
Homer's Iliad
The
Iliad is an epic poem written down about 2,700 years ago,
although the story is much older. It was first told and sung
orally during the Greek Dark Age by traveling storytellers.
After the Greek Dark Ages, Homer, a Greek poet, supposedly wrote
down the entire story somewhere between 750 BCE and 650 BCE, so
that it would never be forgotten. The Iliad is the
story of the 10th and final year of the Trojan War.
It focuses on a brave and powerful Greek warrior, Achilles.
Achilles is a legend or possibly a myth, since Achilles mother was a magical nymph and his father a mortal king. Like all the Greek myths and legends, there is no proof that the hero Achilles ever existed. The Trojan War is a legend. There is no proof that this war ever took place. But the ancient Greeks believed in both the hero and the war. The Iliad is a great story, full of adventure and magic and battles and friendship.
Homer's Iliad (a quick clear look at the plot and characters in the story)
Homer also wrote the Odyssey (adventures on the way back to Greece after the Trojan War)

Explore Ancient Greece
For Kids: Overview
Early Greece: Minoans, Mycenaeans, Dorians
Rise of Greek City-States
- On Land: Greek Warriors
- At Sea: Greek Ships
- Trojan War
- Persian Wars
- The Delian League
- Peloponnesian War
- Alexander the Great
- The League of Corinth
Investigate Real Life Artifacts
For Kids: Art, Culture, Government
Greek Columns and Architecture
For Kids: Daily Life
For Kids: Greek Mythology
Ancient Greek Gods & Goddesses
Ancient Greek Myths for Kids
- Zeus, Hera, and Little Io
- The Competition, Athena and Poseidon
- Theseus, the Minotaur, and the Maze
- Dionysus and Ariadne
- Icarus and Daedalus, Wings
- The 12 Labors of Hercules
- Demeter and Persephone, Reason for the Seasons
- Apollo's Oracle at Delphi
- Perseus, Andromeda, and the sea god, Poseidon
- King Midas and the Donkey Ears
- And Many More
From the Case Files of the Hercules Detective Agency: Learn more about the gods and Greek daily life
- The Misunderstood Minotaur - How Hercules made a best friend
- The Scaredly Fish
- The Tricked Bully
- The Stone Zoo
- The Bad Barber
- The Constant Chatterbox
- The Monster Under the Bridge
- The Festival Arrow
- The Amazing Matchmaker
- And many more!
For Kids: People
For Kids: Interactive Quizzes
Alexander the Great &
Gifts from the Greeks
For Teachers
For Kids and Teachers: Other Ancient Civilizations
See Also: Early Humans for Kids and Teachers