Read this when
The Iliad
Humiliated by your boss, then lost your best friend, and now you're furious at everyone? That's literally the plot of the Iliad. 🛡️
Who it's for
Achilles withdraws from war after his commander Agamemnon publicly humiliates him, then returns in a grief-driven frenzy when his closest friend Patroclus is killed.
Feelings it meets
What it is
The Iliad is an ancient Greek epic poem attributed to Homer, usually dated to the late 8th century BCE, set in the final weeks of the Trojan War. It opens with Achilles' quarrel with the Greek commander Agamemnon, who takes the captive woman Briseis from him, and Achilles' angry withdrawal from the fighting.
Where to find it
Public domain in older English translations (Samuel Butler, Alexander Pope, Lang/Leaf/Myers) free on Project Gutenberg. Modern translations by Emily Wilson, Robert Fagles and Richmond Lattimore are in.
Before you start
Heads up: Graphic battlefield violence.
Age: Ages 16+
What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?Wilfred Owen, Poems, “Anthem for Doomed Youth”
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