This paper is about The Iliad, by Homer. The question that this essay seeks to answer is “What role does the Greek Gods play in The Iliad? ” The paper will give an insight on how The Odyssey forms part of The Iliad and highlights the theme of fate. The two epics are distinctively different because The Iliad is about The Trojan War, while The Odyssey is more of a travelogue that tells the story of Odysseus’ various adventures. The characters in The Iliad are also very different from The Odyssey’s because The Iliad has fewer Gods and mortals, compared to The Odyssey.
In ancient Greek times, it was believed that The Gods were the center of their world, and The Gods’ importance was shown through The Iliad. The Greek religion also believed in fate which encompassed all aspects of life. Fate acts as a unifying force throughout The Iliad because it is present everywhere; it haunts every mortal character in the epic because The Gods are supposed to control their lives. The Gods’ authority is what makes The Iliad different from The Odyssey; The Gods are more prominent in The Iliad and some events could not happen without The Gods’ interference.
The first reference of The Gods is made at the very beginning of The Iliad when Thetis, a sea-nymph, visits Thetis’ son Achilles. The sea-nymph Thetis is the mother of Achilles and it is her duty to make sure that Thetis fulfills his destiny by taking over The Trojan War (1). The author Homer also places a lot of emphasis on The Gods in “The Catalogue” because Homer wants to show each The God’s role in The Iliad. The Gods involved in The Trojan War are Hera, Athena, Poseidon, Apollo, Hermes, Ares and Aphrodite (3).
The Greek poet Homer portrays The Gods as protectors but The Iliad does not shy away from portraying them as human beings with their flaws. In The Iliad, The Gods “swoop down and fight, and The Iliad tells of the battles and events that affect The Trojan War” (4). Zeus is The King of The Gods and he has absolute power over The Olympians. He can persuade The Gods to do his bidding but The God’s decision will be influenced by their own personal interests. The epic The Iliad is distinctively different from The Odyssey because The Gods do not play a major role in The Odyssey, unlike The Iliad where The Gods are constantly present (5).
Homer also uses The Gods to provide background information about the characters; for example, Homer explains that Thetis was married to Amphitrtyon but then Zeus carried her off to be his wife. Thetis bore Achilles without having any children with Zeus (6). It can be argued that The character Helen of Troy was only created because Thetis fell in love with Peleus, who was very poor and she wished for him to have all the riches he wanted (8). The role the gods shows how fate is present in The Iliad because The Gods play an active role throughout The Trojan War.
The main theme of The Iliad is fate; the mortals act upon fate and The Gods decide what fate will be (9). The God’s prophecies are decisive because Thetis foresees that her son Achilles will die at Troy (10), which causes Thetis to urge Achilles not to go to war by trying to prevent him from joining The Greek army. The Greek poet Homer also mentions that Zeus prophesized that The Achaean army will suffer many losses before they finally capture Troy, but the glory would belong to Achilles even though he did not wish for it (11). “The consequences of Homeric prophecy include uncertainty, change, or self-fulfillment” (12).
The epic The Iliad is recognized as a strong example of Homer’s vision because The Trojan War was predetermined by Zeus and Thetis. The Gods’ prophecies contributed to the events in The Iliad and the heroes were only puppets who carried out their assigned roles (13). The two most important prophecies that lead to The Trojan War are Helen’s abduction, which happened by Paris. The second prophecy that results in The Trojan War is when The Oracle told King Priam that Troy will not fall unless he hands over his daughter Cassandra to Agamemnon, which causes Troy to go up in flames(14).
It can be argued that fate does play an active role in The Odyssey because The Gods are not involved. The Odyssey focuses on the personal story of The Odyssey, rather than The Trojan War because The Gods prophesize events that will occur later in The Iliad (15). The Prophecy is The God’s way to manipulate fate by influencing The Greek army with promises or threats to keep them motivated so they can defeat The Trojans. The epic The Iliad highlights how fate is inevitable because there was no other alternative for the protagonist Achilles except for his death at Troy because Thetis foresaw her son’s destiny and she accepted it (16).
Homer also uses prophecy as a vehicle to make things happen; for example, Hera predicts that the Greeks will be defeated unless Achilles rejoins them and decides to rejoin The Greek army because Thetis was holding him back from The Trojan War, but Thetis finally releases her son Achilles so he can join The Greek army and fight again (17) During The Iliad Homer does not shy away from portraying The Gods as human beings with their flaws. For example, Zeus is a flawed character who is capable of starting The Trojan War because The Oracle prophesized that Troy will fall only if King Priam hands over his daughter Cassandra to Agamemnon.
Homer makes it clear that this prophecy came to pass (18). “On the whole, there are no real moral conflicts between men and Gods in The Iliad” (19). The Gods show how fate plays an active role throughout The Iliad because The Gods have a large influence on The Trojan War and The Odyssey. The Trojan War was predetermined by Zeus and Thetis so The Achaean army will suffer many losses before they finally capture Troy, but the glory would belong to Achilles even though he did not wish for it (11). Homer makes it clear that The prophecy came to pass when King Priam hands over his daughter Cassandra to Agamemnon.
On the whole, The Gods have a significant role in The Iliad because without them, neither The Trojan War nor The Odyssey can take place (20). The Oracle is an instrument of prophecy; while the Greeks were sacrificing at Aulis, an eagle flew overhead and dropped a snake into a pit which The Calchas prophesizes that The Greeks will sack The City of Troy if The Trojan seer The Helen caught sight of The Greek fleet leaving port, The Oracle says it’s an omen because The Oracle knows what the future holds (10).
The consequences of Homeric prophecy include uncertainty, change, or self-fulfillment” (12). The novel ends with Hector’s death at the hands of Achilles but he is given immortality by Apollo after his death. The warrior Achilles dies in battle while Patroclus was fighting for him which ended The War and caused the fall of Troy because Zeus made Achilles immortal so he could die at Troy instead.
