Homer's Iliad: A Retelling in Prose by David Bruce

How ought we to live our life? Should we lead a life of pleasure, or should we work hard to accomplish something remarkable so that our name and deeds will be remembered for a long time - maybe forever - after we die? Because his mother is an immortal goddess, Achilles, who is a mortal man, knows that if he stays in Greece and avoids battles, he will live a long time but after he dies no one will remember his name and deeds, but if he fights in the Trojan War, he will live a short life but his fame after he dies will be everlasting. He goes to the Trojan War, he fights well, and he is rewarded for his magnificent fighting ability with a spear-bride, aka sex-slave. But Agamemnon, the leader of the Greeks against the Trojans, insults him by taking away his spear-bride. If Achilles is remembered after he dies, this will be one of the things that people will remember about him. Is that worth dying for? Achilles decides not to fight for Agamemnon. If he fights, he will fight for himself. When the Trojans attack the Greek camps, Achilles will do nothing until the fires reach his own camp. Then he will fight. But all men are mortal, and Hector, the greatest Trojan warrior, kills a man whom Achilles loves. Now Achilles lives not so he can gain everlasting fame; he lives so he can get revenge against the Trojans and especially against Hector. Read more