refused the offer, retaining the girl and raising the ire of the gods, .
especially Apollo.
The gods, ruled by Zeus, live on Mt. Olympus, but they .
frequently descend to interfere in the lives and affairs of mankind. .
When the gods are on the side of a human, they actually become a .
part of him, providing him with superhuman power. When they .
are against a man, they can cause great damage. Although .
Agamemnon has incurred the wrath of the gods over his quarrel .
with Achilles, the Greek warrior is also a loser in the fight. To .
retain his honor and respect, Achilles needs to prove his bravery .
on the battlefield, but now he has withdrawn from the fight. In so .
doing, he fences himself in, for the time being, to a place where .
his heroic aspect cannot be sustained.
Thetis, the goddess of the sea and Achilles' mother, has been able .
to convince Zeus to avenge her son because she came to the aid of .
the king of the gods in the past. When the other immortals tried to .
dislodge him, she sent hundred-handed Briareus to save Zeus. .
Since that time, Zeus has always been partial to her and easily .
agrees to help her son. Hera, Zeus' wife, is obviously jealous of .
the hold that Thetis has on her husband. When she complains to .
Zeus about his decision to aid the Trojans against the Greeks, she .
is told to mind her own business. As a result, the gods are divided .
in their allegiance to the humans. Hera and Athena will aid the .
Greeks, while Apollo, Ares, and Aphrodite will offer sustenance .
to the Trojans. Zeus will be left in the position of trying to bring .
harmony to bear between gods, between men, and between gods .
and men.
Book 6.
As Homer continues to narrate the fighting, he spotlights the .
victories of the Greeks in general and Diomedes in particular. .
Even though Athena is not present to help him, Diomedes .
continues his murderous rampage, unchecked by the Trojans. .
Aias, Odysseus, Agamemnon, and other Greek leaders have .
similar successes.
