Homer’s poem churns on the recklessness of murderous, egomaniacal men. Comprehending everything here is a task, but at the center of “The Iliad” is very clear: the horrors of war. Or to know that the city-states, which comprise the Greek coalition opposing Troy, get several names - “Achaeans,” “Argives,” “Danaans,” deployed seemingly at random, all mean the same thing. Or to accept gods as all-powerful actors as well as audience members subject to fate. It’s on us to keep two names straight even if they differ by a single letter (Chryseis, daughter of Chryses). Modern-day readers may believe that they’ll need body armor to meet the barrage of challenges awaiting them in “The Iliad.” Exploring Homer’s 3,000-year-old, nearly 16,000-line epic poem, which details events that (probably) unfolded during the Trojan War, feels appropriately like engaging in battle.
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