<em>Homer's Iliad</em> is an epic poem written in the classical antiquity time period, approximately 850-800 B.C. It is typically credited to a blind poet named Homer. The time of Homer's existence is still disputed today. Herodotus suggested that Homer lived about 400 years prior to his time, which was around 400 B.C, placing Homer around the 9th century B.C. Other scholars date Homer much closer to the actual events of the Trojan War, around 11oo B.C. This ancient work of literature should be preserved in the time capsule because it is one of the most important texts in Greek history and gives us insight on the theological and social views of the Hellenistic time period. Much of our information about the Trojan War and mythological tales of the gods are preserved in the text of <em>Homer's Iliad.</em>

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The Iliad chronicles a short period of time in the ten-year war between the Greeks and the Trojans. The poem focuses on Homer’s epic hero, swift-footed Achilles. The poem starts off nine years into the war, describing the Greeks sacking a Trojan village, where Achilles takes Briseis as his prize, and Agamemnon, commander of the Achaean army, takes Chrysies. Chryses pleads with Agamemnon to return his daughter, but is only refused. With no luck, Chryses prays to the god Apollo for help, who brings plague upon the Greeks. Achilles then summons the aid of a soothsayer, Calchas, to reveal the cause of the plague. When they find that it was sent by Chryses and Apollo, Agamemnon becomes enraged, saying that he will only return Chrysies if he gets Briseis as his prize. This creates conflict between Agamemnon and one of his greatest warriors, swift-footed Achilles (SparkNotes:Iliad).

The Iliad concerns itself with the rage of mortals and the intervention of the gods with the mortals during war. The gods associate themselves with mortal affairs in two ways. In one way, they act as external forces on the events of man, like when Apollo sends the plague upon the Achaean army. In the second way, they interact internally with the mortals, such as when Athena prevents Achilles from abandoning reason, and persuades him to use words against Agamemnon, instead of violence. While the gods play a vital role in the clockwork of life, death and war, they also provide another function, sort of a satirical comic relief.  The conflicts and squabbles between the gods often seem humorously petty and ridiculous in comparison to the serious death and destruction that is occurring below.

The epic was a masterpiece of its time, concerning the moral values and ethics of the Hellenistic people of ancient Greece.  In this time, mythological gods and heroes dominated the religious sector of Greek society. Along with art and music of the Hellenistic and Homeric period, literature often incorporated mythological figures, like Zeus and Athena, who regarded as supreme gods of the Greek realm, and were celebrated as such through sculptures, paintings and epic poems. Before the Iliad, no epic poem had concerned itself so much with divine intervention and the dealings and interactions of mortals and the gods (I. A. Richards 50). The work itself seems to celebrate war. In that, it presents its characters as worthy or cowardice as a degree depending on their competence and bravery in battle.  With its constant gory battles and brutal death, it sets up a mood of intensity with a touch of taking things way too seriously.

The poem is written in dactylic hexameter, a style often attributed to Homer. During his time, epics were performed orally, often aided by a lyre or some other kind of instrument. An epic poem contains guidelines to be followed carefully in order to write a proper epic. First, the poem’s theme or purpose must be stated. Invocation of a muse follows, praising her and asking for aid in writing the poem. Muses were the daughters of Zeus, Calliope being the music of epic poetry. Once the muse is invoked, one must begin the poem <em>in medias res, </em>or “in the middle of things" (Bloom 117). Epic poems always begin the tale of whatever is going on after it has been going on for quite some time. Earlier events of the story are then told in flashbacks. The past events then provide a layout of the events occurring in the poem. The poem must center itself around a heroic figure, often personifying the ideals and moral ethics of the culture of his society.  The hero often utilizes the aid of the divine and supernatural, associating himself with the quarrels of the gods. It is typical of epics to present war and the theme of death and mortality. In this time period, humanism and realism were topics of interest among the intellectuals and scholars. The theories of life, death and purpose were discussed in treatises and teachings as well as art and poetry throughout the ages of early Greek civilization.

The Iliad was extremely influential on Greek culture. It was the closest thing they had to a holy text.  It helped to create a sense of virtue as a constant struggle to exert peak human excellence in all forms (Johnston p. 5). These traditional virtues became very important in the writings of thinkers like Aristotle. The Iliad also had a profound influence on Greek and Roman writers, such as Virgil and Ovid, and inspiration to the arts for generations. Paintings and sculptures were modeled after people and events described by Homer. It possibly made the Trojan War the single most important event in Greek literature and tradition.

Compared to cotemporary religions, the polytheistic pagan views of the ancient Greeks as outlined by Homer are outdated and serve as a foundation to later religions. According to modern scholars, the stories of the epic had to have been passed down orally many times before being written down. Each orator added his own touch and detail to the story over generations, creating a lengthy and detailed story before being written down and credited to a still uncertain author. This is only a theory considering that, although the poem is credited to being written by Homer and orally performed by him and others until written down sometime in the 5th century, it is still unknown for sure the exact origins of the story.

The Iliad is no unlike the Odyssey, another epic poem by Homer. It centralizes around a single heroic character on a mission. Unlike the Iliad, however, <em>the Odyssey </em>focuses more on motives such as love of family and homeland (Therese p. 3). The journey of Odysseus is his attempt to regain those things dearest to him, and to return home safely (Therese). The underlying themes of the Iliad are war and death, along with the constant competitive struggle of the epic hero. The underlying themes of the Odyssey are that of cunning and wit, not strength and endurance. The Odyssey is a compliment to the Iliad, which is the story of Odysseus’ long, arduous travels home. He encounters many obstacles and setbacks, using his cunning and wit to fool even the toughest of foes (Therese 4). Although supposedly written by the same blind bard, the two epics differ in mood and tone entirely. Some historians go as far as saying that the Odyssey was written by a different poet completely, merely to compliment the Iliad with a surreal tale of heroic travels. It is said that the Odyssey was written in Homer’s later years, when he was less concerned with the dealings of death and mortality in the form of brutal war, and more interested in hospitality and the natural beauty of the landscape he so adamantly describes.

<em>Cultural Influences</em>

Even today, the <em>Iliad</em> still makes itself and it's story known to us, like the movie Troy. There are some major and minor differences between the original epic and  the Hollywood interpretation. For instance, the war took seventeen days in the movie, when in reality it lasted closer to ten years. In the movie, Patroklus was cousin to Achilles and younger than him. From the <em>Iliad, </em>Patroklus was neither cousin to Achilles nor older than him, he was just Achilles' favorite warrior whom he loved very much. Despite few differences, the movie still serves to portray the long-lived poem and is entertaining nonetheless. Also from the stories of the Trojan War comes the tale of the Trojan Horse, which is a term we now use today to describe a vicious computer virus. The <em>Iliad </em>is and will always be a timeless piece of literature, and therefore should be included in the time capsule.

Works cited:

Johnston, Ian. "The Iliad (abridged)." <em>Www.naxosaudiobooks.com</em>. Naxos. Web. 19 Feb. 2011. &lt;http://www.naxosaudiobooks.com/445812.htm&gt;.

Therese. "Iliad vs the Odyssey." <em>Inklings</em>. Web. 21 Feb. 2011. &lt;http://sesquipadalianmusings.blogspot.com/2007/10/iliad-vs-odyssey.html&gt;.

Homer, and I. A. Richards. <em>The Wrath of Achilles: the Iliad of Homer</em>. London: Routledge &amp; K. Paul, 1951. Print.

Bloom, Harold. <em>Homer's The Iliad</em>. New York: Chelsea House, 1987. Print.

Johnston, Ian C. <em>The Ironies of War: an Introduction to Homer's Iliad</em>. Lanham, MD: University of America, 1988. Print.

"SparkNotes: The Iliad: Context." <em>SparkNotes: Today's Most Popular Study Guides</em>. Web. 21 Feb. 2011. &lt;http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/iliad/context.html&gt;.