[[Image:Homer British Museum.jpg|thumb|Homer (British Museum)]]'''The Iliad''' is an epic poem widely believed to have been written by [[Homer]], the legendary blind [[Greece|Greek]] poetrhapsode, in the 8th century B.C. The poem is about details the legendary [[Trojan War]] (''Ilium'' being the Latin name of [[Troy]])and the in-fighting of many Ancient Greek mythological heroes. Traditionally, the siege of Troy is believed to have taken place in 1184 B.C.<ref>The Encyclopedia of Military History, Dupuy & Dupuy, 1979</ref>
==External Links==The ''Iliad'' was revered by Greeks and all who followed in the Greek legacy, attempting to emulate it. It received something on the order of [[Biblical]] significance by later Greeks, seeking to define the prime values of their culture - honor, and valor. [[Alexander the Great]] is said to have slept with a copy of the ''Iliad'' under his bed, and claimed to be a descendant of the Greek warrior [[Achilles]].
Along with the ''[[Odyssey]]'', which primarily recounts events that took place after the Trojan War, the ''Iliad'' is one of the two main ancient Greek epic poems. {{Quotebox|Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the [[Achaean]]s. Many a brave soul did it send hurrying down to [[Hades]], and many a hero did it yield a prey to dogs and vultures, for so were the counsels of [[Zeus|Jove]] fulfilled from the day on which the son of Atreus, king of men, and great Achilles, first fell out with one another. --''Iliad'', Book I, trans. Samuel Butler}} Modern readers seeking an account of the Trojan War may be surprised to find that the most famous episode - the Trojan Horse - does not feature in the Iliad at all. Instead the poem concentrates on the in-fighting between the rival Greek kings Achilles and Agammemnon.[[Image:Rubens Greek gods.jpg|thumb|Rubens, Greek gods]] == Historicity == There is widespread debate over the historicity of the ''Iliad''. Important questions in this debate include:* Was the ''Iliad'' written by one man (the alleged Homer), or by many people over generations?* Were some portions of the ''Iliad'' written before others?* To what extent are the characters in the ''Iliad'' based on historical figures? At one time it was supposed that the story had little or no historical basis, but the discovery of what appear to be the ruins of Troy by Heinrich Schliemann in 1868 suggests that the recounted events may be least partially factual.<ref>[http://www.allaboutturkey.com/troy.htm Troy - All About Turkey]</ref> == See also == *[[Atlas]]*[[Greek mythology]]*[[Pisistratus]]*[[Ajax the lesser]] ==External links==* [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3atext%3a1999.01.0133 Greek text]* [http://classics.mit.edu/Homer/iliad.html English prose translation] by Samuel Butler, 1900* [http://www.mala.bc.ca/~johnstoi/homer/iliad_title.htm A Modern TranslationEnglish verse translation] by Ian Johnston, 2000 ==References== <References/> {{Nb_mythology_iliad}}[[Category:Epic Poetry]][[Category:Ancient Greece]][[Category:Classical Literature]]