Essentially a war story, Homer's Iliad presents the Trojan War as a traditionally male-focused conflict. However, the heart of the battle, inevitably centered on women, is embedded in the story. Although not fully explored within the epic narrative, the cause of the war itself is entirely female, with its origins in the jealousy and rivalry of the goddesses as well as the destructive beauty of mortal Helen. Men are the heroes and overseers of the battlefield, but the women in the Iliad gain—to varying degrees—involvement and influence over the action taking place. This influence is represented by the poet through key objects associated with the main female figures in question: the aegis of Athena, the zone of Aphrodite and the dress that Helen weaves. Each object allows its owner to directly or indirectly control the course of the war, allowing each woman to – literally and figuratively – weave and construct the events that unfold in the story. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get an Original EssayIn the character of Athena, the poet creates an interesting dichotomy between the Greek concepts of masculinity and femininity. As the goddess of war and the main female deity who actively participates in war, she plays a crucial role in battle. While Athena often steps in to provide warriors with strategic advice and level-headed wisdom, one of the primary ways she functions on the battlefield is through her aegis, a shield made of animal skin. It is through the aegis that Athena's dual nature is truly illustrated; if she is the goddess of war – a typically masculine activity – she is also the patroness of weaving, the feminine art par excellence. In the initial description provided, "the dear precious, ageless, immortal aegis, from whose edges float a hundred entirely gilded tassels, each carefully woven" combines both the skill and beauty of feminine craftsmanship with the strength of masculine strength as it allows Athena to encourage weak and demoralized soldiers to continue fighting (2.446). In propelling the war, she conducts the battle in the manner of a man, but the object with which she uses it - the aegis, which in its construction shows signs of a feminine touch - indicates a clear interaction between the masculine and the feminine. power. The second time the aegis appears, now described as "detached, terrible [...] all around which Terror hangs like a garland, and Hate is there, and Fighting Force, and icy Onslaught and there On it is placed the head of the Army. Gigantic and sinister Gorgon, a thing of fear and horror,” there is yet another subtle implication of feminine power in the reference to the Gorgon, the fearsome female creature of Greek myth (5.741-742). Thus, it is through the aegis that Homer reveals the complex power that Athena holds as a strong female figure, directly controlling the trajectory of the fight and moving the battle forward. Unlike Athena, Aphrodite is not fully capable of directly involving herself in the battle, her initiative rejected by Diomedes and Zeus during her first disastrous foray onto the battlefield. “No, my child, the works of war are not for you. Instead, worry only about the beautiful secrets of marriage, while all this will be left to Athena and Ares suddenly,” Zeus consoles the wounded Aphrodite (5.428-431). Instead of actually fighting, Aphrodite is able to control the flow of war through her zone, the Belt of Seduction: "...from her breasts,.