The Iliad is an epic poem set during the Trojan War (12th or 13th century BC), and chronicles the events of a few weeks in the final year of the war. It is not a strict historical account but a heroic tale, with the gods directly interfering with the events of the war on either side. The "standard" version of the poem consists of 15,693 lines written in dactylic hexameter. For more information, check out the study guides and helps in the "Resources" tab.