The Iliad By Homer

A cornerstone of Western literature , Homer's Iliad is the epic tale of the siege of Troy . After nine years , the Greeks are still fighting to reclaim the beautiful Helen and it is hardly the time for their supreme warrior , Achilles , to drop out of the war . But he does , in revenge against the overlord Agamemnon for seizing his concubine , Briseis . Only the death of his best friend , Patroclus , persuades Achilles to return to battle and confront the Trojan leader Hector in single combat .
This edition features an accessible prose translation by the classical scholar and novelist Samuel Butler , first published in 1898 .