This is a list of references the Iliad makes about legends and myths in ancient Greek culture that I found. There are also references to events that happened during the Trojan War prior to the events of the Iliad. I will specifically note these.

Remember: the Iliad is thought to have been composed sometime in the 9th century BCE. The Trojan War took place a few centuries before the composing of the Iliad.

That means the legends and myths referenced in the Iliad are very old. Older than the Trojan War perhaps (assuming these stories weren’t retconned into the ancient Greek tradition).

Again, this is just a list. You’ll have to look up the references yourself.

Book 1:
  • The voyage of Jason (see Argonautica by Apollonius)
  • Eetion; the sacking of Thebe (where Chryseis was abducted as bounty; Trojan War)
  • Thetis’ exploits in service to the Olympians
  • Hephaestus being cast out of Olympus
Book 2:
  • Agamemnon’s sceptre
  • The detainment of the Achaeans in Aulis (Trojan War; see Iphigeneia in Aulis by Euripides; Agamemnon by Aeschylus)
  • All the individuals and groups mentioned in the Catalogue of Ships (Erechtheus, Thamyris, Tlepolemus, and Eumelus, son of Admetus and Alcestis stand out (for Admetus and Alcestic, see Alcestis by Euripides))
  • Philoctetes (Trojan War, but is also tied to Heracles; see Philoctetes by Sophocles)

Book 3:

  • The Amazons
  • When Odysseus and Menelaus went to Troy as an envoy (Trojan War)
  • Castor and Pollux
Book 4:
  • Chiron and Aesculapius
  • Tydeus and Polynices (see Seven Against Thebes by Aeschylus; Antigone by Sophocles)
  • Ereuthalion
Book 5:
  • Scamandrius (Artemis taught him to hunt)
  • Phereclus (built the ships Paris used to sail to Sparta and abduct Helen)
  • Ganymede
  • Otus and Ephialtes binding Ares
  • Heracles wounding Hera and Hades with arrows
  • Heracles sacking Troy long before the Trojan War
Book 6:
  • Lycurgus, Bacchus (see The Bacchae by Euripides)
  • Sisyphus
  • Bellerophon (most of his story is told in the Iliad)
Book 7:
  • Ereuthalion (also mentioned in Book 4)
  • Poseidon and Apollo laboring for Laomedon, a previous king of Troy
Book 8:
  • Athena helping Heracles in one of his labors to get Cerberus
  • Gorgo/Gorgon
  • The Achaeans at Lemnos (Trojan War)
Book 9:
  • Aeacus
  • Orchomenus
  • Phoenix, one of Achilles’ mentors (most of his story is told in the Iliad)
  • Oeneus (Calydonian Boar)
  • Meleager (war between the Curetes and the Aetolians)
Book 11:
  • Cinyras
  • Ilus, son of Dardanus
  • Nestor (in his younger days)
book 12:
  • Deucalion
Book 13:
  • Minos
  • Medon, son of Oileus
Book 14:
  • Hypnos (as it relates to Heracles)
  • Zeus imprisoning Chronos/Saturn
Book 15:
  • Hera (as it relates to Hypnos’ story related to Heracles)
  • Division of territory between Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades (Earth and Olympus become neutral territory)
book 16:
  • The spear of Achilles
  • Xanthus and Balius (Achilles’ immortal horses)
  • Dodona; the Pelasgi; the Selli
  • Amisodorus, who reared the Chimera
Book 19:
  • Hephaestus being cast out of Olympus (also mentioned in Book 1)
  • How Folly was cast down to earth (deals with Hera tricking Zeus regarding Heracles which led to his labors)
Book 20:
  • Dardanus, Ganymede (also mentioned in Book 5)
Book 21:
  • Poseidon and Apollo laboring in Troy (also mentioned in Book 7)
Book 23:
  • The reason Hera and Athena hate Troy
  • Arion
Book 24:
  • Niobe

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