Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy (Ilium) by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles. Although the story covers only a few weeks in the final year of the war, The Iliad mentions or alludes to many of the Greek legends about the siege; the earlier events, such as the gathering of warriors for the siege, the cause of the war, and related concerns tend to appear near the beginning. ...

• Word Count: 8864
• Approx Pages: 35
• Grade Level: High School

Achilles as the son of Thetis has a special relationship which allows him to communicate with the gods by way of Thetis's favor in the eyes of Zeus (Il. 1.490) Both characters are headstrong warriors; the epics do relate their preeminence in battle. ... Enkidu undergoes a process of civilizing when he sleeps with the woman Shamhat, and is then disturbed by Gilgamesh's right at weddings to be the first to sleep with the new wife. ...

• Word Count: 4256
• Approx Pages: 17
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

In Homer's The Odyssey, the protagonist of the story, Odysseus, was a valiant warrior, who along with his men fought in the famed Trojan War and came out as the victors. Now, Odysseus and his brave warrior troops must return home to reunite with their people and loved ones again. ...

• Word Count: 2649
• Approx Pages: 11
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School