Fresco from Pompeii, Italy, from the first century, showing the entry of the Trojan horse into Troy. Photo: Luisa Ricciarini/Bridgeman ImagesThe “Iliad,” a poem about war, death and suffering on the plains of Troy, has taken a back seat in recent decades to the other Homeric epic, the “Odyssey,” in some ways its sequel. Since the “Iliad” deals with raw violence and a violent fighter, Achilles, whose rage at his own commander centers its loosely organized plot, the less savage and more linear tale of Odysseus’ homecoming has seemed more in tune with the times. Modern writers and filmmakers usually turn to the “Odyssey,” not the “Iliad,” for adaptations, from James Joyce’s “Ulysses” to Uberto Pasolini’s film “The Return,” scheduled for release next year.

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Persons: Fresco, Luisa Ricciarini, ”, Achilles, Odysseus ’, James Joyce’s, Ulysses ”, Uberto Locations: Pompeii, Italy, Troy