"The Art of War" in Homer's Iliad

A large part of Homer's Iliad consists of the detailing of the wretchedness and eventual mundaness of constant war. Even though the main focus and crux of the story is in fact the trials and tribulations of the hero Achilles, the war and Homer's lucid and always new description of it make the work even more enjoyable. There are many points in the book when the fighting and specific things about the fighting are described in utter disregard for any filter of violence. The following is a prime example straight from the text: "He brought him down with a glinting jagged rock, massive, top of the heap behind the rampart's edge, no easy lift for a fighger even in prime strength, working with both hands, weak as men are now. Giant Ajax hoisted it high and hurled it down, crushed the rim of the fighter's four-horned helmet and cracked his skull to splinters, bloody pulp..." -Iliad, Fagles, 12.435-443 The type of style used in the Iliad is one that is now obviuosly extinct. The main part of the battles consisted of "one-on-one" challanges in which individual fighters from each side would both agree to fight each other and these individual battles could and often did have great reprecussions. There are many instances throughout the text of Homer that this type of battle activity is shown. The Iliad's warfare contributes to make this book one of the best classics of all time, and continue to elucidate why Homer's works can really be considered of "epic proportions".