myth, the Gods have many different positions. They play both protagonist and antagonist, they help or hinder the hero, and they decide the fates of mortal men. Most physical interactions with mortals takes place with heroes. Virtually every hero has a God on his side acting as his champion or protector. The role of the Gods in heroic myth raises an important question, do the Gods make heroes? As many examples there are of hero-Deity interactions, it is hard to tell whether or not the hero needs the God. It can be argued that to make a hero, one of the Gods is needed. More often than not, when a hero is left without a God, he suffers a horrible fate. In book 16 of the Iliad when Patrocalous dies, he lays blame not on Hector, but on Apollo No, deadly fate in league with Apollo killed me. From the Ranks of men, Euphorbus. You came third, and all you could do was finish of my life (Iliad, book 16, lines 993-995). Hector had Apollo on his side, and Patroclus had no divine assistance, therefore Hector could not lose. In this situation Apollo gave Hector greatness, not his own ability. Another good example of this is in book 23 of the Iliad, in which there is a race between Ajax and Odysseus. In this race Ajax has a lead, but Odysseus prays to his patron Goddess, Athena, who causes Ajax slip in cow dung. Ajax feels cheated by this and states Foul, by heaven! The goddess fouled my finish! Always beside Odysseus- just like the mans mother, rushing to put his rivals in the dust. (Book 23, lines 868-870). Odysseus was granted victory not from his own skill, but from the fact that the Gods where on his side. The idea that the Gods create heroes is not always true, and its exceptions are the heroes Odysseus and Hector. While both of these heroes have a God acting as their champion, there true heroic qualites are evident when they are. Odysseus faces immesurable odds, yet he continues to push on, fighting the impossible. Hector knows his fate, and ...
