7. Iliad

Notice how the rage of Achilles is resolved. It is not the death of his friend that tempers Achilles’ rage–that only makes him more savage, blind, and thirsty for revenge. It is the pleading of the father of his victim, the old man Priam being forced to kiss the hand of the man who murdered his son, that finally moves Achilles to pity.

In the final selections from Books 16 to the end, there are some very powerful and moving passages.

For more, try the Wikipedia article on Homer. Pay attention to the warning on this article. Could Wikipedia be a Greek bearing gifts?