Over at r/AYearOfMythology we are getting ready to start our reading of 'The Iliad' by Homer. We will officially be starting on June 11th. We will be reading two 'books' (in modern terms chapters) a week for twelve weeks. Every weekend we will post discussion posts to talk about that week's reading. Our buddy read will run until September 2nd. Following this, we intend to start reading Virgil's 'The Aeneid'. To see our full schedule for 2023 (including the week-by-week breakdown for the Iliad) click here.

The Iliad is one of the all time classics of the Western canon, so the summary I give here is a bare outline. Additionally, if you like modern myth retellings you may be familiar with 'The Iliad' as the major inspiration behind Madeline Miller's 'The Song of Achilles'.

The story details the events during the final year of the Trojan War. The story focuses on the fallout of a disagreement between the demigod Achilles and the leader of the Greek army, Agamemnon. We meet most of the Olympians and get to see what happens when gods use humanity to fight one another. The story is action packed and a lot of fun. Modern translations have also made the story very readable.

If you are interested in joining us, please feel free to do so. We are a laid-back community that focuses on reading the classics for pleasure. There are several modern translations available, which I have provided a quick guide for here.