The Iliad

An essential, best-loved classic

HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics.

HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics.

On valour’s side the odds of combat lie,

The brave live glorious, or lamented die;

The siege of Troy has raged for nine long years; slaughter and bloodshed has decimated the Greek and Trojan camps alike. Morale is low and the great Greek warrior Achilles quarrels with his commander, King Agamemnon, to disastrous effect. But where gods fight among men and great heroes mourn their terrible losses – can there be victory for anyone?

Together with its sequel, The Odyssey, Homer’s timeless epic of fate, glory and the horror of war continues to be revered as one of the oldest and finest examples of Western Literature. In this edition, Alexander Pope’s celebrated verse translation vividly brings to life the final weeks of the Trojan War.