The Iliad covers a relatively short span of time compared to its counterpart, the Odyssey, and other epic stories. Within this brief period, lives are both lost and preserved, battles are fought and won, and the groundwork is set for future endeavors. A universal truth ties all these events together: their transient nature—even the gods are portrayed as less than invincible. Achilles is deemed unbeatable because his mother dipped him in a magical river at birth, but she missed his heel. This heel, along with his arrogance and might, ultimately leads to his downfall following the conclusion of the Iliad. Hector, aware that his homeland is doomed, continues to fight hopeless battles as if victory were attainable. He even suggests that those who embrace death rather than fear it are the strongest of all.

Both heroes are keenly aware of their mortality—Achilles through his supposed invulnerability, and Hector through the ever-present threat of an enemy breaching his home to kill him or his family, all because of a war he neither started nor could avert. Homer seems to underscore an essential truth: they can perish, just like all humans, and so can everything they’ve worked to build. What significance do the Greek gods have if there are no Greeks to worship them? No structure, regardless of its strength or fortification, is safe from being destroyed by the gods. Most importantly for Achilles and Hector, how can they be remembered by their people if there aren’t enough people left to remember them? The world is a delicate balance, and in the Iliad, Homer explores this equilibrium to see how far his characters will go.

By the end of the epic, Hector lies dead at Achilles’s hands, and Achilles’s pride grows with each triumph on the battlefield. He fails to envision a world lacking people and gods to worship. This hubris leads to his death shortly after the Iliad concludes. The gods remain in their “heavens,” but they too have chosen sides. In the Odyssey, the gods are more restrained, less inclined to interfere due to their fear of retribution from their peers. Only Athena, the goddess of wisdom, rises above this conflict.

By focusing on the theme of mortality in the Iliad, Homer reminds us that everything is temporary, urging us to make the most of our lives, much like Hector did. Hector fought for his beliefs with steadfast dedication and is celebrated as a hero through Homer’s portrayal. In some ways, Hector's legacy may be viewed as more lasting than Achilles’ because his intentions were relatively pure, and he was a mere mortal facing insurmountable odds.