The Iliad

Rage. Glory. Death. And the greatest war story ever told.

Homer's epic is not about victory or peace. It is about the fury of a single man—and the rivers of blood that fury can unleash.

For nine long years, the Greeks have besieged the city of Troy. But the war's most devastating moment comes not from a Trojan spear, but from a quarrel between two Greeks: Achilles, the greatest warrior alive, and Agamemnon, the arrogant king who commands him. When Agamemnon seizes Achilles's beloved captive Briseis, Achilles withdraws from battle in a rage. Without him, the Greeks are slaughtered. His best friend Patroclus dons Achilles's armor and is killed by Hector, Troy's noblest prince. And then Achilles returns—not to save his countrymen, but to avenge his friend. What follows is a rampage of grief and violence that culminates in the most heartbreaking scene in all of epic poetry: an old king, kissing the hands of the man who murdered his son, begging for the return of a body.

This is Homer at his most savage and tender: a poem about pride, grief, and the terrible beauty of mortality. The Iliad endures because it knows that war is hell—and also that warriors are human.

• The oldest surviving work of Western literature, composed nearly three thousand years ago

• Explores rage, honor, grief, and the human cost of pride—as relevant today as on the plains of Troy

• The foundation of all war literature, from Virgil to Saving Private Ryan

Available in multiple formats:

• Paperback & Hardcover: Beautifully designed print editions presenting the complete, unabridged text made to last.

• Ebook: DRM-free EPUB compatible with Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, and all major e-readers.

• Audiobook: Professionally narrated, complete and unabridged, available on all major audiobook platforms.

A beautifully crafted edition for your shelf, your device, or your ears or the perfect gift for anyone who knows that glory and grief are two sides of the same shield.

About the Author

Homer (c. 8th century BCE) is the legendary poet of ancient Greece to whom the epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey are attributed. Little is known about his life—seven different cities claimed to be his birthplace, and some scholars even question whether a single individual composed both works. Tradition describes him as a blind bard from Ionia (modern-day Turkey) who sang his verses aloud, passing them down through an oral tradition that had existed for centuries. Whether myth or man, Homer stands as the foundational figure of Western literature, and his two epics have shaped storytelling, art, and thought for nearly three thousand years.