Book Review 15 - The Iliad by Homer

The Iliad by Homer – War, Rage and Heroic Conflict

War creates heroes, but it also leaves wounds that victory cannot heal.

Homer’s The Iliad is often introduced as a poem about the Trojan War. Yet it does not tell the complete story of that war, nor does it focus only on battles. Instead, Homer chooses a short period near the end of the conflict and builds the entire epic around the anger of Achilles.

That anger affects soldiers, friends, families and enemies. Through it, the poem explores pride, honor, friendship, grief, revenge and mortality.

The Iliad is therefore more than a heroic war story. It is a deeply human examination of what glory costs.

The poem is also part of the rich tradition of classical epics and mythologies, where war, fate, divine power and heroic struggle shape human destiny.

Quick Facts

Author: Homer
Genre: Epic poetry
Original language: Ancient Greek
Literary period: Usually dated to around the eighth century BCE
Setting: The final phase of the Trojan War
Central character: Achilles

1. Entering the World of The Iliad

The poem begins in the middle of the Trojan War.

The Greek army has been fighting outside Troy for years. Achilles, its greatest warrior, enters into a bitter conflict with Agamemnon, the commander of the Greek forces.

When Agamemnon takes Briseis from Achilles, Achilles sees the act as a public insult. His honor has been damaged, so he refuses to continue fighting.

This personal dispute soon becomes a disaster for the entire army.

In Achilles’ absence, the Greek forces start losing their advantage. Hector, the strongest Trojan warrior, leads successful attacks and drives the Greeks back toward their ships.

The central conflict is therefore not simply Greek against Trojan. It is also Achilles against Agamemnon, pride against responsibility and personal anger against collective survival.

2. The Story in Brief

After leaving the battlefield, Achilles asks his mother, the sea goddess Thetis, to persuade Zeus to favor the Trojans temporarily. He wants the Greeks to understand how much they depend on him.

As the Greek position becomes increasingly desperate, Agamemnon sends gifts and apologies. Achilles refuses them.

Patroclus, Achilles’ closest companion, cannot continue watching the Greeks suffer. He asks to wear Achilles’ armor so that the Trojans will believe Achilles has returned.

The plan works at first. Patroclus pushes the Trojans away from the Greek ships, but success makes him reckless. He continues fighting beyond the limit Achilles gave him.

Hector eventually kills him.

Patroclus’ death changes the emotional direction of the poem. Achilles forgets his quarrel with Agamemnon and returns to battle, driven by grief and revenge.

He kills Hector and then dishonors the body by dragging it behind his chariot.

Yet the story does not end with Hector’s death.

Priam, Hector’s elderly father, secretly enters the Greek camp and begs Achilles to return his son’s body. His grief reminds Achilles of his own father and of the suffering created by war.

For a brief moment, two enemies recognize each other simply as human beings who love and lose.

3. Achilles: Powerful but Deeply Flawed

Achilles is one of the earliest truly complex heroes in literature.

He is courageous, physically powerful and almost impossible to defeat. However, his greatest weakness is not another warrior. It is his inability to control his own emotions.

His anger begins with a genuine injustice. Agamemnon humiliates him publicly and abuses his authority. Yet Achilles responds by allowing thousands of fellow soldiers to suffer.

Later, grief over Patroclus turns his pain into extreme violence.

This is what makes Achilles so memorable. He is not simply brave or cruel, noble or selfish. He can be all these things at different moments.

His strength and weakness often come from the same source: an intense sense of loyalty, pride and personal honor.

Achilles becomes most human not when he defeats Hector, but when he sits beside Priam and understands another person’s grief.

4. Hector and the Human Face of War

Hector is the emotional balance to Achilles.

He is Troy’s greatest defender, but Homer also shows him as a husband, father and son. His responsibilities extend beyond personal glory.

The scene between Hector and Andromache is among the most moving in the epic. She fears that he will die and begs him to remain away from battle.

Hector understands her fear. He also knows that Troy may eventually fall. Even so, he feels that he cannot abandon his duty.

His young son becomes frightened by the horsehair crest on Hector’s helmet. Hector removes it, holds the child and prays for his future.

For a moment, the great warrior is simply a father.

Through this scene, Homer reminds readers that war is not only fought by soldiers. Its consequences reach wives, children, parents and entire communities.

Hector gives the Trojan side dignity and prevents the poem from becoming a simple celebration of Greek victory.

5. Patroclus and the Cost of Friendship

Patroclus is central to the emotional power of the story.

While Achilles remains separated from the army, Patroclus is moved by the suffering around him. His decision to enter battle comes partly from courage and partly from compassion.

His death reveals how deeply Achilles loves him.

Before losing Patroclus, Achilles is mainly concerned with honor and insult. Afterward, those concerns become meaningless. His grief becomes overwhelming.

However, Achilles does not process that grief peacefully. He turns it into revenge.

The return of Achilles may save the Greeks, but it does not feel like a true victory. The reader understands that no military success can bring Patroclus back.

6. Major Themes

Anger

The rage of Achilles drives the entire poem.

Homer shows how anger can spread beyond the person who feels it. Achilles’ rage affects his friends, the Greek army, Hector, Priam and ultimately Achilles himself.

Honor and Glory

The warriors of The Iliad want respect while alive and lasting fame after death.

Honor can inspire bravery, but it also creates rivalry, pride and violence. Homer admires heroic courage while questioning the culture that demands it.

Grief

Grief connects enemies more deeply than victory separates them.

Achilles mourns Patroclus. Priam mourns Hector. Andromache loses her husband. Both Greeks and Trojans live with death.

The poem’s most powerful moments come not from triumph, but from mourning.

Fate and Mortality

Death hangs over every character.

Achilles knows he can choose a long, quiet life or a short life of lasting fame. Hector understands that Troy may fall, yet he continues fighting.

Their choices matter because their lives are limited.

Compassion

The meeting between Priam and Achilles gives the epic its emotional resolution.

Achilles does not suddenly forget his anger, but he allows grief to open the way toward compassion.

That moment suggests that shared suffering can briefly overcome hatred.

7. Gods and Human Responsibility

The gods are constantly involved in the war.

Athena, Apollo, Zeus, Hera and other divine figures protect warriors, change the direction of battles and support different sides.

Their behavior can appear unfair and even childish. They argue, interfere and treat the war as part of their own rivalry.

However, the presence of the gods does not completely remove human responsibility.

Achilles chooses to leave the battle. Agamemnon chooses to insult him. Patroclus chooses to continue fighting. Hector chooses to face Achilles.

Although the gods affect what happens, human pride, bravery and mistakes continue to drive the tragedy.

8. Narrative Style and Literary Power

Homer’s storytelling moves between enormous battles and quiet human moments.

One scene may describe armies attacking each other. The next may focus on a father, wife or friend facing loss.

This contrast gives the poem emotional depth.

Homer also uses long comparisons, commonly known as Homeric similes. Warriors are compared with lions, storms, fires and forces of nature.

These images make the action vivid and connect heroic events with the ordinary world.

Repetition is another major feature. Phrases and descriptions return throughout the poem because it developed within an oral tradition.

Some modern readers may find this repetition slow, but it gives the epic a formal and memorable rhythm.

For historical background on Homer, oral tradition and the beginnings of war-epic storytelling, read Homer and The Iliad: The Roots of War Epic in World Literature.

9. Strengths of The Iliad

The greatest strength of The Iliad is its refusal to make war simple.

Homer presents courage without hiding cruelty. He shows glory beside grief and victory beside loss.

Achilles is not presented as completely admirable. Hector is not reduced to an enemy. Priam is not merely a defeated king.

Each major character is given emotional depth.

The poem is also remarkably balanced. Greeks and Trojans both show courage, pride, weakness and love.

This balance allows readers to see the suffering on both sides of the conflict.

Its emotional scenes remain especially powerful. Hector’s farewell, Patroclus’ death and Priam’s meeting with Achilles continue to affect readers because they focus on recognizable human feelings.

10. Limitations for Modern Readers

The Iliad can be challenging.

It contains many names, long speeches, repeated descriptions and detailed battle scenes. Readers unfamiliar with epic poetry may sometimes lose track of characters.

The violence is also intense. Deaths are often described in physical detail.

The treatment of women, slavery and social hierarchy may disturb modern readers. Women are frequently treated as prizes within the warrior culture, even though characters such as Andromache, Helen and Thetis possess emotional importance.

These limitations should not be ignored. They reflect the values and inequalities of the ancient society behind the poem.

Choosing a clear modern translation can make the reading experience easier and more engaging.

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Readers who want to explore Homer’s other great epic can also read Book Review 07: The Odyssey by Homer – Journey, Identity and Homecoming.

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Final Evaluation

The Iliad is demanding, violent and sometimes slow, but it is also one of the most emotionally powerful works of ancient literature.

Its battles create excitement, yet its deepest moments happen away from victory.

Hector holds his child. Achilles mourns Patroclus. Priam humbles himself before the man who took his son’s life.

These scenes reveal what the poem is truly about.

Homer understands that war is never only about armies and heroes. It is about grief, memory and the people who must live with what violence has taken from them.

Achilles is heroic, but his anger causes suffering. Hector is brave, but courage cannot save him. Priam is a king, but grief turns him into a father begging for his child.

That human complexity is why The Iliad continues to matter.

Overall assessment: The Iliad is a difficult but deeply rewarding epic. It is especially valuable for readers interested in mythology, war literature, tragedy, psychology and morally complex heroes.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is The Iliad about?

The Iliad focuses on the anger of Achilles during the Trojan War and the suffering caused by his conflict with Agamemnon.

Who is the main hero of The Iliad?

Achilles is the central character, although Hector also plays an important heroic and emotional role.

What are the core themes of The Iliad?

Its main themes include anger, honor, glory, grief, fate, mortality, friendship, revenge and compassion.

Why is Hector important?

Hector represents duty, family and the human cost of war. His relationship with Andromache and his death give the poem much of its emotional power.

Is The Iliad still worth reading?

Yes. Its length, repetition and violence can be challenging, but its exploration of pride, grief and human suffering remains powerful.

Book References

1. Homer, The Iliad, translated by Emily Wilson (New York: W. W. Norton, 2023).

2. Griffin, Jasper, Homer on Life and Death (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1980).

3. Schein, Seth L., The Mortal Hero: An Introduction to Homer’s Iliad (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1984).

4. Taplin, Oliver, Homeric Soundings: The Shaping of the Iliad (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1992).

5. Nagy, Gregory, The Best of the Achaeans (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999).

6. Kirk, G. S., The Iliad: A Commentary, Volume I (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985).

7. Lord, Albert B., The Singer of Tales, 2nd edn (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2000).

 

Last Revised and Updated: July 2026