In Greek mythology and literature, the gods are always present in some form. It was recorded in ancient Greek literature that the gods interacted with mortal humans quite often. Nothing would change the life of a mortal human more than interacting with the gods. What is the reason for such events? The Olympian Gods constantly intervene with mortals, but what is the cause? The Gods show their power over mortal men through divine interaction, physically and psychologically. Gods and mortals interact in many different ways, but the nature of these interactions is what truly explains and describes how the ancient Greeks recognized their gods. It is important to understand the nature of the gods before trying to understand immortal and mortal interactions. Greek literature dating back to Homer describes the Olympians as anthropomorphic, meaning they have human characteristics. Their physical form takes the form of a human, which also includes human emotions. An example of a God taking the physical form of a human is found in the Odyssey when Athena, goddess of wisdom, meets Odysseus' son to give him instructions. This makes it a little more understandable that the Gods acted and behaved very similarly to humans. Walk like a duck and talk like a duck, you might as well be a duck. What does this have to do with divine interactions with mortals? Because Gods have fundamentally human characteristics, they have the same motivations as mortals. And since the Gods have the same motivations as mortals, their actions are decidedly predictable. Divine interactions and relationships with mortal men can be compared to something like a hierarchy. The Gods are the ruling class, while the... center of the card... takes place in book 9 of the Iliad. Agamemnon and Achilles are at odds, and Agamemnon later states that Zeus is the reason for his irrational thinking. He tries to tell Achilles that his thoughts were not his by saying later in book 19 that Zeus made him think such thoughts. Sometimes it's just easier to believe that the Gods made people do things that no one could explain. It is important to note that the ancient Greeks strongly believed in immortal/mortal interactions both physically and psychologically. The ancient Greeks recognized their Gods as an invisible force that had complete control over mortals. They also believed that the Gods' intervention was a way to explain why things happened the way they did. Works Cited Fagles, Robert, trans. The Iliad. New York: Penguin Books, 1990. Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fitzgerald. New York: Farrar, 1998.