How many books make up Homer’s Iliad?

Homer’s Iliad is divided into 24 books.

The 24-book structure is the standard form in which the ancient Greek epic has been transmitted. The poem tells a concentrated part of the Trojan War, focusing especially on Achilles’ anger and its consequences rather than narrating the entire conflict from beginning to end.

Ancient Greek epics were originally performed orally, and the divisions into books were imposed or standardized by later editors. The arrangement is traditionally associated with the scholarly work conducted at Alexandria, where Greek literary texts were collected, copied, and organized. The books are conventionally labeled with Greek letters in many editions.

The number 24 can be confused with the poem’s scope. The Iliad covers events late in the war, while the Odyssey follows Odysseus after the war. It also does not end with the fall of Troy; its narrative concludes with the funeral of Hector. The parallel epic tradition therefore requires other works or later summaries for the rest of the Trojan story.