How many books does the Iliad contain?

The Iliad contains 24 books. These are the poem's traditional divisions, created by ancient editors who organized the long oral epic into manageable sections. The books are conventionally numbered with Greek letters in ancient editions and with Roman or Arabic numerals in modern translations.

The 24-book structure does not mean the Iliad narrates all 24 years of the Trojan War. Instead, the poem focuses on a short period near the end of the conflict, especially Achilles' anger after his dispute with Agamemnon. It begins with the quarrel over Briseis and ends with the funeral of Hector after King Priam retrieves his son's body from Achilles.

The poem is also divided into roughly 15,693 lines in the standard Greek text and is composed in dactylic hexameter. Important episodes include the duel between Paris and Menelaus, Patroclus' death, Achilles' return to battle, and Hector's funeral. The Odyssey, Homer's other surviving epic, is likewise divided into 24 books, though it tells a different story.