Agamemnon believes that he is favored by the gods, and especially by Zeus as the carrier of the scepter. Yet, possession of the scepter does not wield limitless authority, Agamemnon must work with the council and make decisions that benefit them all. .
In Book One, Agamemnon dismissed his council's recommendation to return the daughter of the priest of Apollo. (1:22-23). In so doing, he was focusing on his rights as king to take as a war prize, the girl Chryseis, at the expense of his people. The consequences of Agamemnon's actions were detrimental because the gods punished Agamemnon by sending a plague to the Achaeans. In this respect, Agamemnon placed himself above the priest, a representative of the god Apollo. Fortunately, Agamemnon was able to correct this wrong by returning Chryseis but feeling snubbed he demanded another equivalent prize. Possibly as an act of reprisal for his harsh words towards him, Agamemnon decided to take Briseis, Achilleus' war prize, whom he had given him as a reward. The consequence of this action was to alienate the god-like Achilleus, the greatest warrior among the Achaeans, from the war. The long-term effect of Agamemnon's indifference towards Achilleus, son of the goddess Thetis, was that Achilleus succeeded in petitioning Zeus, through Thetis, for glory and honor and ensured that the Achaeans would not win the war without him. Because Achilleus, whom I submit also had a sense of entitlement, had withdrawn from the war over Agamemnon's slight, it would require Agamemnon to make amends by giving Achilleus the honor he thought he deserved. Agamemnon, believing he is far greater than Achilleus and favored by Zeus, cannot fathom humbling himself before Achilleus and allows him to leave.
Another of Agamemnon's flaw and challenge lies in his ability to properly motivate and inspire his troops. Upon receiving a false dream from Zeus that the Achaeans could win the war if they attacked that day, Agamemnon chooses to "test " the resolve of his troops by telling them they can all go home.