The role of the gods in The Iliad is a complex one. On the one hand, the gods are often portrayed as being petty and spiteful, meddling in human affairs for their own amusement. On the other hand, they are also shown as being capable of great wisdom and understanding, able to see things that humans cannot.
One of the most important aspects of the role of the gods in The Iliad is their connection to fate. It is often said that the Fates determine the course of human life, and the actions of the gods can be seen as influencing these fates. In particular, Achilles is greatly influenced by his fate, which is controlled by Zeus. As a result, Achilles’ actions are often determined by the will of the gods.
Perhaps the most notable example of the role of the gods in The Iliad is the intervention of Zeus in the final battle between Achilles and Hector. After Hector kills Patroclus, Achilles begins to slaughter the Trojans with reckless abandon. In an attempt to stop Achilles, Zeus sends down a storm that separates him from Hector. This allows Hector to be killed by Achilles, avenging Patroclus’ death.
Understanding the actions and thinking of Greek gods may be tough for us with our view of God. The Christian God does not play a more active role in people’s lives, where the Greeks believed that directly involving the gods was an uncontrollable aspect of existence. Naturally, divine involvement was a critical element in Homer’s Iliad equation. Zeus, as the embodiment of absolute authority and justice, made judgement calls regarding other gods’ participation in the war and remained impartial.
The other gods were not as forgiving. Apollo, Ares, and Athena all took sides in the war, each with their own reasons. These lesser gods often clashed with one another, as much as Achilles and Hector did on the battlefield.
The Iliad is a story that God uses humans to further his own purposes. The Greek deities did not take active roles in the lives of people unless it was to further their own agenda. In Homer’s Iliad, we see how even the great Zeus is impartial when it comes to human affairs. The other gods often take sides in the war and fight amongst themselves, just as humans do on the battlefield. In the end, it is God who uses humans to further his own purposes. The Iliad is a story about how humans are used by God to further his own purposes.
The gods and goddesses like to play games with people they despise, so keep an eye on things because their involvement causes conflicts that unfold throughout the poem. The Iliad would not be what it is without the gods, since they ultimately decide the fate, or outcome, of humanity.
The gods often interfere in the battles, either by directly helping one of the combatants or by inspiring them with words. In Book 1, Zeus sends a storm to hinder the Achaeans and allows Hector to slay Patroclus. Later on, Apollo urges Achilles to fight and kills Hector. The gods are not impartial; they often take sides in order to further their own interests. For instance, Poseidon supports the Achaeans because he is angry with Troy for refusing to give him his daughter in marriage, while Hera aids the Trojans because she is angry with her husband Zeus for sleeping with other women.
The gods’ meddling often has unforeseen consequences. In Book 9, Achilles kills Hektor after Apollo tells him that it is his destiny to do so. However, Achilles does not know that by killing Hektor, he is sealing his own fate. Apollo’s words inspire Achilles to fight, but he does not consider the long-term effects of his actions. The gods may be powerful, but they are not omniscient; their decision-making is often flawed and leads to unforeseen consequences.
While the gods play a significant role in The Iliad, it is important to remember that the humans are not completely powerless. The humans’ free will is often in conflict with the gods’ plans. In Book 1, Agamemnon refuses to give up Chryseis even though Apollo is sending a plague against the Achaeans. In Book 3, Hector decides to fight Achilles even though his wife Andromache begs him not to. The humans’ free will is often at odds with the gods’ wishes, but the humans must make their own decisions and accept the consequences, good or bad.
The gods are an important part of The Iliad, but they are not the only driving force behind the events of the poem. The humans also play a significant role in shaping their own destiny.
On the other side, Hera’s behavior was more typical of a god. She became ill-tempered with respect to Troy after Paris judged her the most beautiful and after a young Trojan boy took Hebe’s role as cupbearer to the gods. So she sided with the Greeks and went to any length to express her opinion.
Scheming and manipulating were things she was willing to try in order to deceive Zeus. Athena is also associated with being the main Divine Assistance for the Greek troops, who are known as Poseidon’s warriors. Poseidon, the god of the sea, was another key supporter of ocean-dwelling Greeks.
Although he was unsuccessful in most of his attempts, he did manage to save the Greek hero Ajax from certain death.
Then there were the lesser gods who took sides depending on their mood or whim. Themis, for example, sided with the Greeks in the beginning, but later switched her allegiance to the Trojans. Apollo, as god of prophecy, initially supported Troy because it had been prophesied that Troy would fall to a foreigner.
But when Achilles killed his son Hector, Apollo became enraged and turned against him. Even Iris and Hermes, Zeus’ personal messengers, took different sides in different situations. Occasionally they would support Zeus’ will, but more often than not they went against him at Hera’s bidding.
The role of the gods in The Iliad is a complex one. While it is clear that they took sides in the conflict, their motives for doing so are often unclear. Many of the gods seem to act more like humans than divinities, displaying characteristics such as jealousy, anger, and revenge. But despite their human-like qualities, the gods still wielded great power and had a significant impact on the course of the war. In the end, it was Zeus’ decision that determined which side would ultimately prevail.
