The ‘Iliad’ is set in the Trojan War. It is generally believed that the ‘Iliad’ was written several hundred years after the war.
The generally believed date for Troy’s destruction is 1184 BCE.
The Trojan War lasted for ten years, which the Greeks won after destroying the city of Troy.
‘Troy is thought to correspond to the site of Hissarlik in modern-day Turkey – a town which, as modern archaeologists have discovered, met a violent end at roughly the time in question (c.1220 BCE).’ – Ideas of Authority (A105) P. 242
It had been widely debated between modern scholars whether the Trojan War was fact or fiction, but for Ancient Greece, it was an important part of their past.
The Ancient Greek Audience of the ‘Iliad’ would have known the complete mythology of the Trojan War, which is taken for granted in the poem.
‘Rather than tell the story of the Trojan War from beginning to end, the action of the poem spans only 50 days and focuses on just a handful of days’ fighting.’ - Ideas of Authority (A105) P. 242
The ‘Iliad’s main action focus was the fighting and battle scenes, since they take a large amount of the narrative.
A constant theme of the effects of war (devastating and disruptive) is present throughout the poem.
War being a way for the fighters on both sides to win honour and glory (E.G. by killing the enemy) and battle is also presented as a gripping exhibition itself.
‘Homeric society also has a clear pecking order: the central characters of the poem are not the ordinary soldiers but rather the elite Greek and Trojan leaders who, in this mythical past, are presented as stronger, braver and more beautiful than any men who have lived since.’ - Ideas of Authority (A105) P. 243
The major and minor deities the ancient Greeks worshipped also featured as characters throughout, playing key roles in both the fighting and in weighing in on both sides of the war.
Fate also has an important role in the ‘Iliad’.