
It is an epic poem about Achilleus' anger. His anger was caused by Agamemnon, an Achaian leader, who dishonored Achilleus. Achilleus, the best Achaian warrior, got Zeus to help him to punish all the Achaians for dishonoring him by getting lots of casualties against the war with Trojans. Achilleus' godlike anger only ended when he shared grief with Priam, the Trojan king, over how the loss of his life would affect his father.
I find the Iliad interesting in that although Homer is Greek, he did not glorify one side over another, so he ended up telling a complete story of the humanity of characters. I do not like Achilleus since he just strikes me as someone who is egocentric and has anger issues. The rest of the character cast have not really changed, so their personalities are stagnant.
I would recommend it if you want something a little more challenging to read. You might also find media references of the Iliad since it very much affected Western literature.
Anna, 15
Rating: 
Suggest the library purchase this book