The Iliad by Homer books 1,18,22 and 24 - Essay Example

Apart from this, the poem also emphasizes the brevity of life and this is made clear through the deaths of characters including Hektor. Deaths in battles depicts that humans are mortal suggesting that they cannot escape death and should therefore try to live their lives honorably. Since the Greeks had a concept of afterlife, the Underworld and the Fields of Punishment, hence they believed in fate as being powerful. Also, the Gods thought it was best to leave things to their fate. Having said that, the intervention of Gods in a few events conflicts with the idea of fate as it illustrates that events predetermined by fate can also be bypassed providing some characters with an advantage.

Thus, it is not fair to have Gods’ intervention if everything is controlled by fate. Since the Gods controlled lives it was advantageous for some characters for example Achilleus and Chryseis to demand for help from Gods. When Achilleus had a fight with Agamemnon over Briseis, he prayed to his mother Thetis – who was a sea nymph – to pray to Zeus to help the Trojans in the war (Book I, lines 493-529). Thetis accepts to request Zeus after he returns from his 12 day feast with the Aethiopians.

After he returns, Thetis visits Zeus and reminds him about an incident where she saved him when he was tied up. Zeus owes her a favor and therefore he agrees to help the Trojans. This illustrates that Achilleus having a goddess mother has received an advantage as he can communicate with her and have incidents happen against the fate. Another example is that of Chryses father of Chryseis who was a priest of the God of Sun, Apollo. Chryses being a priest prays to Apollo for help after Agamemnon refuses to return his daughter.

His prayer gets accepted and a plague hits the Greek camp resulting in the deaths of its soldiers. After Agamemnon agrees to return her, Chryses prays to Apollo for the plague to be lifted (Book I, lines 562-599). This illustrates an advantage for human beings that have a connection with Gods thereby making it unfair for others as they are controlled by only fate. Many of the decisions made by the characters are influenced by the ideas given by Gods deeming the concept of fate to be meaningless.

When Achilleus is informed of Patroklos’ death by the hands of Hektor, he starts to weep and sets out a deep cry that brings Thetis to see him along with many other nymphs. He tells Thetis about what has happened and vows to avenge the death of Patroklos. Thetis reminds him about the prophecy that he will die young if he chooses to live as a warrior. Now that Achilleus’ armor was with Hektor, he needed a new armor which Thetis offers to get him made from the Gods if he waits till the next day.

After Thetis leaves, Iris comes to tell Achilleus to go on the battlefield. Achilleus makes a cry so terrifying that the Trojans flee in panic (Book XVIII, lines 2-248). This emphasizes the fact that characters like Achilleus were guided by Gods to assist them and remind them of their fate. Thus, the decisions made by the characters could help them avoid difficult situations that had been predestined. Although everything had been destined by fate there have been many instances in the poem that illustrate intervention by God to circumvent events that have been written in their destiny.

Achilleus’ demand for help from his mother Thetis and the following assistance of the Trojans by Zeus is