Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
THIS IS PART 3 OF A 4 PART SERIES - Watch it all at:
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlpN8mmVl6oH2MtHUGv2wgLFXjGI2fGxJ
I'm Mike - this is Riiff Raff's Reading Renaissance. Welcome!
This video is a deep, immersive discussion of Homer’s Iliad, Books 13–18, following the brutal escalation of war at the ships, the intervention of the gods, and the tragic death of Patroclus that finally draws Achilles back into battle.
We explore:
Poseidon’s defiance of Zeus and the gods’ growing involvement
Hector’s blazing presence on the battlefield
Homer’s extraordinary technique of humanizing every fallen warrior
The visceral violence of war and its moral weight
Patroclus wearing Achilles’ armor—and paying the ultimate price
Achilles’ grief, rage, and the forging of the legendary shield
This is not just a story of heroes and bloodshed—it’s a meditation on mortality, war, fate, ego, and the fragile line between peace and destruction, written nearly 3,000 years ago yet disturbingly relevant today.
Along the way, we draw modern parallels (including World War II, Ukraine, and Band of Brothers), discuss whether the Iliad is “too violent” for modern readers, and reflect on why this poem still works so powerfully on the human mind.
📚 Translation referenced: Robert Fagles
🎥 Ideal for fans of: BookTube, classics, War & Peace, Moby-Dick, Greek mythology, philosophy of war
My thanks to Steve Donoghue @saintdonoghue for the buddy read chats
TIMESTAMPS / CHAPTERS PART 3
00:00 Daily Vlog: Day 13, Book 13 Battling for the Ships
08:00 Check in with Steve #9 (Poetic Ways of Dying)
09:54 Daily Vlog: Day 14, Book 14 Hera Outflanks Zeus
14:34 Check in with Steve #10 (Fragility of Peace & modern parallels)
16:33 Daily Vlog: Day 15, Book 15 The Achaean Armies at Bay
25:29 Check in with Steve #11 (Windows of humanity in war)
26:56 Daily Vlog: Day 16, Book 16 Patroclus Fights and Dies
31:22 Check in with Steve #12 (An Immersive Experience)
32:16 Daily Vlog: Day 17, Book 17 Menelaus’ Finest Hour
34:27 Check in with Steve #13 (Does the Iliad need a Trigger warning?)
36:48 Daily Vlog: Day 18, Book 18 The Shield of Achilles
43:54 Check in with Steve (& Frieda!) #14 (The Foundation of Western literature)
47:25 Link to PART FOUR
QUESTION (Answer in comments) : “Which moment in The Iliad hit you the hardest?”
And for the almightyu algorithm:
#TheIliad #Homer #GreekMythology #BookTube #classicliterature
#Achilles #Patroclus #EpicPoetry #ReadingClassics #BooksThatMatter
#LiteratureDiscussion #WarAndHumanity #AncientGreece
THIS IS PART 3 OF A 4 PART SERIES - Watch it all at:
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlpN8mmVl6oH2MtHUGv2wgLFXjGI2fGxJ
I'm Mike - this is Riiff Raff's Reading Renaissance. Welcome!
This video is a deep, immersive discussion of Homer’s Iliad, Books 13–18, following the brutal escalation of war at the ships, the intervention of the gods, and the tragic death of Patroclus that finally draws Achilles back into battle.
We explore:
Poseidon’s defiance of Zeus and the gods’ growing involvement
Hector’s blazing presence on the battlefield
Homer’s extraordinary technique of humanizing every fallen warrior
The visceral violence of war and its moral weight
Patroclus wearing Achilles’ armor—and paying the ultimate price
Achilles’ grief, rage, and the forging of the legendary shield
This is not just a story of heroes and bloodshed—it’s a meditation on mortality, war, fate, ego, and the fragile line between peace and destruction, written nearly 3,000 years ago yet disturbingly relevant today.
Along the way, we draw modern parallels (including World War II, Ukraine, and Band of Brothers), discuss whether the Iliad is “too violent” for modern readers, and reflect on why this poem still works so powerfully on the human mind.
📚 Translation referenced: Robert Fagles
🎥 Ideal for fans of: BookTube, classics, War & Peace, Moby-Dick, Greek mythology, philosophy of war
My thanks to Steve Donoghue @saintdonoghue for the buddy read chats
TIMESTAMPS / CHAPTERS PART 3
00:00 Daily Vlog: Day 13, Book 13 Battling for the Ships
08:00 Check in with Steve #9 (Poetic Ways of Dying)
09:54 Daily Vlog: Day 14, Book 14 Hera Outflanks Zeus
14:34 Check in with Steve #10 (Fragility of Peace & modern parallels)
16:33 Daily Vlog: Day 15, Book 15 The Achaean Armies at Bay
25:29 Check in with Steve #11 (Windows of humanity in war)
26:56 Daily Vlog: Day 16, Book 16 Patroclus Fights and Dies
31:22 Check in with Steve #12 (An Immersive Experience)
32:16 Daily Vlog: Day 17, Book 17 Menelaus’ Finest Hour
34:27 Check in with Steve #13 (Does the Iliad need a Trigger warning?)
36:48 Daily Vlog: Day 18, Book 18 The Shield of Achilles
43:54 Check in with Steve (& Frieda!) #14 (The Foundation of Western literature)
47:25 Link to PART FOUR
QUESTION (Answer in comments) : “Which moment in The Iliad hit you the hardest?”
And for the almightyu algorithm:
#TheIliad #Homer #GreekMythology #BookTube #classicliterature
#Achilles #Patroclus #EpicPoetry #ReadingClassics #BooksThatMatter
#LiteratureDiscussion #WarAndHumanity #AncientGreece
