human-like nature makes them realistic for the Greek people They are divine but not far from men Homer s gods act in ways people can easily understand Involvement in War The Olympian gods take sides in the war Hera Athena and Poseidon support the Greeks Apollo Ares and Aphrodite help the Trojans They join battles directly Apollo saves Hector from danger Athena helps Diomedes to wound Ares Gods inspire warriors with courage or fear They even fight each other on the battlefield Their involvement makes the war larger than a human struggle Homer shows that divine power is mixed with human effort in the Trojan War Influence on Fate Homer presents gods as powerful but not all-powerful Zeus is the king of gods yet he also follows Fate Even he cannot fully change destiny For example Zeus cannot save his son Sarpedon from death Gods try to delay or hasten events but fate rules at last This shows a realistic belief of the Greeks And fate No one alive has ever escaped it neither brave man nor coward I tell you it s born with us the day that we are born Homer makes clear that gods are strong but human destiny has its own course Thus fate is above all Quarrels and Jealousy The gods in the epic often quarrel Hera and Athena hate Troy because of Paris judgment Aphrodite saves Paris from danger out of love Ares joins the war but faces defeat Even in council they argue like humans They show jealousy rivalry and anger This makes them look less divine and more human Homer uses this to reflect the Greek idea that gods are not perfect They are powerful but share human flaws and passions Protectors of Rituals Homer also shows gods as protectors of rituals They receive prayers offerings and sacrifices When Chryses prays to Apollo the god sends plague on the Greeks When Agamemnon insults the priest Apollo punishes them The Greeks and Trojans both pray to Gods for help Come friend you too must die Even Patroclus died a far far better man than you This shows the strong link between gods and human life Homer shows that Gods protect those who honor them and punish disrespect In termination we can say that in The Iliad Homer clearly shows Olympian gods and goddesses as powerful yet human-like They join war guide warriors and argue among themselves They are protectors of prayer and sacrifice yet they cannot escape fate Their qualities reflect human emotions and weaknesses Through this Homer gives a realistic view of divine power