Iliad
by Homer
About_
Homer’s Iliad is an ancient Greek epic that tells of the tenth year of the Trojan War, focusing on the quarrel
between Agamemnon and Achilles, the role of the gods, and the cost of pride and anger. This study guide breaks
the poem into six sections of four books each and guides students through the key events, characters, and themes.
It includes comprehension questions, critical analysis, a true or false activity, a crossword puzzle, and a character
study of Achilles. This study guide contains 78 questions across 6 chapter sections (60 Factual + 18 Critical), 1
Crossword Puzzle (12 clues), and 1 Character Focus Activity.
What’s Included_
This study guide features 6 sets of 10 Factual Questions with an answer key (60 total), 6 sets of 3 Critical Analysis
Questions (18 total), 1 Crossword Puzzle (12 clues), and 1 Character Focus Activity (8 traits + evidence prompt +
critical thinking question).
Target Grades_
Grades 9-11
Teacher Note_
This study guide helps students build solid comprehension of a challenging classic while encouraging them to think
critically about honor, anger, and fate. With ready-made questions and an answer key, it saves you valuable
preparation time so you can focus on rich classroom discussion. Enjoy guiding your students through this timeless
epic!
Homer and the World of the Poem
The Iliad is an ancient Greek epic poem traditionally credited to Homer. Greek audiences already knew the stories of the
Trojan War, so Homer’s skill lay in which events and characters he chose to focus on. The poem was shared aloud for
generations before it was ever written down.
The Trojan War Behind the Story
According to Greek myth, a long war began after a Trojan prince took the wife of a Spartan king to Troy. Greek kings joined
together and sailed with a huge fleet to bring her back. The Iliad does not tell the whole war but zooms in on a short period
late in the conflict.
Gods, Honor, and Heroes
In this poem, gods and goddesses take sides and take part in human affairs, sometimes helping and sometimes harming
mortals. Honor, glory, and loyalty are powerful forces that drive the warriors’ decisions. As you read, think about how these
values shape the heroes’ choices and their consequences.