what is the iliad about

The Iliad is an epic poem attributed to Homer and is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. The poem is divided into 24 books and was written in dactylic hexameter, containing 15,693 lines in its most widely accepted version. The story of the Iliad follows the great Greek warrior Achilles, as well as his rage and the destruction it causes, during the final weeks of the Trojan War, a ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Mycenaean Greek states. The poem depicts significant events in the sieges final weeks, including a fierce quarrel between King Agamemnon and Achilles. The Iliad is often regarded as the first substantial piece of European literature and is a central part of the Epic Cycle.