Homer's "Iliad" is typically focused on its male characters: Achilles, primarily, but also Hector and Agamemnon. Even so, it seems that the most important characters in the epic are female. Athena and Hera are among the most powerful forces in the book. Ares, the god of war, must surrender to Athena on two occasions. Athena and Hera are more than just assertive and forceful. They are sly, quick-witted, and sharp-tongued. Using her womanly resources and …showed first 75 words of 792 total…

…showed last 75 words of 792 total…gt;Homer, Iliad, trans. Richard Lattimore (New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1965) <Tab/>Phillips, Brian and Hunter, James. Spark Note on The Iliad. 7 Oct. 2005 <http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/iliad/>. <Tab/>Homer. The Iliad. Tr. by Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin, 1990. <Tab/>Knox, Bernard. Introduction to The Iliad.. Tr. by Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin, 1990.