Ilias

The Iliad is considered the oldest poem of the Western world. Homer not only incorporated his own ideas but also drew from traditions of oral poetry dating back to the Minoan-Mycenaean period. In doing so, he placed the traditional material—following a unified plan—into a completely new context with complex structure and order. The epic illustrates moral moderation and self-control as the highest form of human action and provides guidance on proper behavior towards the gods.