Iliad
/ˈɪl.i.æd/noun
An epic poem traditionally attributed to Homer about a section of the Trojan War.
Did you know?The title comes from Greek *Ilias* meaning “of Ilion,” so the poem’s name is basically a tag from the ancient city that doomed itself into myth.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Greek / Mycenaean era
Pre-Greek
Wilios / Ilion
“An ancient name associated with Troy and its citadel”
Ancient Greek
Greek
Ἰλιάς (Iliás)
““of Ilion”; the feminine form used as the title of Homer’s epic”
Classical Latin
Latin
Ilias
“The Greek epic poem about the Trojan War”
Middle English
English
Iliad
“Homer’s epic poem in English form”
Modern English
English
Iliad
“The canonical epic poem about Achilles and the Trojan War”