Little Iliad
Lost epic of the Trojan Cycle, attributed to several ancient poets.
The Little Iliad (Greek: Ἰλιὰς μικρά, Ilias mikra; Latin: parva Ilias) is a lost epic of ancient Greek literature, part of the Epic Cycle that narrated the Trojan War. It follows the Aethiopis chronologically and precedes the Iliou persis ("Sack of Troy"). The poem was attributed by ancient writers to various authors, including Lesches of Pyrrha, Cinaethon of Sparta, Diodorus of Erythrae, Thestorides of Phocaea, or Homer himself.
- Field
- Ancient Greek epic poetry
- Known for
- Lost epic of the Trojan Cycle, covering events after the death of Achilles
- Attributed authors
- Lesches of Pyrrha, Cinaethon of Sparta, Diodorus of Erythrae, Thestorides of Phocaea, or Homer
- Composition date
- Probably latter half of the 7th century BCE (uncertain)
- Books
- Four books of verse in dactylic hexameter
Lore & Background
The Little Iliad is one of the better-attested epics in the Epic Cycle, with nearly thirty lines of the original text surviving. Knowledge of the poem depends largely on a summary in the Chrestomatheia attributed to an unknown Proclus (possibly the 2nd-century CE grammarian Eutychius Proclus). The poem opens with the judgment of Achilles's arms, awarded to Odysseus over Ajax, leading Ajax to madness, suicide, and burial without full heroic honors. Calchas prophesies that Troy will not fall without the arrows of Heracles, so Odysseus and Diomedes retrieve Philoctetes from Lemnos; Philoctetes kills Paris in single combat. After Paris's death, Helenus and Deiphobus contend for Helen; Deiphobus wins, and Helenus abandons Troy. Odysseus captures Helenus, who reveals three preconditions for Greek victory: recovery of the Palladium, the bones of Pelops from Pisa, and the involvement of Neoptolemus.
Reader's Guide
The Little Iliad holds significance as a key lost epic bridging the Aethiopis and the Iliou persis in the Epic Cycle. Its surviving fragments and ancient summaries provide insight into the narrative traditions surrounding the Trojan War's conclusion, including the judgment of Achilles's arms, the madness and death of Ajax, the retrieval of Philoctetes, and the capture of the Palladium. The poem was criticized by Aristotle for having more plot than an epic should, reflecting its fast-paced, episodic structure. The attribution to multiple authors (Lesches, Cinaethon, Diodorus, Thestorides, or Homer) and the lack of a single authoritative version highlight the fluidity of archaic Greek epic transmission. Its content, including the killing of Astyanax by Neoptolemus, influenced later literary and artistic depictions of the fall of Troy.
Did You Know?
- The Little Iliad comprised four books of verse in dactylic hexameter.
- Later sources, not the Little Iliad, describe Neoptolemus killing Astyanax by throwing him from the walls.
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