Ilias - Mind-Connecting Classics 3

Author Homer · Publisher Maeumieum · Publication Date 2026-08-25 · ISBN 9791194494423

About the Book

A war where heroic warriors and Olympian gods stake their fate and honor.
Charge, even if death is the only end!

The Iliad vividly recounts how war heroes like Achilles, Agamemnon, Hector, and Patroclus fought, faced despair, and fulfilled their roles. It is a battlefield where everyone risks their lives, but it's not simply about winning or losing. While examining the bronze-age warriors' armor, chariots, spears, and swords provides fascinating insight into the nature of warfare at the time, it's also worth noting how individual choices instantly alter the tide of battle, as seen in the conflict between Achilles and Agamemnon over their pride and honor. Even today, with the rapid advancement of technological civilization, human emotions and feelings remain largely unchanged from 3,000 years ago. Reading the stories of warriors willingly going to battle for personal anger and revenge, and the families plunged into grief by their deaths, one cannot help but feel solemn before the tragedy war brings, then as now.

Meanwhile, as humans brandished swords and spears, bleeding and fighting, the Olympian gods, keenly observing, also participated in or influenced the war for their own reasons. Hera and Athena, holding grudges against the Trojan prince Paris, aided the Achaeans, while Aphrodite, Apollo, and Ares sided with Troy. The conspiracies hatched by the gods behind Zeus's back, or their shapeshifting to disrupt human minds, made the war even more complex and added entertaining elements to the story. Furthermore, the notion that all heroes and gods have an unavoidable destiny leads one to view life and death in a new light.

There is much debate about whether the great poet Homer was a real person, and if he truly authored The Iliad and The Odyssey. However, there is no doubt about the charm and value of stories that survived for so long, recited at festivals before being committed to writing and reaching us today. The strong friendship between Achilles and Patroclus, the loyalty and camaraderie among warriors, the heroic demeanor of fighting fair and showing respect even to enemies, and the pain and sorrow of those who bid farewell to their loved ones—these explain why this epic poem is celebrated as the pinnacle of literature. This edition of The Iliad, concisely refined for easy reading and featuring high-quality illustrations that can be grasped at a glance, will allow young readers to experience this great Greek literary work.

Concise and insightful text with artistic illustrations
Homer's epic by Andersen Award-winning author and illustrator

The Iliad and The Odyssey published as 'Maeumieum Classics' are the Korean editions of a digest series from the Italian publisher Lapis Edizioni. Lapis Edizioni, closely involved with the Italian education sector, planned this series to be useful in schools. Written and illustrated by Nicola Cinquetti and Desideria Guicciardini, both Andersen Award-winning authors (often called the Nobel Prize of children's literature), these editions maintain the essence of the original while being easy to read. Reading and understanding The Iliad and The Odyssey will be both enjoyable and beneficial for learning. The Korean edition includes various explanations to help readers better understand the work. It provides background knowledge about Homer, Greek literature, historical context, and important figures like Achilles and Odysseus at the beginning and end of the work.

The significance and value of Greek literature as the root and treasury of Western culture need no further explanation. Classics are often works that everyone knows about but few have actually read. The Iliad and The Odyssey remain subjects of study for many scholars and continue to live on as motifs in countless popular cultural works. Young readers of this book will be able to reflect on the complex human psychology surrounding the Trojan War, its tragic outcome, and the pain and sorrow endured by the war heroes and their families. It is hoped that through these great classics, readers will deepen their understanding of humanity and the world, and fully enjoy literature.


* Certification Type: Supplier Conformity Confirmation

Table of Contents

Translator’s Note
Before You Read This Book
Book 1: Achilles Quarrels with Agamemnon
Book 2: Agamemnon Leads His Army to Attack
Book 3: Menelaus Confronts Paris
Book 4: Menelaus Is Viciously Attacked
Book 5: Diomedes Fights Mortals and Gods
Book 6: Hector Goes to See Andromache
Book 7: Hector Fights Ajax
Book 8: Hector Leads His Army to Charge
Book 9: Achilles Rejects the Offer
Book 10: Diomedes and Odysseus Infiltrate the Enemy Camp
Book 11: Nestor Makes a Request to Patroclus
Book 12: Hector Charges Towards the Wall
Book 13: Poseidon Goes to Aid the Achaeans
Book 14: Hera Devises a Deception
Book 15: Poseidon Leaves the Battlefield
Book 16: Patroclus Wears Achilles' Armor
Book 17: Hector Wears Achilles' Armor
Book 18: Hephaestus Forges Weapons
Book 19: Achilles Arms Himself
Book 20: Achilles Returns to the Battlefield
Book 21: Achilles Fights the River
Book 22: Achilles Fights Hector
Book 23: Patroclus Receives Funeral Rites
Book 24: Hector Is Honored in Farewell
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