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113 Iliad Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

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The Iliad, written by the ancient Greek poet Homer, is one of the most famous and influential works of literature in history. This epic poem tells the story of the Trojan War, a conflict between the Greeks and the Trojans, and explores themes such as honor, glory, fate, and the power of the gods.

If you are studying The Iliad and need inspiration for essay topics, look no further. Here are 113 Iliad essay topic ideas and examples to help you get started:

• Compare and contrast the characters of Achilles and Hector.
• Analyze the role of women in The Iliad, focusing on characters like Helen, Andromache, and Briseis.
• Discuss the theme of fate in The Iliad and how it influences the actions of the characters.
• Explore the relationship between gods and mortals in The Iliad.
• How does Homer portray the concept of heroism in The Iliad?
• Analyze the character of Agamemnon and his role in the Trojan War.
• Discuss the significance of the shield of Achilles in The Iliad.
• How does the theme of honor drive the actions of the characters in The Iliad?
• Explore the role of prophecy and divination in The Iliad.
• Analyze the character of Patroclus and his relationship with Achilles.
• Discuss the role of the river god Scamander in The Iliad.
• Compare and contrast the leadership styles of Agamemnon and Achilles.
• Analyze the portrayal of warfare in The Iliad.
• Discuss the theme of friendship in The Iliad, focusing on the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus.
• Explore the concept of kleos (glory) in The Iliad and how it motivates the characters.
• Analyze the character of Priam and his role in the story of The Iliad.
• Discuss the significance of the Trojan Horse in The Iliad.
• How does Homer use imagery and symbolism in The Iliad to enhance the storytelling?
• Explore the theme of grief and mourning in The Iliad.
• Analyze the character of Odysseus and his role in The Iliad.
• Discuss the portrayal of gods like Zeus, Hera, and Athena in The Iliad.
• Compare and contrast the leadership styles of Hector and Achilles.
• Analyze the role of the muses in The Iliad.
• Discuss the theme of revenge in The Iliad.
• Explore the concept of xenia (hospitality) in The Iliad.
• Analyze the character of Briseis and her role in the story of The Iliad.
• Discuss the significance of the funeral rites in The Iliad.
• How does Homer use similes and metaphors in The Iliad to enhance the storytelling?
• Explore the theme of loyalty in The Iliad.
• Analyze the character of Diomedes and his role in The Iliad.
• Discuss the portrayal of Achilles' armor in The Iliad.
• Compare and contrast the character of Paris and his brother Hector.
• Analyze the role of the gods in the outcome of the Trojan War in The Iliad.
• Discuss the theme of pride in The Iliad.
• Explore the concept of fate versus free will in The Iliad.
• Analyze the character of Sarpedon and his role in the story of The Iliad.
• Discuss the significance of the gods intervening in mortal affairs in The Iliad.
• How does Homer portray the concept of justice in The Iliad?
• Explore the theme of mortality in The Iliad.
• Analyze the character of Thetis and her relationship with Achilles.
• Discuss the portrayal of the underworld in The Iliad.
• Compare and contrast the characters of Nestor and Menelaus.
• Analyze the role of prophecy and omens in The Iliad.
• Discuss the theme of leadership in The Iliad.
• Explore the concept of divine intervention in The Iliad.
• Analyze the character of Aeneas and his role in The Iliad.
• Discuss the significance of the Trojan War in The Iliad.
• How does Homer use repetition and formulaic language in The Iliad to enhance the storytelling?
• Analyze the character of Ajax and his role in The Iliad.
• Discuss the portrayal of Achilles' rage in The Iliad.
• Compare and contrast the characters of Priam and Achilles.
• Analyze the role of prophecy and fate in The Iliad.
• Discuss the theme of honor in The Iliad.
• Explore the concept of divine justice in The Iliad.
• Analyze the character of Helen and her role in The Iliad.
• How does Homer use epic conventions in The Iliad to enhance the storytelling?
• Explore the theme of hospitality in The Iliad.
• Analyze the character of Andromache and her relationship with Hector.
• Discuss the portrayal of Hector's death in The Iliad.
• Analyze the role of the gods in The Iliad.
• Discuss the theme of fate in The Iliad.
• Explore the concept of heroism in The Iliad.

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108 Iliad Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best iliad topic ideas & essay examples, 📌 simple & easy iliad essay titles, 👍 good essay topics on iliad, ❓ iliad essay questions.

• Homer’s “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey”: Main Themes The Iliad and the Odyssey are anti-war poems, even though the actions in the stories are mainly conflict-oriented. They are anti-conflict because the aftermath of the fights is tragic, and every individual always engaged in […]
• The Epic Elements of Homer’s “The Iliad” Although the plot mostly narrates several weeks in the last year of the war, The Iliad has various allusions to the many Greek legends about the siege and the astonishing exploits of ancient heroes.
• Hector’ and Achilles Clash in The Iliad by Homer As the poem begins, Achilles is not ready to take orders from Agamemnon, the king of the Greeks, and he is agitated at losing argument to the king.
• War Justification in The Iliad and The Bhagavad-Gita The current paper observes two ancient texts, The Iliad and The Bhagavad-gita, to investigate the arguments of what the virtues of wars are.
• Literature Studies: “The Iliad” by Homer It is devoted to the period of the Greek-Trojan War and narrates about the heroic battles between the Greeks and the Trojans.
• Achilles as a Human Hero From the Poem “The Iliad” One of the qualities that distinguish Achilles from the heroes and make him a human is his quick temper and touchiness.
• The Figure of Hector in Homer’s “The Iliad” Hector’s behavior is often contradictory since the motives for his actions are either a thirst for glory, which is typical of an epic hero), or an understanding of the duty to the fatherland and the […]
• Gilgamesh, The Iliad and Aeneid: On the Similarities in the Works In contrast, the villains are made to capture the fears, and challenges of the societies represented by these epics. The import of these three epics lies in their historicism.
• Remembering Humanity: Priam and Achilles at the End of “The Iliad” Priam reminds Achilles that he is still a human, and Achilles urges the Trojan king not to give up under the misfortunes of war because that is also a part of human nature.
• Why Homer’s “The Iliad” Can Be Called an Epic The overall scale of the conflict and the involvement of gods are the key characteristics making the “Iliad” an epic in its traditional sense.
• Homer’s The Iliad and John Milton’s Lost Paradise It was written after the Restoration, but the powerful voice of the poet declared that the spirit of the Revolution was not broken, that it still lived in the hearts of the people.
• Women’s Roles: 1001 Nights and The Iliad Both of the works serve as detailed and deep reflections of the histories and cultures of the countries they came from and elaborately portrayed the relationships between men and women, religions and spirituality, and the […]
• “The Iliad” a Greek Epic Poem by Homer One of the most famous arming scenes in the Iliad is the description of Achilles’ arming, in particular, shield. It could be supposed that Homer tried to highlight the horror of the war and focused […]
• Reality of Achilles in “The Iliad” The character of Achilles is real as it is presented in the poem although most of the powers that are portrayed through this character are mere fantasies.
• The Most Realistic Character in “The Iliad” by Homer The author uses Achilles as a bold character for building all the major themes in the poem; hence he is the most realistic character in The Iliad.
• The Plays “The Iliad,” “The Odyssey,” and “Agamemnon”: Understanding of Leadership Finally, the story of Agamemnon told in The Iliad and Agamemnon taught us that a capable leader must remain humble and self-aware.
• Achilles’ Moral Ambiguity in “The Iliad” by Homer Achilles begs his mother to approach Zeus and request that the deity punish the Greeks unless they accord him the respect he merits. Achilles then urged the remainder of the Greeks to leave Troy and […]
• Abuse of Power in “The Iliad” and “The Metamorphoses” Portraying the lives of gods and depicting relationships between them, as well as their interactions with humans, both “Iliad” and “Metamorphosis” elaborate on the theme of power abuse by those at the helm.
• Homer: The Theme of Men at War in “The Iliad” Patroclus is always beside Achilles to support him in the saddest moments and the moments of his rage. This loyalty shows that the friendship of Achilles and Patroclus was a perfect relationship as seen by […]
• The Iliad: Religion and Beliefs Homer offers a variety of shades of religious consciousness, and many of the plot elements used by the author indicate a social interpretation of the divine cult and the introduction of human beliefs into the […]
• Humans & Gods: Gilgamesh, Genesis, The Iliad, Nicomachean Ethics The narrative in the book of Genesis is constructed to depict that God created the society of people. It is seen in multiple appeals of the characters in the legend to gods.
• ”The Iliad of Homer” by Homer: A Reflection of the Culture and Moral Principles That Existed at That Time Themes of Self-Sacrifice and Love in the Iliad Easily seen is the strength that is given from Zeus to mortals either in those into whose hands he gives the surpassing glory, or those he diminishes […]
• Characters of Homer’s The Iliad and Virgil’s Aeneid: A Model of Leadership Anthemed in the Literature of the Ancient World Odysseus along with Aeneas is known all over the world as one of the most outstanding models of leadership anthemed in the literature of the ancient world.
• Comparing Stylistic Features of “Epic of Gilgamesh”, “The Iliad”, “One Thousand and One Nights” In the “Epic of Gilgamesh” Ninsun serves as a mother figure; she is devoted to her son Gilgamesh and is ready to help him in his endeavors.
• Epic Poems: “The Epic of Gilgamesh”, “The Iliad”, and “One Thousand and One Nights” On the other hand, in the epic poem “The Iliad” the author is concerned with the heroic exploits of Achilles in the contexts of death and immortality.
• Ancient Greece Heroes: The Iliad and The Knight’s Tale It is rather tempting to see the later work as a reflection of the ancient Greek story, but Chaucer’s work is rather a re-evaluation of the old story.
• Traditional Epic Hero in Homer’s “The Iliad” The ideals of a given culture are determined by the social cultural conditions of a society or can also be greatly influenced by the views and the perceptions of the author.
• Homer’s “The Iliad” History and Content The review will take the form of an in depth analysis of part one of the whole poem before that, most imperatively, presents the plot of the poem including shading light into the flow.
• Achilles Is One of the Major Characters in “The Iliad” In the texts of the Iliad Achilles is depicted as a great warrior possessing all the marks of a grand fighter by proving his might it the Achaean army. Patroclus death puts Achilles in a […]
• Narrating the Poetry: “The Iliad” by Homer The poem seeks to illustrate on the battles between Agamemnon the King and the warriors Achilles. The Iliad story begins at almost the end of the Trojan War during besiege by the Greeks.
• The Sympathetic Character of Achilles in an Ancient Greek Epic Poem “The Iliad” by Homer
• The Presentation of Inequality of Women in “The Iliad” by Homer
• The Struggles of Diomedes and Pylaimenes in “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey”
• An Analysis of the Importance of the Rituals of Mourning to the Greeks in “The Iliad” by Homer
• The Metamorphosis of Achilles in Homer’s “The Iliad”
• The Gods and Their Role in Homer’s “The Iliad”
• Warfare Ideology in “The Aeneid” by Virgil and “The Iliad” by Homer
• The Tragedies of Patroclus and Hektor in Homer’s “The Iliad”
• The Themes of War and Rage in the Epic Poem “The Iliad” by Homer
• The World-Views of “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey”
• An Analysis of the Heroic Code of Homeric Heroes Hector and Achilles in “The Iliad”
• The Views of Society Regarding “The Odyssey” and “The Iliad”
• The Role of Women in Homer’s “The Odyssey” and “The Iliad”
• The Paradox of Heroism in Homer’s “The Iliad”
• The Relationship Between the Gods and Mortals as Portrayed in “The Iliad”
• Use of Epithets in Homer’s “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey”
• Understanding Similar Concepts in Literary Work: “Beowulf” vs. “The Iliad”
• Manifestation of Free Will in “The Iliad” by Homer
• An Analysis of the Passage About the Making of Achilleus’ Shield in “The Iliad” by Homer
• The Theme of Family in Books 6 and 24 in Homer’s “The Iliad”
• War in Homer’s “The Iliad” and Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried”
• The Similarities and Differences Between “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey”
• A Character Analysis of Agamemnon in “The Iliad”
• Comparison of the Women in “The Iliad” and “The Thousand and One Nights”
• The Types of Love Homer Describes in “The Iliad”
• The Moral Lessons Taught in “The Iliad”
• The Image of the Best Warrior in the Eyes of an Ancient Greek in “The Iliad”
• Character Analysis of Andromache in “The Iliad”
• The Interpretation and Adaptation of “The Bible” and “The Iliad”
• Violence and How It Is Glorified in “The Iliad” by Homer
• The Trojan War Myth: Fact and Fiction of Homer’s “The Iliad”
• The Transformation of the Character of Achilles in Homer’s “The Iliad”
• The Understanding and Concern of the Character of Telemonian Aias in Homer’s “The Iliad”
• Tragic Heroes of “The Iliad” and “Oedipus Rex”
• The Similarities Between “Troy” by Wolfgang Petersen and Homer’s “The Iliad”
• Theme of Revenge in “The Godfather” and “The Iliad”
• The Portrayal of Hector as a Mere Man in “The Iliad” by Homer
• The Qualities of Homeric Hero in “The Iliad” by Homer
• The Use of Imagery, Dialogue, and Similes in “The Iliad” by Homer
• The Tragedy of the Trojans in Homer’s “The Iliad”
• Various Perspectives on War in Homer’s “The Iliad”
• The Main Topic of Vengeance, Fairness and Fate as Described in “The Iliad” by Homer
• Honour as an Important Theme in Homer’s “The Iliad”
• The Myth of the Matador and Theseus and “The Iliad” by Homer
• A Comparison of Achilles’ and Hector’s Honor and Pride in “The Iliad”
• How Does “The Iliad” Reveal the Issues of Gods and Fate?
• How Do Homer’s “The Iliad” War Tactics” Differ From War Tactics Today?
• Is Achilles Interested in Wealth in “The Iliad”?
• How Does “The Iliad” Portray the Ideal Epic World in Terms of Ancient Greek Values?
• What Can “The Iliad” Teach Us About Humanity in War?
• What Does the Image of a Predator Mean in “The Iliad”?
• What Makes Achilleus and Hektor the Heroes of “The Iliad”?
• Why Do Priam and Achilles Cry in “The Iliad”?
• Whether the Olympians Prefer War or Peace in “The Iliad” and the “The Odyssey”?
• Who Killed Paris in “The Iliad”?
• Which Warrior Best Encompasses the Idea of Kleos in “The Iliad”?
• Who Was the Real Hero in Homer’s “The Iliad”?
• Why Does “The Iliad” Conclude With the Funeral of Hektor?
• Where Does Achilles Strike Hector in “The Iliad”?
• Why Was Arête (‘Virtue’) an Important Theme in Homer’s “The Iliad”?
• How Does Homer Depict War in “The Iliad”?
• Why Are the Gods in Bliss When the Men Go to War in Homer’s “The Iliad”?
• How Does “The Iliad” Comment on Human Suffering?
• What Is the Human and Divine Relationship in Homer’s “The Iliad” and “Herodotus”?
• What Caused the Trojan War in “The Iliad”?
• What Are the Roles Women Play in “The Iliad”?
• How Did Ancient People Perceive Death in “The Iliad”?
• What Is the Purpose of Theomachy in “The Iliad”?
• How Is the Truce Broken in “The Iliad”?
• What Language Was “The Iliad” Written in?
• What Does “The Iliad” Suggest to Be the Nature of the Relations Between City-States in Homer’s Time?
• How Many Different Versions of “The Iliad” Exist?
• Does Achilles Demonstrate Sight Blindness in “The Iliad”?
• How Ethical Are the Gods in “The Iliad”?
• What Does Achilles Ask His Mother Thetis to Do in “The Iliad”?
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125 Iliad Essay Topics

🏆 best essay topics on iliad, 👍 good iliad research topics & essay examples, 🎓 most interesting iliad research titles, 💡 simple iliad essay ideas, ❓ iliad essay questions.

• Greek Concept of the “Therapon” in the “Iliad” by Homer
• Homer’s Portrayal of the Gods in The Iliad
• Agamemnon in the Iliad: Character Analysis
• Hero’s Journey: A Comparison of The Epic of Gilgamesh, The Iliad, and The Odyssey
• Glory of War in the Homer’s “Iliad”
• Achilles’ Pride and Hubris in Homer’s “The Iliad”
• Comparison: The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Iliad
• God’s Anthropomorphism and Divinity in Homer’s Poem “Iliad” In the “Iliad”, Homer depicts gods as supernatural creatures who live following the rules. Gods are characterized by all human features.
• Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey — Comparison & Critique The stories of both have been repeated countless times and used in cultural references and in making big budget movies which speaks of their pervasive affect.
• The Judgment of Paris in The Iliad: Analysis Numerous references present the work's characteristics, making it a popular research subject in cultural studies to Greek legends.
• Phoenix’s Speech in Book 9th of the Iliad The long speech of the phoenix in the ninth book of the Iliad is an important section in the vital subject of the poem. It is an ethical statement, and a minimum share of critical scrutiny is given in its opening part.
• Greek Heroic Motifs in “The Iliad”: Agamemnon and Priam In this essay, the analysis of two particular heroes, Priam and Agamemnon, will be introduced to investigate their lives through the prism of Homeric heroism in “The Iliad”.
• Comparing Achilles and Hector in the Iliad Achilles is ruled by his uncontrollable passions which can be seen in his headstrong ways. But, Hector is motivated by his duty consciousness and this proves him as a noble leader.
• Heroic Code in Homer’s Iliad Homer’s Iliad is somewhat unique among the ancient tales because of its tendency to include human features in its heroes.
• Supplication in the Iliad In the Iliad there are many scenes of supplication. Two of the most important scenes are the supplication of Chryses to Agamemnon and the supplication of Priam to Achiles.
• The Poem “The Iliad” by Homer: Hector’s Character The poem “The Iliad” by Homer, depicts many different leadership images, however, some of them are more vivid than others. For example, one of these characters is Hector.
• Heroine Analysis: Helen and Penelope in “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey” The story of Helen and Penelope in both works by Homer display different destinies of two most eminent heroines in terms of their participation in the development of actions shown in both books
• Andromache in the Iliad: Character Analysis The truth, however, is that women’s roles differed from one culture to another and a blanket statement simply cannot be made.
• “The Iliad” as a Primary Source for Historians “The Iliad” reflects the basic features of the ancient society, including the ways they made war and peace, the way they traded, and the way they interacted.
• “Iliad” by Homer and “A Thousand and One Nights”: Comparison The paper compares “Iliad” by Homer and “A Thousand and One Nights” by their main characteristics: supernatural power, theme-dream, use of symbols, and settings.
• The Warrior Culture in “The Iliad” by Homer The essay will concentrate on Paris as one of the major characters in The Illiad whose role was to portray the level in which the society valued the warrior culture.
• Olympic and Funeral Games in “The Iliad” by Homer Homer’s “Iliad” is a full-scale artistic discovery made in the cradle of world culture — Ancient Greece. This is one of the first epic poems in the history of mankind.
• The Myth and History Relationship in Homer’s Iliad The paper will examine the connection between myth and history to comprehend Greek civilization through Homeric poetry.
• Homer’s “Iliad”, Its Effect and Relevance This paper analyzes Homer’s poem and its effect as an object of comparison to modern life and values, stating that despite the apparent difference some aspects did not change.
• The Iliad’s Oral Tradition There are several suggestions that perhaps Homer’s The Iliad is the product of a much longer oral tradition that Homer wrote down and passed along as an artist.
• Iliad and Odyssey: Hector and Menelaus Comparison The Iliad and the Odyssey have great significance due to the lyrical content they encompass. It is vital to consider two characters in these readings – Hector and Menelaus.
• Ancient Literature. Decision Making in Iliad by Homer The whole epic in ‘Iliad’ comes because of the Paris declaring the wrong goddess to be the most beautiful, which became the root cause of the war between Greeks and Trojans.
• The Iliad and The Odyssey – Homeric Epics Analysis The reason that The Odyssey had to be perceived after reading The Iliad is rather ponderous argument. The poems were titled by one and the same author.
• Job’s God from the Bible and Greek Gods from Iliad n the Bible’s story about Job, God’s intervention is limited to allowing Satan destroy Job’s family and possessions, as well as Job’s physical well-being, while the Greek’s Iliad has several interventions from the Gods.
• Achilles and Hector in The Iliad by Homer: Comparison Achilles and Hector are two heroic characters in Homer’s classic Iliad and both these fearless warriors display honour and virtue in their characters.
• The Concept of “Therapon” in Homer’s “Iliad” Homer’s poem “Iliad” uses a concept of “therapon” which is not typical for any of other writers of those times and of modern times as well.
• The Poem “The Iliad” by Homer: Achilles’ Motivation in Ransoming Hector In Homer’s poem “The Iliad”, Achilles ransomed Hector’s body to return it safely to his family for proper burial to prevent further anger from the gods.
• “The Iliad of Homer” by Butler Homer’s epic poem, The Iliad, raises some existential questions pertaining to the roles of humans and gods in determining destiny.
• Insignificance of the Doloneia in Homer’s “The Iliad” The Doloneia included a number of archaisms, which create the illusion of the ancient past, although this approach to antiquity has not been used by Homer throughout the story.
• Homer’s Iliad and Sophocles’ Three Theban Plays The article is an analysis of Homer’s “Iliad” and Sophocles’ “Three Theban Pieces” – plays proving the greatness of ancient Greek literature.
• “The Iliad” by Homer: Using of Suppliancy Most ancient Greek writers used suppliancy in poetry and short stories and this became a unique identification mark amongst writers from various regions of the world.
• Decision Making in The Iliad Decision-making in ‘The Iliad’ by Homer is given by primary gods, as the most powerful creatures who could form peoples’ lives and change their destinies according to their fads.
• The Image of Epic Heroes in Gilgamesh, the Iliad, and Beowulf Gilgamesh from the Epic of Gilgamesh, Achilles and Agamemnon from The Iliad, and Beowulf from the epic Beowulf may serve as the best examples of epic characters, which represent the image of a hero.
• The Aeneid, the Iliad and the Odyssey Literature Comparison Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey show that humans’ actions can lead to their sufferings. The works of Homer and Virgil refer to death of warriors and innocent individuals.
• Achilles’ Hero Behavior Cycle in the Iliad
• The Trojan War Between the Greeks and the Trojans in Homer’s The Iliad
• The Iliad vs. Today’s Standards
• Iliad Key Plot Points
• Divine Power and ‘The Iliad’ by Homer
• The Civic Law and How It Developed Through Time in Iliad
• Ransom: Iliad and Achilles’ Actions
• Homer’s Iliad and Greek Art
• God and Godlike Humans in the Bible and Iliad
• The Iliad: The Definition of a Tragic Hero
• Iliad and the Materialistic Views on Life
• Free Pride and Hubris in the Iliad
• The Main Female Characters in the Iliad and Their Relationship With the Male Characters
• Bible God vs. Iliad Gods
• Diomedes, the True Hero of Homer’s Iliad
• Revenge, Justice, and Destiny – The Major Themes in Homer’s Iliad
• How Ethical Are the Gods in the Iliad?
• Greek Rhetoric and Argument in Homer’s Iliad
• Achilles’ Influence and Morality in the Iliad
• The Created and Existent Gods in Homer’s Iliad
• Comparison Between Homer’s Iliad and Wolfgang Petersen’s Troy
• Love Issues and Romances in the Homer’s Iliad
• The Iliad: Tragedy and Miracle of Life and Mankind
• The Interaction Between Fate and Choice in the Iliad
• Epic Heroism and Values of the Iliad
• Egypt’s Burial Rites and Homer’s ‘The Iliad’
• Historical and Biographical Criticism of the Iliad by Homer
• Speech Development and Characters of Andromache and Nestor in Homer’s ‘The Iliad’
• The Kings Requests and Obedience of the Iliad
• Aeneid and Iliad: How They Relate to the Modern World
• The Rage and Love of Achilles in the Iliad, a Poem by Homer
• The Importance and Role of Respect for Authority in The Iliad by Homer
• Which Warrior Best Encompasses the Idea of Kleos in the Iliad
• Oedipus Rex, the Iliad and the Odyssey and How These Works Relate to Gender
• The Competition for Power and Ultimate Victory Throughout the Iliad
• The Relationship Between the Gods and Mortals as Portrayed in the Iliad
• The Relationship Between Men and Women in Homers the Iliad
• Achilles: The Tragic Hero of the Iliad
• The Tragic Heroes and the Effect on Humankind in Homer’s The Iliad
• The Understanding and Concern of the Character of Telemonian Aias in Homer’s Iliad
• The Role and Influence of the Gods on the Conflict in the Iliad by Homer
• Achilles and Greek Heroism in Homer’s Iliad
• Conflict Within the Mythology of the Iliad by Homer
• The Conflict Between Hector and Achilles in the Iliad
• The Iliad: The Glory of War vs. Family Life
• Violence, Power, and Goals in the Hebrew Bible and the Iliad
• Critical Thinking About Fate and Free Will in Homers’ Iliad
• Sacred Rituality and Especially Hiketeia in the Iliad
• Ring Composition for Nestor’s Speech in Book XI of the Iliad
• The Battle Between Egoism and Altruism in the Iliad
• Male Issues and the Character of a Mediocre Man in the Iliad
• Humankind, Life, and Tragedy in ‘The Iliad’ by Homer
• Heroism Inthe Iliad: Achilles vs. Hector
• Literature and the Epic Nature of the Iliad by Homer and Gilgamesh
• The Trojan War Myth: Fact and Fiction of Homer’s The Iliad
• Trojan War, Homer and the Other Historical Embracements of the Iliad
• Imagery and Epic Simile in ‘The Iliad’ by Homer
• The Role and Importance of Achilles in the Iliad
• Homer’s ‘The Iliad’ and Classifications of Women
• Reasons Why the Iliad by Homer Is a Morality Play
• How Does Homer Depict War in “The Iliad?”
• How the Iliad Portray the Ideal Epic World in Terms of Ancient Greek Values?
• How Does the Iliad Reveal the Issues of Gods and the Fate?
• Why Are the Gods in Bliss When the Men Go to War in Iliad?
• What Is the Mythological Paradeigma in the Iliad?
• What Is the Human and Divine Relationship in Homer’s Iliad?
• How the Peloponnesian War Is Depicted in the Iliad?
• What Is Arthut Adkins’ Perception of the Iliad?
• Why Does the Iliad Conclude with the Funeral of Hektor
• What Is the Function of Digressions in the Iliad?
• What Makes Achilleus and Hektor the Heroes of the Iliad?
• Which Warrior Best Encompasses the Idea of Kleos in the Iliad?
• What Does the Image of a Predator Mean in the Iliad?
• How Modern Paroemiology and the Use of Gnomai in Homer’s Iliad Can Be Linked?
• What Is the Role of Tragic Form and Feeling in the Iliad?
• Whay Is the Theme of the Mutilation of the Corpse in the Iliad?
• How the Divine Audience and the Religion Are Illustrated in the Iliad?
• What Is the Paradigmatic Nature of Nestor’s Speech in Iliad?
• What Is the Relationship Between Men and Women in the Iliad?
• What Is the Quarrel Between Agamemnon and Achilles in Iliad?
• What Is the New Critical Edition of the Scholia to the Iliad?
• What Are the Similarities and Differences Between the Iliad and the Odyssey?
• What Is the Formularity of the Place Phrases of the Iliad?
• What Is the Interaction Between Fate and Choice in the Iliad?
• What Is the Civic Law and How It Developed Through Time in Iliad?

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StudyCorgi . 2022. "125 Iliad Essay Topics." March 1, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/iliad-essay-topics/.

These essay examples and topics on Iliad were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy. Please ensure you properly reference the materials if you’re using them to write your assignment.

This essay topic collection was updated on June 23, 2024 .

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A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

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Discussion Questions

In the first stanza the poet refers to the Achaean deaths as “the will of Zeus […] moving toward its end” (77). Why does Zeus want to kill the heroes? What does he hope to achieve? Use at least three specific examples from the text to support your answer.

Examine the relationship between mortals and immortals. Draw on at least three specific interactions in your discussion.

What is the function of nature similes in the poem? Explore their meaning using at least three similes from the poem.

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Great Essay Topics For The Iliad: 10 Ideas To Consider

The Iliad has been passed down for millennia, and is thought to have been told orally long before it was written down by the mysterious Greek poet Homer. Recorded by Homer during the Greek Archaic Age, The Iliad is one of mankind’s oldest war stories, an epic tale of battle and intrigue full of larger-than-life heroes and mischievous gods. It’s a huge, expansive epic poem, with dozens of human and divine characters. There are many situations, characters, and themes to explore in this venerable tale, so coming up with essay topics for the Iliad isn’t as hard as you might think.

Here are ten ideas to consider for an essay about the Iliad:

• What role does Fate play in the Iliad, both in terms of the outcome of the Trojan War, and in terms of the destinies, emotions, and psychology of the individual characters?
• Discuss the nature, role, and “heroic code” characteristic of the Homeric hero.
• Discuss the portrayal of father-son relationships in The Iliad, referencing the relationship between Priam and Hector as well as the relationship between Achilles and Peleus.
• Discuss the actions and motivations of divine figures in The Iliad.
• Discuss the Homeric portrayal of “kleos,” the concept of glory that is earned through heroic battle.
• Discuss the Homeric theme of respect or honor (“timê”) earned through a man’s lifetime of cultural accomplishments.
• Discuss the theme of wrath in The Iliad.
• Is Achilles a sympathetic character? Discuss his personality, characterization, and motivations, such as the concept of “The Wrath of Achilles” that permeates the epic.
• Discuss the Iliad’s portrayal of female characters, both human and divine.
• Discuss the role of vanity, wrath, and personal gain in the reasons for the Trojan War
• Discuss the roles of the Gods as agents of fate, including the fact that they themselves are fully subject to Fate.
• What is the “moral” of the Iliad? What is its statement about human nature?
• Compare aspects of the Iliad, like literary style and the role of the gods, with The Odyssey.
• Discuss the role of Zeus (or another major divinity) in the story.
• Discuss the events and themes surrounding the death of Patroclus, Achilles’ close companion.
• Compare styles and themes in The Iliad with a later epic poem, such as the Aeneid or Dante’s Inferno.

These ten ideas are just a small sample of possible essay topics for the Iliad. It’s such a rich, multifaceted, and expansive work that the possibilities are nearly endless. Whatever topic you choose to write about, make sure it’s at least interesting to you, and you’ll do a great job.

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Iliad Essay Topics You Will Love

The Iliad is a monumental work, consisting of 24 songs, or 15,700 verses, and it is the true treasure of Troy. Instead of rubies and emeralds, meanings and images sparkle. World literature grew from it. That’s why it is not surprising that students are assigned to write papers about the Iliad. If you also must write about the Iliad, then you should check out our writing topics for the Iliad and use them as a term paper help .

Good Iliad essay topics for argumentative papers

• What is the main theme?
• Character portrayal: is Agamemnon shown to be power-hungry and disdainful in the Iliad?
• Why can Achilles not disobey Agamemnon in the Iliad?
• Why was the death of Patroclus a shock for Achilles in the Iliad?
• Do the number of episodes that unfold around the main narrative of the Iliad enrich it? Why?
• Did Homer stick to compositional unity and clear organization of the material in Iliad?
• What remarks did Aristotle make towards Homer’s Iliad?
• How is the main core of the Iliad narrative framed?
• What is the compositional center of the Iliad poem?
• How are the greatest dynamics and compositional density presented in the Iliad?
• How is the story in the Iliad presented with a clever and thoughtful concentration of material?
• What is the leading idea of Homer’s poem The Iliad?
• Why does Homer tend towards external characteristics in The Iliad?
• Is the pivotal theme of the Iliad the anger of Achilles?
• Why is it difficult for the reader to understand which side the author is on in the Iliad?

Paper topics on the Iliad and Odyssey taken from Reddit

• How has the Iliad been reinterpreted by modern culture?
• Is the Iliad hard to understand for students, and why?
• How is the Iliad structured?
• Were the Iliad and Odyssey written by humans as fiction?
• Patroclus’ death in Homer’s Iliad vs. “Troy” (the movie).
• Do translations of the Iliad vary to such an extent that the scenes could come across completely differently?
• Should students read Iliad to understand David Malouf’s “Ransom”? Why?
• Why did Homer describe the Sea as “Wine-Dark” in the Iliad?
• How was Ethiopia referenced in the Iliad and Odyssey?
• Should students start researching Ancient Greek myths and history from reading the Iliad and Odyssey? Why?
• Are the Odyssey and Iliad really as good as they are praised? Why do people keep referring to them?
• In the Bronze Age, the military elite had bronze weapons (potentially as in the Iliad). If everyone else had stone weapons, would Achilles and Hector dominate the battlefield?
• What should students know before reading the Odyssey and the Iliad?
• Is the Iliad historically accurate?
• Is the Iliad a better religious text than the Bible because it presents a better story?

Interesting topics about the Iliad

• Is one of the reasons for the timelessness of the Iliad poem its humanism?
• What did Homer glorify in the Iliad?
• What makes Achilles neglect his duty in the Iliad?
• Are the images of Homer’s characters in the Iliad, to some extent, static?
• In what cases does Homer resort to the intervention of the gods in the Iliad?
• What explains the lack of psychological characteristics of the characters of the Iliad?
• Why did Homer make gods anthropomorphic in the Iliad?
• What do the stylistic means used in the poem Iliad testify?
• What impression does the abundance of everyday details in the Iliad create?
• Describe the dynamics of the hero image in Homer’s Iliad.
• How does the war test every character in the Iliad?
• Are honor and pride the major themes of the Iliad?
• How do gods determine the fate of different characters in the Iliad?
• How is morality shown in the Iliad?
• In what way did Homer show love and friendship in the Iliad?

We hope that you find the right theme in our selection of good essay topics for the Iliad. However, if it’s hard for you to imagine how to write your paper, get our online essay help . We at EssayShark will help you with your writing professionally and quickly. All you have to do is place an order on our site with “ write paper for me ” request.

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The Iliad Study Guide

The most ancient text preserved to our days raises more questions than there are answers. When was The Iliad written? What was the purpose of the epic poem? What is the subject of The Iliad? The Iliad Study Guide prepared by Custom-Writing.org experts explores the depths of the historical context that inspired Homer to create this timeless work of fiction.

The Iliad Key Facts

The Iliad Articles

The poem’s summary

If you need to quickly figure out the intricacies of the epic poem’s plot, you’re in the right place. This page contains The Iliad plot overview and chapter summaries.

Character analysis

Why have Achilles & Agamemnon quarreled? Find the answer on The Iliad characters page. The Achaeans, the Trojans, and gods are described here.

Themes of The Iliad

What are the themes in The Iliad ? Find here the answer to this question. This article analyzes rage, glory, honor in The Iliad , as well as other epic poem’s themes.

Symbolism & literary analysis

What is The Iliad genre? What do the poem’s opening lines mean? What are the key symbols used in The Iliad ? Find all the answers on The Iliad analysis page.

Essay topics and examples

Need to write an essay on The Iliad? We’ve collected top questions and essay samples together with a list of The Iliad essay topics, ideas, and prompts.

Iliad Q&A 

Who killed Patroclus? How long is The Iliad ? Find here all the answers! This page of The Iliad study guide contains questions and answers about the poem.

Historical Context of The Iliad

Even though The Iliad describes historical events, it is still a work of fiction. Homer drew inspiration from Greek mythology that flourished in the Mycenaean civilization . This epoch lasted from the 16 th to 9 th centuries BC. By the moment Homer wrote The Iliad, the culture had grown extinct. The author felt nostalgic for the times of fearless warriors, heroic code, and gods’ worshiping. That is why we need to analyze The Iliad in the context of the actual Trojan War and in the light of fictional elements characteristic of the epoch.

History books were unavailable in the 8 th century BC. All we know about those days comes from literature and archeological excavations. Homer gave a poetic account of the Achaean siege of Troy. Still, some scientists consider that the poem was a condensed picture of many wars held at the Trojan walls. After all, Homer lived some 400 years after the city had been destroyed. There were no witnesses alive or libraries to consult the chronicles. The Iliad was based on folk legends, lore, and stories about the war that ended long ago.

The Iliad goes beyond the mere reproduction of ancient traditions and ways of warfare. It is a psychological poem that tries to explain why people fight with each other, how they accept losses, and why they reconcile. Book 1 starts with Achilles’ anger, setting the tone for the rest of the poem. Homer wanted to show that some things exceed their historical period and remain unchangeable in any epoch. That is why his oeuvre remains topical thousands of years later.

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Looking for The Iliad summary? Need to quickly figure out the intricacies of the epic poem’s plot? You’re in the right place! In the article prepared by our experts, you’ll find The Iliad timeline of events, plot overview, and detailed summaries of the poem’s books. 🔰 The Iliad Plot Overview ...

Who is Patroclus in The Iliad? Why have Achilles and Agamemnon quarreled? Find the answers on The Iliad characters page prepared by Custom-Writing.org experts. The Achaeans, the Trojans, and Greek gods are described here. The quotes that you’ll find in the sections below are taken from the translation made by...

What are the themes in The Iliad? Find here the answer to this question. This article by our experts analyzes rage, glory, honor in The Iliad, as well as other epic poem’s themes. Ancient people perceived the world differently than we do now. These cultural features are revealed in the...

The Iliad is a description of the Trojan war that took place in the 13th century BC. It tells about the ancient gods and the society that no longer exists today. The meaning of the themes, conflicts, plot, and symbols requires explanation to be understood by the modern reader. What...

Essays helps you to get a deeper understanding of a literary work. The Iliad is an epic poem, tragedy, and war chronicle that provides endless opportunities for debates. Its themes, symbolism, imagery, and motifs raise exciting issues for your reflection. Need to write The Iliad essay? This section prepared by...

The Iliad is the most ancient piece of writing known to humanity. It is a window to the world our ancestors lived in and a valuable source of historical facts. Still, many centuries separate us from the Homeric times, and even more centuries lie between the present day and the...

The epic poem ends in a nostalgic and mournful way. The last book is about a father who lost his son and wishes to make an honorable funeral as the last thing he could give him. The book symbolizes the end of any war when sorrow replaces anger. Book 24,...

The main values glorified in The Iliad and The Odyssey are honor, courage, and eloquence. These three qualities were held as the best characteristics a person could have. Besides, they contributed to the heroic code and made up the Homeric character of a warrior. The Odyssey also promotes hospitality, although...

The Iliad is set in Troy and its outskirts. It was a real city not far from modern Canakkale (Turkey) at the mouth of the Dardanelles. Greeks wiped it away at the end of the Trojan War. Some scenes related to gods take place on Olympus and Mount Ida, where...

The epic poems refer to the beginning of the Archaic period in Ancient Greek history. They were written in the second half of the 8th century BC as a nostalgia for the Mycenaean civilization. In his writing, Homer used historical facts and mythology to create a romanticized version of the...

The last King of Troy was a wise ruler who extended control over Hellespont (ancient name for The Dardanelles). His first wife was Arisbe. Then he married Hecuba. According to Homer’s text, Priam had 50 children from these two women and other concubines. Achilles killed his eldest son, Hector, who...

Menelaus, the King of Sparta, had the most beautiful wife in the world, Helen. Paris, the Prince of Troy, stole her and held her captive as a lover in Troy. These events caused the ten-year-long Trojan war that took thousands of lives and entailed the destruction of Troy. Menelaus led...

The epic hero is the first-born son of the King of Troy, Priam. He is the husband of Andromache and the father of Astyanax, his baby son. Hector is the commander-in-chief of the Trojan forces and the heir of the throne after Priam’s death. The greatest Trojan warrior disapproved of...

Hector is a brave leader and mighty warrior. These qualities make him an iconic epic hero in line with Achilles, Odysseus, Great Ajax, and Patroclus. We can find the best description of his character at the end of Book 2, where Homer presents him as the bravest Trojan. In Book...

Achilles wants to revenge for Patroclus’ death. Hector killed Patroclus and took his armor (which initially pertained to Achilles). Achilles is mourning his close friend and promises not to eat and not bury Patroclus’ body as long as Hector is still alive. Achilles refused to fight for the Achaeans more...

The Iliad finishes before Achilles is killed. Paris, the Prince of Troy, shoots a poisoned arrow that hits Achilles’ heel. But the epic poem concludes right after Hector’s honorable funeral. The events that entailed the fall of Troy are not part of The Iliad. The central conflict in the text...

Patroclus died as a true hero in battle. He killed every Trojan he met on his way and saved the Achaean ships. His intervention made the Trojans retreat and started the end of the fortified city. Zeus predicted Patroclus’ death, and there was no way to change his fate. The...

The Greek myths have two versions of Helen’s end of life. The first tells that she returned to Sparta to live with Menelaus until they both die. The second version tells how Helen fled to the Island of Rhodes. There she was hanged by the local queen who sought vengeance....

In Book 22, Hector killed Patroclus, Achilles’ close comrade. Achilles vowed to revenge for the friend’s death. He found Hector near Trojan walls. Hector tried to reason him, but Achilles was impregnable. He and killed Hector, stabbing him in the throat. Neither did he follow Hector’s request to return his...

Patroclus was Achilles’ close friend. The news of his death devastated the hero. He mourned beside the body, beating the ground and crying so loudly that Thetis (Achilles’ mother) came to comfort him. Then the grief gives way to anger, and Achilles craves vengeance. Achilles was offended by Agamemnon and...

In The Iliad, Homer does not mention Paris’ death. But from Greek mythology, we know that he dies of a poisoned arrow. Helen tries to ask Oenone to help (or Paris does so in a different version of the myth). The nymph rejects her request, having been offended by Paris....

On the verge of death, Hector asks Achilles to return his body to his father, Priam. Achilles does not satisfy his last request. His anger is not satisfied, so he drags Hector’s body around the Trojan walls. After Patroclus’ body is burnt on a pyre and his remnants are buried,...

Achilles refuses to fight for the Achaeans because Agamemnon, the commander-in-chief, insulted his honor. He took Achilles’ war prize to replace his own. Achilles does not fight for his woman but wishes that the Greeks suffer so that Agamemnon realizes he shouldn’t have started the conflict with Achilles. The reader...

The Iliad by Homer is an extended narrative that occupies 15,693 lines. In most hardcover editions, one page contains 23 to 25 lines. It makes up approximately 600 pages. If you read the book with a speed of 250 words per minute, you will finish it in ten hours. How...

In Book 16, Hector kills Patroclus in battle. But it was not clean fighting. Apollo helped to knock Patroclus off his feet, and a young soldier made the first hit. But Hector finished him off, and that is why we consider him to be the murderer. How does Patroclus die?...

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Honor and Glory

One of the central ideas of the Iliad is the honor that soldiers earn in combat. For an ancient Greek man, the ability to perform in battle is the single greatest source of worthiness. The glory earned by soldiers on the battlefield enabled them to live on in legend, becoming heroes who would be remembered long after death. The characters of the Iliad often make reference to the great heroes of past ages, such as…

The gods in Homer often take an active interest in the lives of mortals, who are sometimes their children by blood. At times the gods take the form of men, as when Apollo speaks into Hector ’s ear, persuading him toward a particular course of action or filling him with the strength to push back enemies. At times, the role of the gods can seem metaphorical, explaining strange changes in the moods and strength of…

Fate and Free Will

Throughout the Iliad there is a deep sense that everything that will come to pass is already fated to happen. For Homer, the Trojan War was already an old story passed down for generations, and the poem is presented from the very beginning as a completed story, “the will of Zeus …moving toward its end.” In the lives of men, the gods are powerful enough to act as fate, spurring them to actions they might…

Wartime Versus Peacetime

Although the Iliad is largely the tale of a brutal war, it contains many reflections of the peacetime life of the ancient Greek civilization. For the characters of the poem, war is something that is connected with the other parts of life, something that every man must undergo as he defends his city. The most important sign of the relationship between war and peace is found in Book 18, when the god Hephaestus forges the…

As a story of war, the Iliad confronts the fact that all men are doomed to die. The poem’s battles are filled with descriptions of the deaths of soldiers who only appear in the poem in order to pass away. Homer frequently provides a small story of the life or family history of the deceased, a gesture that shows the tragedy of how much those soldiers leave behind them. However, death in battle is also…

Love and Friendship

Throughout the Iliad strong ties of love and friendship are central to the poem’s development. The friendship between soldiers can be a vital force that spurs them onward, whether in living friendship or out of revenge for the fallen. Two warriors, like Great and Little Ajax , can become a powerful fighting team because of their camaraderie. However, the desire to protect friends and loved ones extends beyond the battlefield. In some sense The Trojan…

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Six Major Iliad Themes That Express Universal Truths

Homer explores these themes in his epic poem and presents them in vivid details that capture the interest of his audience. Discover in these Iliad theme essay topics illustrated in the ancient Greek poem and how they are easily relatable to people regardless of their culture or background.

Iliad Themes

List of the Best Iliad Themes

– honor in the iliad.

One of the main points of the Iliad was the subject of honor and glory which is thoroughly explored during the events of the Trojan War. Soldiers who proved themselves worthy on the battlefield were immortalized in the minds of both their colleagues, allies and enemies alike.

Thus, soldiers would give their all on the battlefield to attain the glory that came with it. Homer highlighted this in the characters of Hector and Aeneas, both commanders of the Trojan forces who fought bravely for the cause of Troy.

In the Iliad summary, both warriors did not have to fight the Greeks but decided to do so knowing full well that they might not survive the war . The same could be said of Patroclus who went in the stead of Achilles to fight against the Trojans.

Patroclus put honor and glory ahead of his life and he got it as Achilles and the Myrmidons mourned his death for days and organized games with worthy prizes in his honor. Achilles also chased honor and glory when he joined the Greeks to fight the Trojans even though he didn’t have to.

He ended up losing his life but his legacy as the greatest Greek warrior outlived him. Nonetheless, soldiers who failed to live up to expectations were scorned and treated with contempt .

Paris was a handsome prince and a fine soldier but his loss in the duel with Menelaus resulted in his low reputation. His second duel with Diomedes didn’t help matters as Paris resorted to the use of bow and arrows as opposed to the code of conduct for heroes.

– The Intervention of the Gods

The intervention of deities in human affairs was a theme that Homer highlighted throughout the entire poem. The ancient Greeks were deeply religious people whose lives centered around pleasing the deities they worshiped.

They believed that the deities had the power to protect, guide, and lead them as well as alter their destinies. The interference of divine characters was a mainstay in all ancient Greek literature and it reflected the culture of the time.

In the Iliad, some characters like Achilles and Helen even had divine parents which gave them godlike characteristics. Helen, whose father was Zeus , was said to be the most beautiful woman in the whole of Greece.

Her beauty caused her to be abducted which indirectly start the Trojan war and the chaos that followed. Apart from having affairs with humans the gods directly influenced some events in the Homeric epic. They saved Paris’ life, helped Achilles to kill Hector , and guided the hapless King of Troy through the camp of the Achaeans as he went to ransom the body of his son, Hector.

The deities even took sides in the Battle of Troy and fought each other though they couldn’t inflict any damage. The gods also intervened when they saved Polydamas the Trojan from the attack of Meges the Greek.

The gods were involved in the design and construction of the Trojan horse and the final destruction of the city of Troy. The role of the gods in the Iliad portrayed how the ancient Greeks viewed their deities and how the gods facilitated life on earth.

– Love in the Iliad

It was love that made Paris and Agamemnon plunge the whole of Greece and Troy into a 10-year war. Hector loved his wife and son which moved him to give up his life to ensure their safety.

The King of Troy demonstrated fatherly love when he risked his life to go and ransom his dead son from the camp of the enemies. He used Achilles’ love and respect for his father in negotiating for the release of Hector’s body . The Trojan King gave a rousing speech that moved Achilles and this answers the question ‘ what theme of the Iliad is related to Priam’s speech? ‘.

Achilles’ love for Patroclus drove him to rescind his decision to not partake in the war after he was betrayed by Agamemnon. Fueled by a love for his close friend, Achilles slew thousands of Greek soldiers and pushed back an advancing Greek onslaught.

Troy’s love for their hero Hector was displayed when they spent 10 days mourning and burying him. The theme of love and friendship was common in ancient Greek society and Homer aptly represented it in the Iliad.

– Mortality

The entire battle of Troy in the Iliad demonstrates the fragility of life and the mortality of men . Homer reminded his audience that life was short and one must go about their business as quickly as they can before their time is up.

The poet vividly describes how some characters died to paint a picture of mortality and vulnerability. Even characters like Achilles who were near indestructible were given a rude awakening when the only weakness he had was exploited.

The story of Achilles reminds us that no matter how strong we think we are and how well we’ve mastered something, there is always that vulnerable spot that can bring us down. Homer taught his audience to walk through life in humility regardless of their achievements knowing that one fate will befall all.

Nonetheless, Homer also revealed the devastating loss death leads in its wake as in the case of Hector and Achilles. Hector’s death eventually brought Troy to its knees but no one felt the loss worse than his wife Andromache and his son Astyanax.

His father, the King of Troy, also is grieved as he knew that none of his surviving sons would ever fill the shoes the greatest Greek warrior left behind. The same could be said of Achilles whose dear friend’s passing left a huge hole in his heart .

In the critical analysis of Iliad, one can conclude that death is inevitable and all creatures would one day walk that path. Glaucus succinctly puts it, “ Like the generation of leaves, the lives of mortal men…as one generation comes to life another dies away “.

– The Delicate Balance of Fate and Free Will

The subject of fate and free will was broached in the Iliad with Homer delicately balancing the two. The gods had the power to determine the fate of humans and did all they could to make it come to pass.

Troy was destined to fall so, regardless of the efforts they put in mounting a defense the city eventually fell to the Greeks. Hector was fated to die at the hands of Achilles so even when he met a formidable foe in the form of Ajax his life was spared.

The gods also determined that Achilles would be killed during the war though he was almost indestructible and it comes to pass. Agamemnon’s fate was to survive the battle of Troy so when he encountered Achilles, Athena came to his rescue.

As the writings state, according to Achilles, “ And fate no one has ever escaped it, neither brave man nor coward, I tell you, it’s born with us that day that we are born .” However, Homer presents the characters as having the free will to choose their own destiny within the fate determined by the gods.

Achilles could have chosen to not go to war after he had avenged the death of his friend but he chose to glory in death instead . Hector also had a choice to not go to war because he knew he was going to die in the battle but he went anyway.

Therefore, though Homer thinks that humans are fated, he believes that our actions determine the fate we suffer . Everyone has a hand in their destiny and can choose the course they want their life to take, according to the Iliad.

– Pride

One of the sub-themes presented by Homer is the topic of pride which is sometimes referred to as hubris . It is hard to imagine any Greek hero who has humility as their hallmark for with greatness comes pride.

In the Iliad, the warriors got their sense of accomplishment from their actions which fueled their pride. Achilles and Hector were proud of their accomplishments on the battlefield and they became regarded as the greatest warriors.

Patroclus wanted to accomplish a great feat by killing Hector but he was unlucky as it ultimately resulted in his death instead. Agamemnon’s pride was wounded when he was coerced to give up his lover Chryseis. To restore his pride, he asked for Briseis, the slave and lover of Achilles which in turn hurt Achilles’ pride so much that he withdraws from the war. Achilles did not care about the rewards, all he wanted was to get back his pride .

When Briseis was taken from Achilles, he quipped to Agamemnon, “ I am minded no longer to stay here dishonored and pile up your wealth and luxury… “. Pride was also a motivational tool to inspire the warriors to give their all on the battlefield.

Commanders and leaders of both sides of the war told their warriors to be courageous in the battle for there was no honor in giving up. Pride motivated the Greeks to win the battle of Troy and restore the pride of King Menelaus by bringing back Helen.

Here is a recap of the major themes in the Greek epic poem:

• The theme of love explored the strong bonds that bound certain characters in the play.
• Homer also used the theme of divine intervention to emphasize the fact that the universe operates under divine guidance or laws.
• The delicate balance between fate and free will taught us that though humans are fated, we are still responsible for our actions.
• Human life is brief and delicate therefore, we should do the best that we can while there is still life.
• The theme of glory and honor explored the idea that soldiers during the war would give their lives just to be immortalized in the pages of history.

After discovering the major themes present in the epic poem, the Iliad, which one is your favorite, and which one are you willing to implement?

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The Iliad Essay Topics & Writing Assignments

Essay Topic 1

If you had to identify the moral of The Iliad, what would it be and why? Please explain using specific examples of characters and lessons they went through and learned.

Essay Topic 2

The gods play an important role in The Iliad. What is the one thing that the gods do which most influences the story, and why is it the most influential action of the gods?

Essay Topic 3

The symbols in The Iliad are numerous. Pick a symbol and discuss its importance to the characters in the book.

Essay Topic 4

In the beginning of The Iliad, Homer tells us that the story is about the anger of Achilles. What is one part of the story that do not involve Achilles, but is a result of his anger? Why is this part important if the story is about the anger of Achilles?

Essay Topic 5

What is the...

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The Iliad Essay Topics

The Iliad of Homer is an epic novel that focuses on the Trojan War. The Trojan War is a 1200 B.C battle that occurs among the Greek City-states. This novel was created specially to give learners an overview of what happened during the Trojan War alongside the impacts of the Greek beliefs to modern human nature and modern culture.

It also enables students to understand the impact of the Greek beliefs on the observations and attitudes towards human welfare. The Iliad essay topics can be virtually about anything, including but not limited to gender roles, life, and history.

You can write your essays on the roles men and women played during the ancient Greek society. It’s good to understand that women are vital tools used in making the plot more enjoyable, though they don’t possess any power. Men, on the other end, possess great physical prowess and power, which makes them the center of the book’s writing.

Though an interesting and fun book, most students are finding it a big challenge to come up with topics they love when writing Iliad essays. We at TopicsBase understand how traumatizing it can be having an urgent essay task but don’t know exactly where to start, and that’s why we have given you these topics to make the job easier.

• Does the Iliad of Homer glorify war?
• The first serious tragedy of the Iliad of homer
• Is Iliad of Homer the main book Character?
• What Roles does the Iliad of Home play in this book that makes him a hero?
• An analysis of the Achilles and Hector in the Iliad of Homer
• Is the Iliad of Homer the best thing anyone can do?
• How the Iliad of homer ends?
• Is there any credibility in the Iliad of Homer?
• Understanding the Absurdity of Heroism in Iliad of Homer
• What Role Do the Gods Play in the Iliad of Homer
• The roles played by Zeus in the Iliad of Homer
• A quick outlook of the Shield of the Achilles
• The main rites of passage in the Iliad of Homer
• How is Authority Perceived and treated in the Iliad of Homer?
• How Achilles Anger affects the Iliad of Homer?
• Analyzing Hero Behavior Cycles in the Iliad of Homer
• A Great essay on the Role Nestor Played in the Iliad of Homer
• How destiny and divine providence are viewed in the Iliad of Homer?
• A simple essay on the message on Homer’s Iliad
• Representation of God and Man in the Iliad of Homer
• A great essay on glory and honor in the Iliad of Homer
• A quick overview of Homer’s Iliad Cyclical Nature
• How is War Horrors vividly exposed in the Iliad of Homer?
• The moral lesson in the Iliad of Homer
• Comparison of Homer’s Iliad and Oedipus the King
• The immortal beings in Homer’s Iliad
• Is war the main theme in the Iliad of Homer?
• Are women respected in Homer’s Iliad of war?

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Reading the Iliad in a Time of War

“Achilles Dying” in the Achilleion Palace, Corfu, Greece. (Wiki-CC, photo by Dr. K)

When Putin’s Russia invaded Ukraine in late February 2022, I glanced at Homer’s lliad , piled onto my kitchen table with other books in a tower of procrastination, with grudging respect. When Hamas reignited the mostly dormant Israel-Palestine conflict on October 7 of last year, I grabbed the Illiad by the spine to read it for a fifth time.

Coming of age in the early ’90s, I remember scoffing at President George H.W. Bush when he said during his January 1992 State of the Union speech, and at the opening of an election year, “… the world is still a dangerous place. Only the dead have seen the end of conflict. And though yesterday’s challenges are behind us, tomorrow’s are being born.”

I scoffed because, like many Americans, I was exhausted from all the Cold War platitudes of the Reagan years. I wanted to embrace the optimism that seemed to have dawned on the world as international communism sputtered into failure, promising with it a release from the nuclear arms race that hung around the world’s neck.

Today I know there is nothing wrong with optimism as long as it is laced with wisdom. When young, I mistook that wisdom for adult cynicism. Now I can easily admit that President H.W. Bush was merely expressing the necessity of hedging optimism with a realism sufficient to protect people who have been alive long enough to, it is hoped, feel a sense of optimism.

It is predictable, but also true, to say that the Iliad makes poetry out of war and conflict. It is more precise to say that the Iliad reminds us that war and conflict are always with us, whether in open conflagration and mounting body counts or simmering beneath the surface.

Like most Americans, and even my own daughter now in high school, I read the Odyssey , not the Iliad . High school teachers seem to prefer the Odyssey for its more chaotic, and symbolic, views toward life. Odysseus has a journey to make. He summons his resources. He resists the temptation of the sirens and outwits the Cyclops to become a person of self-command. Only at the epic’s end do events take a puzzling turn when he brutally murders his wife’s suitors. That bizarre ending gives high school teachers the perfect opportunity to teach that the past is a foreign country and that morals and ethical standards change. The ancient Greeks adored the hero who slew men who dared touch his wife. Today we try that same person in court, with a prison sentence to follow. High schools also probably teach the Odyssey to prepare their students for reading James Joyce’s Ulysses when they reach college, which is a charming hope but almost as naïve as I was in 1992.

Of course, the Iliad contains poetry—the “wine dark” sea, “Thetis of the silvery feet,” and basically all of Book XVIII, “The Shield of Achilles”—but mostly it churns out line after line of blood-soaked dismemberment and impalement, crashing bodies into one another with so much force that they almost pile themselves up after each battle. Akhaians (Greeks) cut down Trojans, with Homer brandishing another metaphor about lions hunting their prey. Trojans cut down Akhaians, and once you finish reading yet another battle scene, you can imagine the survivors pushing the dead into the Aegean Sea. It makes no sense that there would still be ground to walk upon when the land is littered with so many dead. Years ago, when a good friend and I read the Robert Fitzgerald translation (1974) at the same time, and then met to compare notes, we both agreed the most stunning, over-the-top death in battle was that of the Akhaian Diomêdês killing the Trojan Dolôn: “Even as he spoke, the man leaned forward, reaching to touch his chin, beseeching; but he brought his sword-blade in a flash down on the nape and severed the two tendons. In the dust the head of the still crying man was muffled.” (Book X; 500-504)

That, and other gruesome scenes, make it plain why current scholars believe (or at least debate) that a woman wrote the Odyssey, while the Illiad was likely composed by a syndicate of grizzled war veterans. It is sobering to imagine them working through their PTSD at an ancient campfire, reciting their accounts through tears, or even occasional laughter, in attempts to outdo one another in a sort of poetry slam competition.

Reading three different translations in the months since October 7 of last year, I was struck dumb all over again by the book’s relentless brutality. The through line of an absurd war over the beauty of one woman, Helen, to the absurd war over a border between two Slavic nations, is depressingly long. Perhaps the almost eight-decade war between two competing claims to the same ancient land in Israel-Palestine is easier to understand—though that hardly makes it less brutal.

In placing Achilles and Hector—and later, by extension, Priam—at the human center of the story, the book has more to teach us than just the eternal nature of war. War is simple in that people suffer and die. It is complicated because each person is forced to confront suffering in their own way. We hear this over and over again from scholars and classicists who tell us when we care to listen, but it remains true: The Iliad is our foundational text of what it means to be a hero but also mortal (Book XXI, 120-130), of what is at stake in decisions that will determine our future (the famous “Embassy Scene” of Book IX), and of what it means to find empathy for another person, even your sworn enemy (Priam and Achilles break bread in Book XXIV).

The Iliad was viewed as more epic than bleak for most of its scholarly life. French scholar Simone Weil, who wrote “The Iliad , or the Poem of Force” in the middle of World War II, taught us to see it as more bleak than epic. “The true hero, the true subject, the center of the Iliad is force … that x that turns anybody who is subjected to it into a thing .”

Circling back to the anxiety of the nuclear arms race that troubled my generation, replete with films like Threads (1984), Weil’s reduction of the Iliad to an omen of almost complete annihilation is hard to dispute. Technology has scaled the rage of Achilles, once limited by the tools of ancient warfare, to proportions that threaten all humanity. The standard of soldiers proving their heroism on the battlefield is almost obsolete. Still, the optimist in me—it is hoped tempered by now with wisdom—prefers a wonderful introduction, written by Greek scholar Gregory Nagy, to the Everyman edition of Homer’s epic poem:

“ The Iliad is the story of a hero’s pain, culminating in an anger that degrades him to the level of a savage animal, to the depths of bestiality. This same pain, however, this same intense feeling of loss, will ultimately make the savage anger subside in a moment of heroic self-recognition that elevates Achilles to the highest realms of humanity, of humanism. At the end of The Iliad , as he begins to recognize the pain of his deadliest enemy, of the Other, he begins to achieve a true recognition of the Self. The anger is at an end. And the story can end as well.” (Everyman, 1992, xiii)

Between reports of another launch of Russian missiles at Ukraine, after another news report on the missed opportunities for a cease-fire between Hamas and Israel, we keep waiting for anger—that mysterious, elusive, Godforsaken anger—to end.

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