Agency Against Divine Intervention In The Iliad

Agency can be defined as the capacity to act in ways that matter without influence from any outside forces. Characters in The Iliad by Homer struggle with making their own fate with or without the influence of gods and goddesses who can already anticipate their fates for them. One particular instance of the limited scope of agency against divine intervention occurs near the end of Book I, where the character of Achilles juggles his free will, deciding if he should fight and kill Agamemnon for seizing his female slave, Briseis, in exchange for Chryseis, who Agamemnon is keeping captive (The Iliad 1. 241 - 259). Achilles’ patience is tested at this moment in time when he is furious at Agamemnon’s request, but Athene, the gray-eyed goddess, steps in and sets him straight as she promises a better reward and a far better future for Achilles if he doesn’t choose to fight Agamemnon. This interference influences

Though mortals in The Iliad possess a great sense of pride in their decision making, divine intervention and will by the various gods and goddesses sways their faculty of agency and influences how they come to terms with their mortality, as in Athene’s interruption of Achille’s monologue.

Achilles is in full rage after Agamemnon makes his request and wants to kill him for infringing on Achilles’ power and pride. Achilles tends to push the limits of his agency and make these threats often, as evidenced in his threat to quit the army and go home because he refused to fight Troy. Like most people, Achilles can’t see the big picture when he’s in a frantic and angry mood. Athene, sent from goddess Hera, comes down and speaks to Achilles, as she is invisible to everyone but him. Athene’s appearance is the first time a god descends and speaks to a mortal in the story and it is clear there is a sense of subservience in her words: