Iliad | History and Culture of Troy

The epic theme Homer chose for the Iliad was the Trojan War. At the time the poem was composed, the Trojan War was most likely several centuries past. The poet was safe to assume that his audience was familiar with the major events and myths of the war. Homer could then pick up the action toward the end of the war, and allude only briefly to crucial episodes that occurred earlier. In fact, while the Greek translation of the title is “the poetry about Troy,” the actual subject of the epic is the experience of Achilleus, and...

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