Book 20

    Zeus gives all the gods permission to get involved in the war as they please. The gods pick sides but are reluctant to start fighting directly. Because Achilles could actually over power the Trojan without divine help, and bring down Troy before its fated time. I think this suggests that even mortal can change fate in some cases if gods don’t actively counteract them. Although Zeus is the god most responsible for ensuring that fate is fulfilled, all the play their roles. I think homer seems to view fate as the result of a complex interplay of the actions of gods and mortals. However, Poseidon actually briefly switches sides to ensure fate is carried out when he rescues the Trojan hero Aeneas. He pities Aeneas because he has always respected the gods and he has a destiny “Aeneas will rule the men of Troy in power”. Moreover, there are two similes at the end of book 20. The first simile compares Achilles to a rampaging fireball in a wildfire, an image of uncontrolled destruction that repeats the frequent comparison of the battle to fire. The second simile compares Achilles to a huge ox crushing grain for threshing, the process that removes the husk of the grain so it can be consumed. I think these both similes work together and contrast each other.