In Homer’s Iliad, what emotion does the poem famously begin by invoking?

In Homer’s Iliad, the poem famously begins by invoking Achilles’ wrath.

The opening word of the ancient Greek poem is mēnin, commonly translated as “wrath” or “anger.” The poet asks the Muse to sing about the destructive anger of Achilles, establishing the emotional and narrative focus of the epic from its first line.

Achilles’ anger begins when Agamemnon takes Briseis, a captive woman awarded to Achilles, after surrendering his own captive, Chryseis. Feeling dishonored, Achilles withdraws from the fighting. His absence allows the Trojans to gain ground and threatens the Greek camp.

The Iliad does not tell the entire Trojan War. It covers a limited period near the end of the conflict and ends with Hector’s funeral. The poem also does not narrate the Trojan Horse or Troy’s final destruction, events supplied by other ancient traditions and later works.