In 1873, carrying his worn copy of the Iliad, Henrich Shliemann, an amateur German archaeologist, discovered Troy. While the gold work he found dated to a Troy 1300 years prior to the Troy of the Iliad, later archaeologists confirmed the site as the location of the Trojan War (Rosenberg 108).

The Iliad is attributed to the poet Homer. Tradition suggests that he was blind, in part due to his description of the blind Demodocus in the Odyssey (Harris and Platzner 363) and partly because one of the poets of the Homeric Hymns was blind (Rosenberg 114). Little is known about Homer. He probably lived on an island off the coast of Asia Minor between 800 and 700 B.C. There are many similarities iin style and structure between the Iliad and the Odyssey, but there are also significant differences. Current debate remains unresolved over the exact authorship of these two epics, with some attributing them to Homer while others argue for multiple authors whose work was refined by a single editor. What is certain is that the stories were originally oral, only later written down (Harris and Platzner 363). The epics were performed by traveling poets known as rhapsodes, who were both entertainers and preservers of Greek culture (Rosenberg 113). Typically, the rhapsodes recited the epics accompanied on their lyre (Rosenberg 112).

The Iliad does not record the entire Trojan War, but focuses on a conflict that arises between Agamemnon and Achilles in the ninth year of the war (Harris and Platzner 365). Agamemnon has taken Achilles' prize of honor, humilating him, and Achilles withdraws from the battle with his Myrmidon soldiers. Without Achilles' help, the war goes badly for the Greeks. Finally, Patroclus, Achilles' close friend, dons Achilles' armor and enters the fray, but is killed by Hector, a Trojan hero and prince. Grief-stricken, Achilles returns to the war and kills Hector, ensuring his own death.

Homeric Hero

Above all else, the Homeric hero seeks aretê, the striving for excellence, "the power to achieve the fullest performance" (Kerferd 148). The Homeric hero emphasizes strength, competition (Keferd 148), courage (Kerferd 148; Rosenberg 119), moral responsibility, Intelligence, insight, ingenuity, and superiority in warfare (Rosenberg 119). The hero's worth is recognized through the preservation of his exploits in poetry, public approval, and his prize of honor, frequently a female captive taken in battle. This honor, value attached to someone, or public acknowledgement of value (timé) was a matter of glory, fame, and lasting reward (kleos) (Kiely). Honor denied, however, brings great shame (Rosenberg 120). In his struggle for excellence, the hero must avoid hubris, or excessive pride (often the result of menin - wrath). If he succumbs to pride, he is prone to até, "blind, rash behavior" and will suffer retribution, nemesis (Rosenberg 122).

Achilles must chose between a normal, average life or a glorious death (Harris and Platzner 365). His withdrawal from battle costs him the life of his closest friend. In the end, he must choose between loyalty to an individual and loyalty to society (Rosenberg 120). Achilles is the "first tragic hero in literature" (Rosenberg 121) because he struggles with these very human choices. Agamemnon, leader of the Greek army, is only concerned about outward signs of honor and survives the war (Harris and Platzner 366). Hector places loyalty to family over what is right, supporting his brother's love for and abduction of Menelaus' wife Helen, allowing Paris' action to draw Troy into war (Rosenberg 120-1).