The Illiad Case

In Homer's Iliad, he wove multiple themes into the story line, some of which include: fate, honor, glory, wrath, and homecoming. Within the main themes are a few underlying details as well. During the time of the writing, fate played a major role in the lives of the mortals and was highly depended on by the mortals and they made sure to be in good graces of the gods during their times of needs. The gods were supposed to let fate decide who lived and died. Throughout the play, a bit of hypocrisy makes it way into the schemes of the gods. The gods consistently tell each other to leave everything up to fate, yet secretly help out their favorites. By helping out the mortals, the gods changed the outcome of the war. Homer made the gods have this back and forth opinion because he wanted to show much the war had an impact on everyone involved and how the gods couldn't help themselves.

The first god who shows favoritism in the play is Apollo. Whenever Chryses prays to Apollo for help, he "swept a fatal plague through the army" (I, 11) to kill off Greek soldiers. In his act of vengefulness, Apollo showed himself to be on the Trojans side and gave them aid when in need. Even though the Trojans had a fate to fall, Apollo still intervened to try and save them. Another instance, Apollo changes the fate of the Trojan, Aeneas. Aeneas was in a duel with Diomedes, a crazed Achaean slaughtering any thing in his way, mortal or immortal. In efforts to save Aeneas from the blades of Diomedes, Apollo "launched Aeneas, driving courage into his heart" (V, 592). Had Apollo stayed a bystander of the duel, Aeneas would not have been so lucky as to come out alive.

Zeus, the most powerful of all the gods, also picked sides during the war even after declaring the gods to stay out of the way of the mortals. He says "any god I catch, breaking ranks with us, eager to go and help the Trojans or Achaeans- back he comes to Olympus, whipped by lightning, eternally disgraced" (VIII, 11-14). Immediately after announcing the punishment for taking part in the feud, Zeus turns the tide of the war in favor of the Trojans. Had he left the parties alone, the Trojans would have fallen much sooner. Instead, it gave the Trojans a false sense of confidence and they then camp outside the city walls to intimidate the Greeks. Zeus also took actions in the fight between Hector and Ajax. "Zeus himself defended his champion-Hector" (XV, 709). Whenever an archer takes an aim at Hector, Zeus breaks the bowstring and Hector is given more time. Another moment in the play, Zeus considers saving his son Sarpedon. Although he doesn't take immediate action to alter the fate of his own son, he later revenges Sarpedon's death by striking down Patroclus, but not before he allows Patroclus to rout the Trojans. Zeus takes major actions to "grant the Trojans triumph" (XVI, 146). Zeus, being the top god, had a game changing