows him to stay away from battle, even at the cost of eternal honor. Hector, on the other hand, takes no heed of omens or signs. He is the rational man, the ordinary man roused to defense. However, everything Hector believes is false, and he allows himself to entertain impossible dreams.
The Iliad also charts the metamorphosis of Achilles from a man who abhors war to a man who fights for its own sake. On the other side, it shows how the civilized Hector becomes a savage, driven by the madness of war. One of the defining scenes of the epic is the ‘Embassy Scene’ where Achilles delivers his famous anti-war speech. He rejects the embassy and declares that he is going home.
Despite Achilles’ reluctance, Homer builds the tension towards the epic clash between him and Hector. However, the real centerpiece of the epic might not be Hector vs Achilles. Instead, it could be Patroclus and Hector. Achilles is the irresistible force, and the real contest happens before he is unleashed. Hector’s decision to burn the Achaean ships leads to a crisis for the Achaeans, which Patroclus responds to. Both Hector and Patroclus go beyond defense and pursue kleos, which leads to their deaths.
The most important moment in the Iliad for me was when Hector lost himself to war fury. He shows no restraint in victory and commits his first act of true savagery towards Patroclus’ dead body. Homer gives Hector one more chance to spurn honor and save himself, but he decides to hold his ground for fear of ridicule. The result is the unleashing of Achilles’ rage, which burns everything to the ground.
The last words of The Iliad are: “And so the Trojans buried Hector, breaker of horses.” Homer starts with the Rage of Achilles and ends with the Death of Hector. The epic leaves us in stalemate, with both sides’ best men dead. It is made clear in the epic that Achilles will die under Trojan roofs and that Hector will find his doom under the shadow of the Achaean ships. The saga of Hector and Achilles leaves one death to the imagination, effecting a prophetic function.
The pity of war is The Iliad’s dominant theme. It uses themes such as love, ego, honor, fear, and friendship to illuminate the motive forces behind war. In contrast to another ancient epic, Gilgamesh, where the death of a friend leads to wisdom and an affirmation of life, in The Iliad, the death of a friend leads to a renunciation of wisdom and a quest for death itself. The Iliad is an epic of unlearning, mocking optimistic pretensions. The participants learn nothing from their ordeal, and all the learning is left to the audience.

In the ninth year of the Trojan War, Greek victories have led to Agamemnon taking Chryseis and Achilles taking Briseis.

Following Chryseis' father's prayers to Apollo, a pestilence afflicts the Greeks. Agamemnon releases Chryseis but demands Briseis, which sullies Achilles' honour. Achilles is ropeable and refuses to fight.

With capricious gods supporting both sides, the Trojans drive the Greeks back. Petroclus--Achilles' lover--is killed by Hector. This ignites Achilles' rage. He returns and kills Hector yet keeps the body for the dogs.

Priam--Hector's father and King of Troy--begs Achilles for Hector's return. Recognising Priam's humanity, Achilles relents.

This is a hyper-masculine story. The Trojan War is underpinned by Helen of Sparta being taken to Troy by Paris. This sparks conflict as men on each side view her as their property.

Agamemnon and Achilles' feud also arose from their possessiveness over captured women. For time immemorial, women have been seen as 'spoils of war'. It was only in 2008 when the United Nations Security Council recognised sexual violence as a war crime.

Modern veneration of this ancient story somewhat downplays ongoing male sexual violence towards women in warfare. This enduring reality is presently exemplified by Russians using sexual violence as a weapon of war in Ukraine.

This tale prominently features graphic battle scenes, including descriptions of mushed brains and eviscerations. This grows tiresome over 700 pages.

However, a poignant moment unfolds in Book 24 when Priam seeks the return of Hector's body. Achilles is a selfish demi-god that glories in the slaughter of his enemies.

However, he briefly sheds his callous façade when viewing the bond of a mortal father and son. This scene exposes war's futility and its destructiveness.

While Patroclus was avenged, Achilles remains distraught, and the Trojans are left in despair. Furthermore, this choice seals Achilles' fate for a future demise at the hands of Paris.

Even in victory, war remains pyrrhic to the soul.

Does anyone have an audiobook recommendation for this one?

I truly believe that it would be only proper to have it told orally.

The experience of listening to an audiobook can bring a whole new dimension to the story.

It allows you to immerse yourself in the narrative while going about your daily activities, such as driving, exercising, or doing household chores.

An audiobook can also enhance the understanding and enjoyment of the content, as the narrator's voice and tone can add depth and emotion to the words.

If you have any suggestions for a great audiobook that would be suitable for this particular one, I would be very grateful.

I'm looking forward to finding an audiobook that will bring this story to life in a whole new way.

Thank you in advance for your recommendations!

The Iliad, an immortal Greek epic poem attributed to Homer in the history of literature (I will comment on this later), is a book about war. It also speaks of an era when Troy or Ilión is the battlefield where the perfect conjunction of gods, heroes, and men is manifested. They fight side by side on different planes, such as the earthly and the Olympian.

This is a book that tells of the wrath of Achilles and the bravery of Hector. It quickly involves us as witnesses of betrayals and alliances both among the gods of Olympus and among the warring peoples. The gods support both the Trojans and the Achaeans, tipping the balance and altering their destinies, inspiring them with valor or advising them when faced with an inappropriate maneuver or action. The heroes, aware of their destinies, face with honor and courage what the gods impose on them without discussion.

These actions are clearly narrated in a chapter before the war intensifies, almost in its final stage when Homer tells us: "Thus spoke the son of Cronus and promoted a great battle. The gods went to the combat divided into two bands: Hera, Pallas Athena, Poseidon, who girds the earth, the beneficial Hermes of prudent spirit, and with them Hephaestus, who, proud of his strength, limped dragging his graceful legs; and they directed their steps to the Trojans - Ares, the one with the trembling helmet, the intense Phoebus Apollo, Artemis, who delights in shooting arrows, Leto, the Xanthus, and the smiling Aphrodite."

Beyond the fact that the abduction of Helen of Troy by Paris, Hector's brother, triggered the war, although it was already prepared by the gods themselves (something that Hesiod had anticipated in his Theogony). It is a conflict that is inevitable because it is written that way and will indeed trigger an encounter that will last ten years.

The famous wrath of Achilles, which is divided into two parts: his enmity with Agamemnon for appropriating Briseis, a maiden taken as war booty, and on the other hand, the death of his dearest friend and squire Patroclus at the hands of a Lycian captain, with the end of Hector and the help of the god Ares.

This "wrath" of Achilles in the face of the death of Patroclus is striking and suggestive. Personally, it made me think that Patroclus almost serves as Achilles' lover, since it is remarkable that there are several chapters that speak of the weeping, pain, and mourning that Achilles performs over Patroclus, in addition to the endless funerals and obsequies that he dedicates to him.

Let's think about this: if the first hexameter of the poem begins by saying: "Sing, O goddess, the wrath of Achilles the son of Peleus; wrath that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans and hurled down to Hades many valiant souls of heroes, making them the prey of dogs and the pasture of birds - thus was the will of Zeus accomplished - from the day on which the son of Atreus, king of men, and the divine Achilles first fell out with one another," this clearly shows that the hecatomb that we will experience through the almost 500 pages of the book responds to a simple "vendetta" of Achilles for the death of his beloved friend, dragging with him every warrior, king, god, or woman that he encounters on his way. There are many deaths that this wrath triggers. It is even remarkable that the gods of Olympus accept all this mess.

In addition, if one pays attention to the development of the story, Achilles appears at the beginning and then, enraged by his inner demons, disappears to return almost at the end of the book when he returns to battle to avenge Patroclus on Hector. I hope that the faithful readers of Homer do not feel offended by this comment! (And that the fury of the Greek gods does not fall upon me!).

The characters in the Iliad are numerous. There are so many that when the bard (as the Hellenic bards were called in their time) narrates the personal deeds of Hector, Achilles, Idomeneus, Diomedes, or Ajax Telamon, he does so by enumerating dozens of names. There are so many that I lost count and I wonder why I didn't write them down. I would dare to say that it exceeds the 559 names that Tolstoy created in "War and Peace."

Another interesting detail is the attributes that Homer gives to both gods and heroes (Achilles, "the fleet-footed," Apollo "the far-shooter," Zeus "the cloud-gatherer," Hera "the white-armed," etc.). This elevates the character above others of lesser lineage or hierarchy by attributing to him divine or heroic characteristics. It is a detail that I liked very much.

The description of the battles, the realism, the blood, and the violence did not convince me much. Their descriptions and hyperboles become somewhat repetitive. I remember the vivid way in which Virgil relates those of the Aeneid and I feel that they are even more real, but this is more a question related to the translation than to personal tastes.

The characters in the book are varied, as are their influences, attitudes, and predominance in history. I really liked being on the side of the Trojans, Lycians, and Dardanians with Hector, the bright-helmed, Aeneas (the main character of Virgil's Aeneid, one of my favorite books, which continues the fall of Troy), Paris, Sarpedon, Polydamas, and Agenor. On the other hand, I discover the Achaeans, Danaans, and Myrmidons, and among them Achilles, the beautiful-greaved, Odysseus (who will continue this story in the Odyssey), the brave Menelaus, Agamemnon's brother, the intrepid Diomedes, Ajax Telamon (a brave warrior whom no god helps), and the controversial Agamemnon, a key part of the story and who, along with the Odyssey, is narrated by Aeschylus in another return after the war, together with the Oresteia.

It was very interesting to read this epic poem on the other plane, that of the gods, since the same conflict develops almost side by side, since, as I quoted earlier, each god supports the one he likes the most. The intervention of Hera, Pallas Athena, Phoebus Apollo, Ares, Poseidon, and Aphrodite in the struggle is fundamental, since they even fight among themselves, causing serious injuries. I see them as fallible gods, too human, and more notoriously in Zeus, since at times, the old son of Cronus is perverse, very partial, and protective of Hector, and at other times manipulative and even stubborn and obstinate. In fact, it is necessary that at times his wife Hera deceives him or makes him come to his senses in the face of events that are too unfavorable and unjust for the Achaeans.

Finally, I ask myself a question. Was it really Homer who related the poems orally? I support the theory of some specialists who claim that there were several bards who told the Greek epic of the Iliad and the Odyssey to the people based on different stories. It is difficult for me to believe that a completely blind man can narrate with such a wealth of detail the ornaments of the warriors, the description of the gods, the violence of the battles, the rivers, Olympus, everything that happens in the seas that Odysseus sails in the Odyssey, etc. Moreover, I agree that he may have dictated the poems to those who would later relate them in public, increasing the number of details. Because we are not talking about a Jorge Luis Borges or John Milton who became blind in their later years but about a man who was deprived of his sight all his life.

But, on the other hand, I say: who am I to question such a poet! I am nothing more than a simple reader, a drop of water in that vast ocean that is literature, who is passionate about the heroic verses that narrate the deeds of Achilles, Hector, Odysseus, and so many heroes and gods, thanks to the eternal glory of Homer, one of the most illustrious fathers of letters.

Pablo Picasso dedicated his whole life to the frantic pursuit of novelty and uniqueness. He transitioned from one style to another, mastering and then discarding both modern and classical techniques. He even endeavored to train his artist's hand to paint like a child.

In 1940, four French teenagers and a dog accidentally discovered a cave that had remained hidden for 16,000 years. Inside, they found the walls adorned with beautiful drawings of men and animals. When the Lascaux caves were opened to the public, Pablo Picasso visited them. As he gazed at the prehistoric hunting scenes, he was heard to comment in a despondent tone: "We have invented nothing."

The Iliad is equally humbling for a writer, as complex, beautiful, and honest as any other work. The war scenes unfold like a modern film, gory and fast-paced, with the ever-present shock of death. Although some may be irritated by the naming (or even the giving of a past) of each man before his death, this adds weight to the action. Each death has consequences, and as each man steps onto the stage to face glory or death, Homer gives us a moment to recognize him, to see him amidst the chaotic action, and to witness the fate meted out by Zeus.

The psychological complexity and humanism of this work often astonished me. Homer's portrayal of human beings as fundamentally flawed and incapable of directing their own lives anticipates existentialism. The impartiality he shows towards both the Trojans and the Argives elevates his work above the later moralizing allegories of Turold, Tasso, or even Milton.

Of course, Homer's world is different from theirs, a world where the sword has not yet become a symbol of righteousness. In Homer, good men die unavenged, and bad men rise in the world. Noble empires are consumed by ravenous fire, and the corpses of fresh-limbed young men are desecrated.

Fate does not favor the kind, the weak, the moral, or even the strong. It favors some men now, others later, and in the end, none escapes the emptiness of death. Although Homer depicts some men as great, noble, kind, and brave, these men uphold these ideals not for some promised paradise but simply because they are such men.

There is something refreshing in the purity of the philosophy of living life for oneself and yet expecting no entitlement for one's deeds. A philosophy that accepts the uncontrollable winds of fate; that when the dark mist descends upon our eyes, no man knows where he is going.

Later traditions make other claims: that the righteous will be rewarded, that the lives of good men will be good, and the bad will be punished. In thousands of years of thinking, writing, and acting, have we gained nothing but comforting, unsubstantiated ideals? Then Picasso was wrong, we have invented something, but it is only a machine that perpetuates itself by peddling self-satisfaction.

I read and enjoyed the Fagles translation, which may not be the most faithful but strikes that often-discussed balance between the joy of reading and fidelity. He makes no attempt to translate the meter into English, which is a blessing for us. The English language does a few meters well, and Homer's is not one of them.

The footnotes were competent and interesting, though I could have used a few more; perhaps I am in the minority. I also thoroughly enjoyed Knox's introductory essay. I would normally have had to research the scholarly history of the book myself, so Knox's catch-up was much appreciated.

After reading The Illiad, I found myself in a quandary. How could I review one of the most significant and enduring works of creativity in human history? What could I possibly say that hundreds of thousands of others hadn't already?

My response to this conundrum is that I must join the ranks of those who have come before me and sing the praises of what is truly one of the best stories I have ever had the pleasure of reading. It is as captivating and gripping today as it surely was when it was first written nearly three millennia ago.

There are numerous reasons why this book has withstood the test of time. It is a tale that encompasses love, hate, vengeance, fate, pettiness, grief, and war - a long and bloody war that serves as a microcosm of human life and the passions that drive us to extremes.

You are likely familiar with the story. Paris abducts Helen and takes her to Troy. Agamemnon and the Greeks assemble an army and lay siege to that great city. Achilles, the greatest warrior in history, engages in battle and meets his demise, a poisoned arrow lodged in his ankle. The Greeks then roll a massive wooden horse up to Troy's gates, and the war concludes with trickery and a massacre.

You know all of this, but trust me, you don't truly know it until you have read The Illiad. This is a glorious read, with the brutal blows and screams of war leaping off the page. The human emotions that drive the protagonists are vivid and compelling. You will read this book and be amazed at how something from another era, translated from its original language, can so completely enthrall a modern reader.

It is powerful and intoxicating stuff.

So many images from this story are etched in my mind. Hector and Achilles prowling the battlefield like avatars of death, cutting down opponents by the dozens. Priam pleading with Achilles for the return of his son's mutilated body. Heroes falling in the heat of battle, their souls bound for the underworld, their deaths mourned even by the gods on Olympus, who observe and guide the conflict from above.

There are a select few books that every reader must experience - books that are landmarks in human culture. The Illiad is undoubtedly one of these books. I wonder how I managed to live for more than three decades without reading it, and it fills me with a sense of nostalgia for a time I never lived through, when a high school education in the classics was something that everyone received.

The Iliad is an epic poem that delves into a significant yet relatively brief period of the ten-year Trojan War. It begins with the Greeks' leader, Agamemnon, angering Achilles, a divine-born warrior. This leads to Achilles' refusal to fight for the Greeks until his best friend, Patroclus, is killed by Hector, the Trojans' greatest fighter and Paris's brother. The story culminates in the epic battle between Hector and Achilles, followed by the funeral of the loser.

At times, The Iliad can be a challenging read. There are sections that seem tedious, such as the long catalog of the Greeks' ships and crews. The combat scenes can also become repetitive as one warrior defeats another. However, most of the time, the poem is highly engaging and often deeply moving. Greek mythology is intricately woven throughout the story, as the immortal gods interfere in the lives of the Greeks and Trojans, granting or removing favors at crucial moments.

Despite its difficulties, The Iliad is a must-read for anyone interested in Greek mythology or ancient history. The new translation by Emily Wilson, along with the audiobook performed by Audra McDonald, makes the poem more accessible and enjoyable. Wilson's translation is in iambic pentameter, which gives the text a rhythmic and musical quality. The introduction and notes sections provide valuable context and background information, enhancing the reader's understanding and appreciation of the poem. Overall, Wilson's translation of The Iliad is a remarkable achievement that brings this ancient epic to life for a new generation of readers.

“Zeus set an evil lot upon us all,
to make us topics of a singer’s tale
for people in the future still unborn.”
…
The warriors met, bronze breastplates close together.
Hides clashed, spears struck, and human wills collided.
Shield bosses smashed together and created
great rattling clangs and cracks and thunderous noise.
Despair and triumph swelled among the killers
and those they killed. The earth ran red with blood.
…
“A man who fights his hardest in the war
gets just the same as one who stays behind.
Cowards and heroes have the same reward.
Do everything or nothing—death still comes.”
…
“Who are you? Where do you come from?
And do you dare to challenge me in battle?
When sons encounter me, their parents weep.”
…
“The gods have called me to my death.”

The Iliad tells a very small part of the ten-year Trojan War. Paris’s abduction of Helen, the face that launched a thousand ships? That happened nine years before the story told here. The infamous Trojan Horse the Greeks used to trick their way inside the walls and finally sack the city? That happens sometime after the end of this book. Instead, The Iliad tells a roughly week-long story that could be considered the beginning of the end of the Trojan War. It begins with the Greeks’ leader Agamemnon offending mighty, divine-born Achilles, who then refuses to help the Greeks fight until noble Hector, the Trojans’ greatest fighter and Paris’s brother, kills Achilles’ best friend Patroclus. And it ends with the legendary fight between Hector and Achilles, and the funeral held for the loser.

At times, The Iliad can be a bit tedious. There’s one section that is just a long catalog of the Greeks’ ships and crews. And there are a lot of combat sections that can get repetitive as one guy with a name, lineage and short backstory kills another guy with a name, lineage and short backstory. But most of the time The Iliad is highly entertaining and often quite moving. So much Greek mythology is woven through this book as the immortal, deathless Gods settle old scores with each other by granting or removing favors from the Greeks and Trojans at critical moments. And dozens of characters, both Gods and humans, are richly drawn—recognizable and believable in their rage and grief—despite the extraordinary circumstances they find themselves in.

The Iliad is not an easy read, at least it was not for me, so I turned it into a multimedia experience: listening along to the audiobook while reading the main text on my iPad and pausing to review the notes on the text on my iPhone. But I absolutely recommend the new translation by Emily Wilson, and the audiobook performed by the incomparable Audra McDonald. First, Professor Wilson spent seven years translating the original Greek into a very readable iambic pentameter. Second, the book comes with an introduction that introduces the themes, etc. that the reader should be looking for once they start reading. Finally, there is a lengthy notes section that provides additional detail on names, places, and phrases found throughout the text. Altogether, her translation feels like a class on The Iliad, containing everything you would want or need to get the most from your reading. Recommended.

They lived in a house with a narrow enfilade. This layout compensated for a pitch used for an amateurish game of cricket. There was one opening to the hall room and the other two led to a bedroom and kitchen facing each other.

As any elder sibling is prone to do, he sneaked into the younger sibling’s bedroom and hurled taunts, seeking vengeance for the previous match he had lost. The challenge of a rematch to determine who was the better player would ultimately trigger a recollection of past games, which the two challengers remembered vividly in a way that favored themselves. The younger brother eagerly accepted the challenge of replaying the previous final to resolve the chaos of pride.

In a series of events filled with verbal intimidation and disagreements, they reached the last ball of the final over. The younger brother needed to take a run to win the game. The bowler weighed his options and decided to target the batsman’s weak spot, a well-known vulnerability despite the risk of the batsman correctly anticipating it. The ball was bowled out of the batsman’s reach, bouncing onto the floor and then moving inwards. The batsman had no choice but to send the ball into the hallway. To complete the shot, the batsman had to shift to his weaker leg, leaving him in an awkward position and making it a difficult shot to play.

As the bowler feared, the ball was anticipated correctly and successfully sent into the hallway. The batsman raced towards the opposite end to score the single run and win the game. Little did he know that the ball dragged across the entire diagonal of the hall and hit the showcase containing the statue of the famed discus thrower.

The statue was purchased from Italy by a young man with the same smile the boy had when he reached the crease and made the winning run. The sound of the statue toppling wiped the familiar grin from the little boy’s face. He launched a frenzied run towards the showcase, dropped to his knees, and held the tiny piece of the disc thrower’s ankle that had broken off due to the ball’s force. Instead of reacting like a child and blaming his bad luck, he marveled at the lithe body frame of the man holding the disc, the smooth curves of the statue, and wondered why it held a special place in his father’s heart. It wasn’t just the physical form of the statue. It stood among all the other antiques on the shelf, but it held a special place in his father’s memories of his younger days, filled with Greek mythological sculptures and paintings. It had always held his father in a peculiar state of rapture whenever he glanced at it.

That is the exact moment when a passion was born in the younger brother, a passion he still pursues to this day. His love for statues that tell the stories of an expansive mythology, where men conversed with the Gods, empires crumbled, heroes fought against a higher force, men exulted in pride, and the Gods favored their mortal children and often clashed with other immortal Gods, only to realize the mortality of humans and the futility of their petty battles. What seemed like mere stories found a home in the boy’s heart.

The passion remains strong. Have you ever been so deeply aware of a passion you pursue that you can precisely describe the impact of the continuous rush of adrenaline that hits you every time you think of it? The tragedies, the unending quests of humans and Gods to reach out and greedily grasp something greater than themselves, ultimately leading to their downfall. The realization of hubris and the reasoning behind it, yet repeating our mistakes, seems to be a common theme. However, the circumstances and the reasoning behind it always make the stories worth reading. This prominent theme, set against a backdrop of bloody violence and unfair treatment of mortals, leaves us with the same expression and the same lessons that can perhaps be abstracted from other works of Greek literature, but it still connects us to the human side of events driven by force. The interesting thing about force is the way a human being perceives it. It might be the different emotions personified as Gods. Or perhaps it is simply a fleeting piece of consciousness that drives the motives of the characters.

I had initially intended to write a review from my usual skeptical reader perspective, basing it on facts and giving ratings based on the degree to which it alleviated my skepticism towards a book. However, I have failed to do so, and I am happy about it. I apologize for the disjointed review, but I would gladly admit that my bias towards Greek mythology led me to give this book a 5-star rating.

Also, this is probably the only passion I share with my father. In a recent phone call, since we hardly meet three times a year, I told him I was reading ‘Iliad’. He replied, “Now? But you already know the complete story.” And yes, I would still give it a 5-star rating if I were to re-read it.

Homer really needed a better editor. Just think about it, eleven whole pages were dedicated to listing soldiers' names. That's quite excessive, isn't it?

It seems a bit overkill to have such a long list without any real context or additional information. It could have been presented in a more concise and engaging way.

Thankfully, at least I'm done with this task. But it makes one wonder how much more impactful the work could have been if the editor had done a better job of streamlining and enhancing the content.

Perhaps Homer was so focused on getting every single name down that he overlooked the need for a more polished and reader-friendly presentation. In any case, it serves as a reminder of the importance of good editing in bringing out the best in a piece of writing.

The Iliad is a remarkable ancient Greek epic poem composed in dactylic hexameter and traditionally ascribed to Homer.

Set against the backdrop of the Trojan War, which involved a ten-year siege of the city of Troy (Ilium) by a coalition of Greek states, it vividly描绘s the battles and events that unfolded during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles.

The characters in The Iliad are diverse and complex. There is Ajax, Odysseus, Helen of Troy, Menelaus, Paris, Hector, Achilles, Agamemnon, Aeneas, Sarpedon, Priam, Cassandra, Patroclus, Diomedes, Ajax Oileus, Andromache, Briseis, Hecuba, Nestor, and Akhilleus. Each character plays a crucial role in the story, adding depth and drama to the narrative.

The Iliad has been translated into Persian multiple times. One translation was by Seyed Nafisi and was published in Tehran by the Institute for Translation and Publication of Books in 1955 (1334 in the Iranian calendar). Another translation was by Mir Jalaluddin Kazazi and was published by the Central Publishing House in Tehran in 1998 (1377 in the Iranian calendar).

The Iliad tells the heroic tale of the Trojan War, which began when Helen, the beautiful wife of Menelaus, was abducted by Paris, the son of Priam, the king of Troy. The suitors of Helen had sworn an oath to support the husband of whoever won her hand, so a large army of Greek warriors, led by Agamemnon, set out to retrieve her.

The Greeks besieged Troy for ten years, but they were unable to overcome the city's defenses, especially with the heroic efforts of Hector, the eldest son of Priam and brother of Paris, and the support of the gods such as Zeus, Aphrodite, and Apollo.

During this time, Achilles, the greatest warrior among the Greeks, had a falling out with Agamemnon and withdrew from the battlefield. He watched the fighting from a distance until his close friend Patroclus, wearing Achilles' armor and using his weapons, went into battle in his place. However, Patroclus was defeated and killed by Hector.

Achilles was enraged by the death of Patroclus and put aside his differences with Agamemnon. After mourning Patroclus, he engaged in a fierce one-on-one battle with Hector and emerged victorious.

Achilles then treated Hector's body with disrespect and brought it back to the Greek camp. Priam, the king of Troy, with the help of the gods, managed to make his way to Achilles' camp at night and pleaded with him to return his son's body so that he could give him a proper funeral. After much persuasion, Achilles agreed.

The story of The Iliad comes to an end with the description of Hector's funeral in Troy and the mourning of the people for him.

It is important to note that The Iliad, as well as Homer's other work, The Odyssey, do not mention the outcome of the Trojan War or the tragic fate of Achilles. The stories of the Trojan Horse and the wounding of Achilles in his heel, which led to his death, are found in the works of Roman writers such as Virgil and Ovid. The poet Statius in the first century AD was the first to explore and elaborate on the story of Achilles' heel in his work, The Achilleid.

The date of this adaptation was 28/06/2020 in the Iranian solar calendar and 28/05/2021 in the Gregorian calendar. It was written by A. Sharbiani.