In this first discussion of Homer's Iliad, we focus upon the figure of Achilles.
While the broader context of The Iliad is the Trojan War, and there is a cast of many rich characters, there is no doubt that Achilles is the central figure. There is also no doubt that the ten-year war is momentous to both the victor and the vanquished.
Yet Homer neither recounts the conclusion of the ancient battle nor does he even include Achilles' famous death. If it were a mere historical account, this would not do. But Homer's aim is not simply to record a historical event.
He explores the motivations of his heroes for fame, particularly that of the greatest among them, godlike Achilles. Achilles' heroism and the entire plot of the epic are very much bound up with his wrath. Wrath is in fact the word with which the great epic begins.
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