The Iliad By Homer

When Paris, a Trojan prince abducted Helen from her husband Menelaus, King of the Greeks, he must have anticipated the consequences that his actions would have. After all, Helen was a beauty beyond compare, described as having "the face that launched a thousand ships". This action led to the Greeks waging a decade long war on the Trojans, which even saw the gods taking sides: Zeus, King of the gods supported the Trojans, while Poseidon, god of the sea took the side of the Greeks. The battles were bloody and dramatic, with the mighty Hector fighting to protect the Kingdom of Troy against an invasion led by the formidable Achilles. Countless lives were lost and all because of beautiful Helen - and the men that could not bear to live without her.
Dated around 800 BC, The Iliad is an epic poem which gives a fictional account of the events of the Trojan War. Authorship of The Iliad is attributed to Homer, a legendary ancient Greek poet who is also thought to have written The Odyssey. One of the oldest works of western literature, The Iliad was applied as part of the ancient Greek oral tradition of celebrating goddess Athena's birthday through song and chant, and not as written poetry.
Perhaps that's why the reader is left with the feeling that this story would have been best received by listening to Homer himself tell it, rather than by reading it. Centuries later, The Iliad nevertheless remains a classic must-read for literature lovers the world over.

Joan One is a freelance journalist and creative writer who immensely enjoys writing and researching into any topic under the Sun. She specializes in writing "green" eco-friendly topics aimed at enabling environmentally conscious readers to find simple ways to reduce their carbon footprint and help save our planet.