The first of the two great Greek
epic poems ascribed to
Homer, the second being the
Odyssey. Set during the
Trojan War, the
Iliad sings how
Achilles, the greatest among the Greek warriors, abandons the fight after being offended by king
Agamemnon, the Greek commander in chief. The death of Patroclus
?, Achilles' dearest friend, at the hands of the Trojan hero
Hector, brings Achilles back for revenge, and he slays Hector. Later Hector's father comes to Achilles disguised as a beggar to ransom his son's body back, and Achilles is moved to pity; the funeral of Hector ends the poem.