For Mt. Lebanon resident Josh Cannon, the ancient Greek epic “The Iliad” is more than a story about heroes, battles and mythology.

As an Iraq combat veteran, Cannon sees in Homer’s epic a remarkably familiar account of the fear, friendship, grief and human cost of war.

Cannon, who holds a doctorate and serves as director of research at the University of Pittsburgh’s Frederick Honors College, explores that connection in his book, “Fatal Second Helen: A Modern Veteran’s Iliad.”

“I describe it as a discussion of the Iliad through the eyes of a combat veteran that both tries to make the Iliad more accessible and also tries to teach those things the Iliad got right about war and those things that it got wrong,” Cannon said.

Cannon was 20 when he participated in the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, turning 21 while serving there. His experience gave him a different perspective on a work he had previously viewed simply as mythology.

“Before I went to war, I thought it was just mythology,” he said of the Iliad. “I thought it was just like a fun story, like most of mythology is.”

His experience in Iraq changed that.

Cannon came to see that Homer had captured some fundamental truths about warfare, particularly the relationships between soldiers and the devastating consequences of combat.

One of the strongest examples is the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus. Their friendship and love, Cannon said, form much of the emotional heart of the Iliad. When Patroclus is killed, Achilles is consumed by grief and rage and seeks revenge.

The story also focuses on those on the other side of the battlefield. Cannon points to Hector, a Trojan warrior who briefly leaves the fighting to visit his wife and infant son. When the baby becomes frightened by Hector’s helmet, Hector removes it so he can comfort his child.

“It’s a really soft and beautiful reminder that these are real people,” Cannon said. “There’s real people and there’s real consequences to what war does to them.”

For Cannon, that is one of the central messages of the Iliad: War may contain moments of courage and glory, but it also destroys lives.

“I think a major point of the Iliad is trying to emphasize to us that as much glory as you can find in war and excitement, it also really reminds you of how terrible war is and how destructive it is and how it kills good people,” he said.

That perspective also challenges a common perception of combat.

“I think one common misunderstanding is that combat is glorious and exciting,” Cannon said.

While combat can be exciting, Cannon compared the feeling to the fear of a roller coaster, except that in combat “you don’t know that you’re safe.”

His book’s title comes from a World War I poem written by British soldier Patrick Shaw-Stewart while he was serving near Troy during the Gallipoli campaign. The poem reflects on the ancient Trojan War and the recurring pull toward conflict. Shaw-Stewart later returned to battle in France and was killed.

Cannon sees the story as another poignant reminder of war’s human cost. He hopes veterans who read his book will recognize that their feelings about war are not unique.

“I think veterans, combat veterans and non-combat veterans would certainly be able to see that and maybe recognize that their own feelings are perfectly reasonable and very human,” he said.

He also hopes civilian readers will think more deeply about what war actually means for the people who experience it.

Cannon recently shared those ideas with his own community during a presentation at the Mt. Lebanon Public Library. He said the audience was particularly interested in the mythology and ancient Greek art he used to illustrate his discussion.

As co-chair of Pitt’s Veterans Affinity Group, Cannon also works to encourage greater interaction between veterans and the academic community.

“I think as an academic, I really benefit from having a veteran perspective,” he said. “And I think other academics who aren’t veterans could also really benefit from having conversations with veterans and learning more about their perspectives.”

After spending years examining Homer, war and his own experiences in Iraq, Cannon has arrived at a simple conclusion about the ancient epic.

“I think the Iliad is there to remind us that warfare kills good people and that that’s a tragedy,” he said. “I think that kind of sums it all up.”