a book written over 2,000 years ago move people today? Recently, I dug out the Iliad, which I have read repeatedly. As one of the oldest epics in the history of Western literature, I can discover new things every time I reread it.
Like The Odyssey, The Iliad is set against the backdrop of the Trojan War, but it focuses more on the war itself, depicting a century-long battle for honor and dignity performed by the Greek hero Achilles and the fearless prince Hector.
Plot Summary
The story is about the Trojan War, focusing on the 51 days before the end of the war. The poem is divided into 24 volumes and is a war epic. The entire Trojan War lasted 10 years, but Homer only wrote about 51 days, starting with Achilles’ fatal first rage (caused by the internal conflict between Achilles and Agamemnon, the commander of the Greek coalition). Then the myth of the golden apple that caused the war was introduced. It turned out that people at that time were already very comparative. The goddess of discord asked “Who is the most beautiful goddess” at the wedding, which triggered a quarrel between the queen of gods Hera, Zeus’ daughter Athena and the goddess of love and beauty Aphrodite. Zeus was unable to make a decision, so he had to let the three of them go to the Trojan prince Paris for judgment. Paris finally gave the golden apple to Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, because she promised to let the most beautiful woman in the world be his wife. Helen was born to Zeus and a mortal woman, and was considered the most beautiful woman in the world. Aphrodite acted as a matchmaker, and Paris kidnapped her. At the request of Helen’s husband Menelaos, the Greeks were angry that their goddess was taken away, so they formed a Greek coalition and launched the Trojan War. The Greek coalition was led by Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae, and the main generals included Achilles (the strongest martial artist) and Odysseus. Agamemnon and Achilles quarreled over how to deal with the female captives. Achilles angrily withdrew from the war. After his friend was killed by Hector, he was completely enraged. In order to avenge his friend, he returned to the battlefield and killed Hector in the decisive battle. The poem ends at Hector’s funeral.
The most moving part of the book is when Hector’s father Priam sneaks into Achilles’ tent at night after Hector’s death, kneels down and kisses Achilles’ hands, begging for the return of his son’s body. He also delivers the most touching line in the book: “I have endured what no one on earth has ever done before——I put to my lips th hands of the man who killed my son.”
Reading suggestions
The Iliad is like a treasure. Whenever you open it, you can dig out surprising value from it. It is not only an epic about war and heroes, but also a profound exploration of eternal themes such as human nature, destiny, and honor. If you are also reading The Iliad, or have unique insights, please share them in the comments section. Let us explore this literary classic that spans thousands of years.