What is the role of the Gods in the Iliad?
The course of the war is influenced by the pantheon of immortal Olympian gods headed by Zeus, some of whom align with one side or the other. These divine rivalries are mainly rooted in “The Judgment of Paris,” although that is barely mentioned in the poem itself. Click here for discussion of the background of the Trojan war, including the Judgment of Paris: Iliad Prologue One way for the reader to view the gods is that the exercise of their divine powers provides an explanation of how otherwise inexplicable events come to pass.
