Divine Intervention In Iliad

Given the time Iliad was composed and later written, people were still polytheists and anything unexplainable was deemed a divine intervention or an act of the gods on Mount Olympus. Many of the interventions of Jove, Apollo and the rest of the gods, can be explained by using human behavior, good vs evil, sense of right and wrong, and other human traits. The story is focused around the Achilles’ behavior and how his actions or lack thereof determine the activities conducted by his comrades the Achaeans, the Trojans, the gods and the outcome of the war.
In the introduction, Book I, Homer sets the stage in the middle of the War and first introduces the intervention of Apollo. Homer states that the son of Jove and Leto, sends a plague to the …show more content…
On occasion, he does support either side by giving certain fighters the upper hand; however, much like the plague, most of the actions taken by men, tie into personal traits and human behavior. In Book IX, Jove gives Hector the power and will to attack the Achaeans. “Jove, moreover, has sent his lightnings on their right; Hector, in all his glory, rages like a maniac; confident that Jove is with him he fears neither god nor man, but is gone raving mad, and prays for the approach of day” (Homer 154). Hector as the Commander of the Trojan, took advantage of the storm and the fact that the Achaeans were trying to regroup. Thus, being able to conduct an effective military offensive using battlefield tactics without any divine intervention. Perhaps, a narrative with the military tactics and personal traits to explain an outcome of a battle during Homer’s time would not have been understood as well as painting an image of divine beings controlling the will and actions of men enabling them to accomplish extraordinary or impossible …show more content…
Although Achilles hated Hector for killing his fried, he allowed Priam to take recover his son’s body for an appropriate burial. Homer justifies these actions as a request from Jove and since the request comes from the god of gods, Achilles does not have any other recourse but to comply. “So be it. If Olympian Jove of his own motion thus commands me, let him that brings the ransom bear the body away (Homer 184).” Achilles was furious for losing his friend to Hector, but after killing him and taking his revenge, he gains nothing but not giving the Hector’s body to Priam. Additionally, Hector was a warrior like Achilles, and it possible that once Achilles clammed down, he was able to have a clear perspective and show respect for a fellow warrior. Such actions may not translate well into the barbaric times for Iliad and may hurt the character, there for a intervention from Jove was warranted to cover the compassion shown by the furious