The role the gods play in the war and the Greeks’ lives makes an interesting paper topic. Focus on how the gods instigate or further the conflicts, such as Apollo sending the plague that opens “The Iliad” and causes Achilles’ loss of Briseis, or examine which gods seem to be the most powerful. A sample thesis could be, “The events of Homer’s ‘The Iliad’ would have transpired very differently without divine intervention.” Another possibility involves a character sketch of one of the gods, such as Athena, exploring what her actions tell readers about her personality and relationship with humans and other gods.
