The Essential Iliad Author:Homer, Stanley Lombardo (Translator) While preserving the basic narrative of the Iliad, this selection also highlights the epic's high poetic moments and essential mythological content, and will prove especially useful in surveys of world literature. — One of the foremost achievements in Western literature, Homer's Iliad tells the story of the darkest episode of the Trojan W... more »ar. At its center is Achilles, the greatest warrior-champion of the Greeks, and his conflict with his leader Agamemnon. Interwoven in the tragic sequence of events are powerfully moving descriptions of the ebb and flow of battle, the besieged city of Ilium, the feud between the gods, and the fate of mortals.« less