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Article: Iliad, The
- Article from:
- Myths and Legends of the World
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Macmillan Reference, USA. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Iliad, The
One of the greatest
epics
of ancient Greece, the
Iliad
tells of events during the final year of the Trojan War*.
Iliad
means "poem of Ilios," one of the names of the city of Troy in Asia Minor*.
The Greek poet Homer is credited with creating the
Iliad.
Some scholars, however, doubt that Homer ever existed and suggest that the poem was woven together by generations of storytellers. In any case, the
Iliad
had a tremendous impact on Greek culture and holds an important place in world literature.
Background of the Trojan War.
Long before the events described in the
Iliad,
the Greeks had been drawn into a war with Troy because of the beautiful Helen of Troy Helen was actually ...