Revenge, justice and destiny are three major themes intertwined in the Iliad. The book opens with Achilles' rage in response to his dishonor, then immediately shifts to a previously occurring incident in which a priest of Zeus's son (Apollo) suffered a similar loss. The situation of the Greek camp when Apollo strikes it with the plague after the dishonor of Chryses is the same as when Zeus decides to destroy the Geeks as punishment for taking Briseis from Achilles. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay. However, the difference is that while Apollo has the ability to immediately inflict deserved punishment, Zeus cannot, because he occupies a higher position in the universe and must make judgments and decisions regarding fate before he can. 'act. Zeus is the guide of destiny who ensures that everyone receives their fair share. Achilles' untimely death and honor are his fate. Thus, Zeus is the only god he can appeal to for justice. Homer begins the poem with the vivid images of the cost of war, of the death and destruction that had to occur by the will of Zeus for Achilles' honor to be restored. to him. The Greeks viewed death with disgust, for there was no honor in wandering aimlessly in a state of nothingness forever in the underworld of Hades. Thus, Achilles' fate of dying prematurely while being honored is somewhat contradictory and the reason for his dishonor goes against the natural order. In the last line, Thetis says: “Give my son the honor he deserves.” Zeus is the only one who can bestow his honor on Achilles and punish the Greeks instead of any other god since Achilles is the closest to him and this will set Achilles' destiny in motion. In the event of war, no arbiter will grant Achilles the justice he deserves, so he must go to Zeus to get it back. Although Thetis refers to it as a "personal affront", she specifically asks Zeus to do her justice, knowing that this will involve the Greeks in the process and bring about their destruction. This is further supported by lines 255-257 where Achilles shows that he is aware of what will happen to the Greeks if he withdraws from the war. Yet he begs Thetis to appeal to the highest court of justice – Zeus – who is also aware of what must be done to restore her honor and at the same time reset the natural order of the universe. Achilles' fate is his untimely death and his honor; both are mentioned in the same line (535) by Thetis. Chryses' dishonor has nothing to do with his fate, which is why he invokes Apollo instead of Zeus. Thetis and Chryses have close relationships with the gods, which impacts the justice that is exacted. While Chryses is only a mortal priest, Thetis is herself a goddess – lines 532-533 show her exalted position among the gods – and therefore can appeal to the higher court of justice for her son. Thus, the punishment that begins to rain down on the Greeks in Achilles' situation of dishonor is much greater, for two reasons. First, Achilles is himself half-immortal and beloved of Zeus. Second, his dishonor is necessary to set in motion the chain of events that will constitute the fate of the Greeks and Trojans. In line 368 it is mentioned that Zeus was supposed to grant him his honor. Since Achilles' honor is tied to his untimely death and both must be his fate - and Zeus alone can be invoked in matters as high as fate. - he is. (1. 532-542)