In Book 24, the scene between Priam and Achilleus, which may also be called "The Banquet", served as the climax of the poem. During this scene a series of events developed themselves to resolve some very important situations in the Iliad – Achilleus was "returned" from his deep sorrow and anger for his dear friend Patroklos. Also, he realized that it was time to stop his great stubbornness, to leave behind his behavior, to change. The "interference from the gods" and "symbolism" were used by Homer throughout the Iliad. These techniques very effectively achieved the purpose of Book 24 as being the climatic chapter of the epic. Moreover, analyzing Book 24 and especially "The Banquet" more closely and through the course of our in-class discussions, it can also be added that "role-reversal" was another important technique Homer used to finalize the Iliad.
             During the final chapter of the Iliad, as throughout the epic, interventions from gods played one of the most important roles in virtually every significant event during the course of war. "...the goddess silver-foot Thetis...descended in a flash of speed from the peaks of Olympos...", (p. 478), to tell Achilleus that it was the time to stop "...eating your heart out in sorrow and lamentation...". (p. 478). Presumably at the same time as Thetis was speaking with her son, Achilleus, Iris, the messenger from gods, went to tell Priam to take some gifts as a ransom and go to Achilleus' shelter to take the dead body of his son, Hektor. These two examples demonstrated that the people obeyed interventions from gods unhesitatingly. Even though Achilleus spent days torturing Hektor's dead body and he obviously was still in great sorrow and anger, he complied with Zeus's will without a second thought.
             Priam in his house, after telling his wife that he was about to go to Achilleus, di...