The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer

The Iliad

In the final year of the Trojan War, a deadly feud between two great Greek leaders erupts—Achilles, the mightiest warrior, and Agamemnon, the king of men. Achilles’ rage is kindled when Agamemnon dishonors him by seizing Briseis, a woman Achilles claimed as a prize of war. The gods observe from afar, their own disputes shaping the fate of mortals. Apollo, angered by Agamemnon’s arrogance, sends a plague upon the Greek camp, further adding to the Greeks’ suffering.

Achilles, humiliated, withdraws from the battle and refuses to fight, leaving the Greek army vulnerable against the Trojan forces led by the noble Hector. Without Achilles, the Greeks falter. Despair spreads across the Greek camp as Hector drives them back towards their ships, threatening to end the war in favor of Troy.

In the heavens, the gods take sides, with Athena, Hera, and Poseidon aiding the Greeks, while Apollo and Aphrodite protect the Trojans. Zeus, the king of the gods, commands the flow of battle, balancing fate and the whims of deities. As Achilles broods in his tent, his closest companion, Patroclus, begs to take his place in battle, wearing Achilles’ armor to rally the Greeks. Achilles relents, though with a heavy heart, knowing that Patroclus is no match for Hector.

With the sight of Achilles’ armor on the battlefield, the Greeks find renewed hope. Patroclus fights valiantly, but the fates have already woven his doom. He faces Hector, and in a fierce clash, Hector slays him, stripping Achilles’ armor from his body. Grief-stricken and enraged by the death of his dearest friend, Achilles returns to the battlefield, his wrath now uncontainable. He reconciles with Agamemnon, putting aside their quarrel, and vows vengeance against Hector.

Achilles dons new armor, forged by the god Hephaestus, and sets out with divine fury. He slaughters Trojans by the dozens, and the river Scamander rises up in anger at the carnage, nearly drowning him. The gods intervene, and the war between gods and mortals reaches its peak, but none can stand before Achilles.

Finally, Achilles confronts Hector at the gates of Troy. Knowing his fate, Hector stands firm, but Achilles is unstoppable. The two engage in a duel that shakes the foundations of the city. Achilles, in his fury, slays Hector and ties his body to his chariot, dragging it around the walls of Troy in an act of desecration. The grief of Hector’s family, especially his father, King Priam, and his wife Andromache, is boundless.

After many days, Priam, guided by the god Hermes, makes a dangerous journey to the Greek camp. He enters Achilles’ tent, unarmed and vulnerable, and pleads for his son’s body. The scene is one of heartbreaking sorrow, as Priam appeals to Achilles’ sense of humanity, reminding him of his own father. Moved by the old king’s courage and grief, Achilles relents. He returns Hector’s body, allowing Priam to carry his son home for a proper burial.

Though the war continues, the epic closes on this moment of shared grief and compassion, as Hector’s body is laid to rest, signaling a temporary pause in the bloodshed. The fate of Troy and its people hangs in the balance, but for now, both sides retreat into their camps, reflecting on the cost of war.

The Odyssey

Far from the smoldering ruins of Troy, the great hero Odysseus battles not on fields of war, but against the whims of gods, monsters, and fate itself as he seeks to return home to Ithaca. It has been ten long years since the fall of Troy, and Odysseus’ journey has been a tale of endless detours and trials, each pushing him further from his beloved wife, Penelope, and his son, Telemachus.

Held captive by the nymph Calypso on her island, Odysseus longs to return to his family. On Mount Olympus, the gods convene, and with Athena’s persuasion, Zeus orders his release. Hermes, the swift messenger, brings word to Calypso, who reluctantly sets Odysseus free. Crafting a raft, he sets sail once more, but Poseidon, god of the sea, still burns with anger against him for blinding his son, the Cyclops Polyphemus. With a mighty storm, Poseidon wrecks Odysseus’ raft, casting him onto the shores of the Phaeacians.

There, he is welcomed by King Alcinous and his daughter Nausicaa. In their court, Odysseus tells the tale of his journey, recounting his escape from the land of the Lotus-Eaters, his deadly encounter with Polyphemus, and his harrowing passage through the lands of Circe, who turned his men into swine. He tells of his descent into the underworld, where he sought counsel from the dead, including the blind prophet Tiresias, who foretold even more suffering.

Odysseus recalls the temptation of the Sirens, whose songs nearly lured him and his men to their deaths, and the monstrous threats of Scylla and Charybdis, who claimed many of his crew. Yet his greatest sorrow was the loss of his men on the island of Helios, where they, driven by hunger, defied divine orders and slaughtered the Sun God’s cattle. Zeus, enraged by their disobedience, struck their ship with a thunderbolt, killing all but Odysseus, who drifted alone to Calypso’s island.

Moved by his tale, the Phaeacians offer Odysseus a ship, and he finally sails homeward, though the years have changed much in Ithaca. His palace is overrun by suitors vying for Penelope’s hand, believing Odysseus long dead. Telemachus, now a young man, has searched for news of his father, but upon his return, he finds only frustration. The suitors devour his family’s wealth and mock his authority.

Disguised as a beggar by Athena, Odysseus returns to Ithaca in secret. He first reveals himself to Telemachus, and together, they plot the downfall of the suitors. Testing their loyalty, Odysseus moves among the suitors in his disguise, enduring their scorn. Meanwhile, Penelope, ever faithful, devises a contest: she will marry whoever can string Odysseus’ great bow and shoot an arrow through twelve axe heads, a feat only the hero himself can perform.

One by one, the suitors fail. Finally, Odysseus, still disguised, steps forward. He strings the bow effortlessly and sends the arrow true through the axes. Revealing his identity, he, along with Telemachus and a few loyal servants, slaughters the suitors in a bloody confrontation.

Penelope, cautious even now, tests Odysseus one last time. She orders their marriage bed to be moved—a task only the real Odysseus would know is impossible, as he built the bed himself from a living olive tree. When Odysseus reacts in outrage, she knows it is truly him, and the long-separated couple is finally reunited.

Peace is restored to Ithaca, but Odysseus’ journey is not yet fully over. The ghost of Tiresias had foretold that he must make one last voyage to appease Poseidon. Yet, for now, Odysseus stands victorious, having reclaimed his home and family after years of hardship.