The characters of the Iliad seem to share the worldview that the gods rule the world and that humans are to do only what pleases the gods or they will endure pain and suffering until they make amends with the gods. Because some humans follow one or more gods more closely than others, there is conflict. To solve these conflicts, they follow the tradition of "eye for an eye." For example, when Agamemnon stole Priam's daughter, Priam prayed that the god Apollo would avenge him. Then Agamemnon refused to return Priam's daughter without taking another girl in her stead, particularly Achilles' girlfriend, Briseis. Achilles wanted to kill Agamemnon, but was told by the goddess Athena not to. If Achilles had killed Agamemnon, it would have sparked an on-going chain of killing and retaliation among the Greeks. Because of his loyalty to Athena, Achilles did not kill Agamemnon. If he had not listened to her, she could have exacted her rage on him and everyone around him.
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