What is Iliad?

What Does Iliad Mean

Ilíada is not a term that is part of the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ). It is the title of an epic that is usually attributed to Homer , an Ancient Greek poet who lived in the 8th century BC .

An epic is a long poem that revolves around a great event or feats accomplished by a hero. In the case of the Iliad , it presents 15,693 verses that are divided into 24 rhapsodies or songs.
In the Iliad , Homer recounts events that happened in the last year of the Trojan War (or Ilion , in Greek). According to the poet, this conflict arose from a punitive expedition carried out by the Achaeans against Paris , the prince of Troy , who would have kidnapped or seduced Helen of Sparta . The action narrates the fury of Achilles (one of the heroes of the Trojan War ), son of the Nereid Tethys and King Peleus .

Other data of interest about this work that concerns us are the following:

-It was used as one of the bases and sustenance of the so-called Greek pedagogy.

-It consists of a total of twenty-four songs, among which are some such as "The oaths of Helena on the wall", "Violation of the oaths and review of the troops", "Deception of Zeus", "Combat of the gods ”,“ Death of Hector ”or“ Games in honor of Patroclus ”.

-Among the topics addressed in the Iliad we can highlight some such as the concept of glory in terms of battles, fury or the desire for revenge, respect, the so-called wrath of Achilles and also what is destiny.

-There is evidence of the existence of a copy of this work dated in 520 BC, which, apparently, would have been used to recite that during the well-known Panateneas festivals, that is, those that were held in honor of goddess Athena.

-Throughout history, many are the authors who have made translations of this emblematic classic work. However, among the best known we can highlight Juan de Lebrija Cano, Francisco Estrada y Campos, Francisco Sánchez de las Brozas, Luis Segalá or Cristóbal de Mesa.

-The story told in the Iliad has been a source of inspiration for different arts. Thus, in the cinema we come across films such as "Troy" (2004, Wolfgang Petersen) and in painting we have works such as "Achilles and Priam" by Jules Bastien-Lepage.
It is important to note that many issues related to the Iliad and its author are often debated by historians. On the one hand, there are those who even doubt the existence of Homer , although most specialists agree that he lived in the 8th century BC in the region of Ionia .

According to the most accepted theory , Homer would be the author of the Iliad , a work that he would have created in the second half of the 8th century BC. Homer would also have developed the Odyssey , considered together with the Iliad as the most relevant literary compositions of Ancient Greece .

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