Homer

The poem recounts a few weeks in the tenth year of the Trojan War, focusing on the wrath of Achilles and the cost of honor, glory, and mortality for Greeks and Trojans alike. It does not narrate the whole war or the fall of Troy, but ends with the funeral of Hector.

The poem follows Odysseus, king of Ithaca, struggling to return home after the Trojan War, and the parallel coming-of-age of his son Telemachus. It moves between gods, monsters, and human households, exploring cunning, hospitality, loyalty, and the fragility of order.