The Iliad is one of the foundational works of Western literature, traditionally attributed to Homer and composed in ancient Greece around the late eighth century BCE. Set during the final year of the Trojan War, the epic centres not on the war itself, but on the wrath of Achilles, the greatest warrior of the Greek forces, and the devastating consequences of pride, honour, grief, and fate.

Across twenty‑four books, the poem follows the conflict between Achilles and Agamemnon, the fortunes of Greek and Trojan heroes, and the interventions of the gods in human affairs. Its story unfolds on the battlefield before Troy, where courage, loyalty, mortality, and glory are tested amid relentless warfare.

Far more than a war story, The Iliad explores enduring questions about the human condition: what gives life meaning, how honour is earned, what is lost through violence, and how individuals confront mortality. Its influence has shaped literature, philosophy, art, and storytelling for nearly three thousand years, making it one of humanity's most enduring epic poems.