An Iliad of woes
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A number of evils falling one after another; there is scarce a calamity in the whole catalogue of human ills that finds not mention in the Iliad.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “An Iliad of woes” mean?
A number of evils falling one after another; there is scarce a calamity in the whole catalogue of human ills that finds not mention in the Iliad.
Is “An Iliad of woes” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.