Iliad Video

The Iliad is an epic poem that likely dates back to the seventh or eighth century. Along with its sequel, The Odyssey, The Iliad is attributed to a little-known Greek poet named Homer but was passed down orally for centuries before it appeared in written form. Composed in dactylic hexameter, the poem takes place during the tenth and final year of the Trojan War, fought between Greece and Troy.

Although the story of Achilles’ weak heel is commonly associated with The Iliad, this myth takes place outside of the story, as does the initial sacking of Troy. While the existence of Troy as a real city was long disputed, archaeological evidence suggests that it was located in modern-day Turkey. The Iliad holds up as one of Western civilization’s greatest epics, influencing writers from Virgil and Dante to Shakespeare.

The Iliad opens on Chryses, a Trojan priest of Apollo, attempting to ransom his daughter back from the Greek leader, Agamemnon, who took her captive during a raid. Agamemnon refuses Chryses, treating him roughly and angering Apollo, who brings plague on the Greek army. Frustrated, Achilles, a celebrated Greek warrior, calls an assembly, ordering the girl to be restored to her father so the plague can end. Agamenon complies but demands that he be compensated for the loss of the girl, seizing Achilles’ captive, Briseis, as payment.

Achilles is outraged and dishonored, refusing to fight. He pleads with his mother, the goddess Thetis, to ask Zeus to bring ruin on the Greeks so long as Achilles does not fight for them. Zeus complies, coming to the Trojans’ aid. Without Achilles, the Greeks suffer losses as Hector, a Trojan prince and favored warrior, drives them back to their beached ships. Although Agamemnon asks Achilles to return to battle, offering him riches, Achilles refuses.

Meanwhile, Zeus sends Agamemnon a dream in which he encourages the Greek leader to attack Troy. Agamemnon obeys, but not before testing his army’s willpower by giving them permission to sail home. Exhausted and longing for home, the soldiers are about to take Agamemnon up on his offer when Athena steps in, encouraging Odysseus to rally the men. Appealing to their honor, Odysseus successfully convinces them, and the Greek soldiers march on, eventually meeting with the Trojans.

Just as the armies are about to clash, however, Paris—the Trojan prince who started the war—offers to duel the Spartan king, Menelaus. We learn that Paris started the war by stealing Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world, away from Menelaus. Now, Paris intends to end the war by fighting man to man, with Helen marrying the victor. But when Menelaus defeats Paris, Aphrodite whisks him away to be with Helen, saving his life.

Aphrodites’ intervention invites chaos on Olympus as the gods take sides. While Hera, Athena, and Poseidon support the Greeks; Apollo, Aphrodite, Ares, and Artemis support the Trojans. An epic clash between sides—amongst both the gods and the two armies—ensues. Ultimately, Hera convinces Zeus to let the war continue until the city of Troy is destroyed, though Zeus asserts that Achilles is the Greeks’ only chance at victory.

Indeed, without Achilles, the Greeks struggle to defeat the Trojans, who pierce their defenses and set the Greek ships ablaze. Soon, Achilles’ beloved companion, Patroclus, begs Achilles to let him wear his armor, so that the Trojans will think that Achilles has returned. Achilles agrees but warns Patroclus to return once he has driven the Trojans back from the ships. While Patroclus successfully drives the Trojans back to their city walls, Hector kills Patroclus and puts on the armor himself. The Greeks barely manage to save Patroclus' body from desecration.

Achilles goes berserk with grief and rage, insisting on rejoining the fight despite Thetis’ warning that, if he kills Hector, he will die soon afterward. Achilles accepts his own life as the price for revenge, donning a brand new set of armor forged by Hephaestus, the smith of the gods. Even Agamemnon apologizes to Achilles, returning Briseis. Later, Achilles charges into battle, a killing machine; in fact, he slaughters so many Trojans that the river god, Xanthus, grows angry about the corpses crowding his waters.

Finally, Achilles meets Hector, his enemy. While the majority of his troops take refuge inside the city gates, Hector faces off against Achilles in an epic duel that ends in Hector’s demise. Achilles then straps Hector’s body to the back of his chariot and, for days on end, runs laps around the city to desecrate the body, while the Greeks engage in funeral games in Patroclus’ honor.

Eventually, Zeus sends Thetis to tell Achilles that he must accept the ransom that Priam, king of Troy and father of Hector, will offer in exchange for Hector's body. When Achilles refuses, the messenger god Hermes escorts Priam himself to Achilles’ side. Distraught over the loss of his son, King Priam humbles himself to Achilles, begging the warrior who slaughtered so many Trojans to take pity on him and release Hector’s body. Priam calls on Achilles to think of his own father, Peleus, who, like Priam, will likely outlive his most beloved son.

Priam’s tearful appeal works. Achilles finds compassion for the king, returning Hector’s body for an eleven-day cease-fire so that the Trojans can bury him before resuming the fight, “if they must.” The poem ends with Hector’s funeral and an all-but-certain prediction: though Achilles will not live to see the fall of Troy, the city is doomed to be wiped off the face of the earth.