The Iliad and the Odyssey are two classic stories told by Homer. Within these two stories, the roles of the gods are very important to the plot and how they influence the characters. In the Iliad, multiple gods are involved in the characters, while in the Odyssey there are only two main gods influencing two main characters. The roles of the gods in the Iliad go through two different positions of immortal versus immortal and mortal versus immortal. The roles of the gods in the Odyssey are through two main gods and influence the plot such as Poseidon versus Odysseus and Athena versus Telemachus. The Iliad is a classical epic poem written by Homer about the Trojan War and the rage of an Achaean warrior, Achilles. . The book introduces the reader to the war and personal battle between Achilles and King Agamemnon; Because of this argument between these two main characters, Homer introduces the role of the gods when Achilles asks his mother, Thetis, to go to Zeus and beg for his interference on Achilles' behalf. The main role the gods play in the Iliad is their interference in the Trojan War as immortal versus immortal and mortal versus immortal. As the reader examines the many books of the Iliad, he or she may notice the battle between immortal and immortal on Mt. Olympus. The gods are introduced in this book as main characters who took part in Team Trojans or Team Achaeans. Aphrodite, Apollo and Ares are the main deities of Team Trojans, while Hera and Athena fight for Team Achaeans. Zeus is supposedly neutral, but in the first book Thetis approaches Zeus by saying: “Honor be to my son Achilles! Doomed to live the shortest life of any man on earth […] grant victory to the Trojans […] until the Achaean armies pay my goddess. ..... half of the sheet ...... of Ulysses, and accompanies him on his travels. These two gods have different effects on the story: Poseidon is trying to cause pain and suffering to Odysseus, while Athena is trying to help Telemachus and give him hope that his father will return soon. The role of these gods is important to both journeys as Odysseus and Telemachus try to reunite their family. In these two classical epics told by Homer, the roles of the gods are very important to the characters and their journey through the books. It is always a positive or negative effect, but the interference of the gods on the lives of mortals makes this epic journey remembered for thousands of years. The Iliad and the Odyssey are very different from each other as the Iliad has multiple gods influencing the war and its outcome while the Odyssey only has two main gods influencing two characters.