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Iliad

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ILIAD

The gods and goddesses took a huge place in the lives of Greek people. The gods were a great power, and provided clear explanations for all events. The Greeks thought that the gods help people in trouble and influence on all mans actions and thoughts working through human nature. Although Homer in The Iliad attached significant meaning to the gods intervention in the lives of the human characters I think that “If the gods were removed from the Iliad, the events would be largely the same”. The events, that were happened in the lives of main characters of the Iliad, basically were depended on their own particular traits of characters and behavior. Patroklos’s death is the plot moment in the Iliad. From this moment the events are on the move very quickly and getting fatal for the main characters of the poem - Achilleus and Hector. After Patroklos’s death Achilleus forgets about his offences , pride and speculations about fair actions. Now the most important thing in his life is to avenge Patroklos’s death. Hector is becoming the worst enemy for Achilleus , although he never wanted to fight against Hector and the Trojan as well. “...I am unwilling to fight against brilliant Hector...”(9.356). Now Achilleus is ready to fight in spite of threats of Apollo, who always stands behind Hector. Nobody and nothing can change his decision to take revenge. The deep human sorrow displays in his behavior. Achilleus wants to deaden his pain by means of killing his offender. What can do the gods in such situation? How can they control Achilleus’s desire to revenge? Achilleus is eager to fight. The gods just are watching upon him from Olympus and Zeus is trying to call up the gods to protect Hector. “My heart is mourning for Hector ...Come then, you immortals, take thought and take counsel, whether to rescue this man or whether to make him, for all his

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