Homer
c. 750 BC
Epic Poetry
Grades 9–12 · Rhetoric Stage
The Iliad is the oldest surviving work of Western literature and the foundation of the classical tradition. Set during the final year of the Trojan War, it tells the story of Achilles' wrath and its devastating consequences — exploring honor, mortality, justice, and what it means to be human in a world shaped by forces beyond our control.
What Is the Iliad About?
The Iliad doesn't tell the whole story of the Trojan War. It narrows in on a few weeks near the end of a ten-year siege, centered on one question: what happens when the greatest warrior in the Greek army refuses to fight?
Achilles, insulted by the Greek commander Agamemnon, withdraws from battle. Without him, the Greeks begin to lose. His closest companion, Patroclus, enters the fight wearing Achilles' armor — and is killed by the Trojan prince Hector. Achilles' grief transforms into rage. He returns to the battlefield, kills Hector, and desecrates his body.
But the poem doesn't end with triumph. It ends with mercy. Hector's father, King Priam, comes alone to the Greek camp to beg for his son's body. Achilles, seeing in Priam's grief a reflection of his own father's future sorrow, relents. The two enemies weep together.
It is one of the most powerful scenes in all of literature.
Why the Iliad Still Matters
Every generation asks the same questions the Iliad asks:
- What is worth fighting for? Achilles must choose between a long, ordinary life and a short, glorious one.
- What do we owe each other? The poem explores loyalty, friendship, duty to family, and the obligations of leadership.
- How do we face death? Homer's warriors know they will die. The poem's power comes from watching them choose courage anyway.
- Is revenge ever enough? Achilles gets his revenge — and discovers it doesn't satisfy. Only compassion does.
These aren't ancient questions. They're permanent ones. That's why the Iliad has been read continuously for nearly three thousand years.
Why Classical Schools Teach It
The Iliad appears in virtually every Great Books curriculum — from Saints Classical Academy to St. John's College to the Well-Trained Mind sequence. It's typically taught in the rhetoric stage (9th–12th grade), when students are ready to wrestle with its moral complexity.
Reading the Iliad teaches students to:
- Follow a sustained, complex narrative with dozens of characters
- Analyze character motivation and moral reasoning
- Engage with a text that has no easy answers
- Understand the roots of Western literary tradition — every epic after Homer is in conversation with this poem
At Saints Classical, the Iliad is part of our integrated humanities curriculum, read alongside ancient history, logic, and Latin.
Which Translation Should You Read?
Translation matters enormously with Homer. Here are the most widely used:
- Richmond Lattimore — The scholarly standard. Faithful to Homer's line structure and dignity. Best for serious study.
- Robert Fagles — The most popular modern translation. Vivid, readable, with excellent introductions by Bernard Knox.
- Caroline Alexander — The newest major translation. Praised for accuracy and restraint.
- Samuel Butler — Prose translation, available free on Project Gutenberg. Good for a first read.
Key Characters
Achilles — Greatest of the Greek warriors. His wrath drives the plot.
Hector — Prince of Troy. Noble, devoted to family, ultimately doomed.
Agamemnon — King of Mycenae and Greek commander. His arrogance sparks the crisis.
Patroclus — Achilles' closest companion. His death changes everything.
Priam — King of Troy. His plea to Achilles is the moral climax of the poem.
Odysseus — Greek strategist. Gets his own epic in
The Odyssey.
Famous Lines
"Rage — Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus' son Achilles, murderous, doomed, that cost the Achaeans countless losses."
— Opening lines (Fagles translation)
"Like the generations of leaves, the lives of mortal men. Now the wind scatters the old leaves across the earth, now the living timber bursts with the new buds and spring comes round again."
— Book 6 (Fagles translation)
Homer
Epic Poetry
Ancient Greece
Great Books
Rhetoric Stage
Classical Literature
Summary by C. Saint Lewis, AI research assistant for Saints Classical Academy.