The Importance of Love in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey Homer's Iliad was a tragedy that illustrated desperation and suffering useless associated with war. Homer's Odyssey was an epic tale of long suffering resulting in triumph. Although there were many differences between the two works, there was an underlying theme of love that ran through both. Not just the physical manifestation of infatuation, but the kind of love that makes one willing to die for another. The events described in the Iliad were set in motion by love. Paris' love for Helen and her love for Paris led Helen to abandon Menelaus and leave with Paris for Troy. Helen, consumed by her love, leaves for Troy with "no thought for her son or her husband." Menelaus' love for Helen pushes him to form an army of thousands of people and besiege Troy to recover it. Thousands of young men on both sides of the war, Troy and Argos, died. The result was a ten-year siege of Troy that ultimately led to the sacking of the city, the women of Troy were enslaved, and all the men were massacred. Patroclus, Achilles and Hector, all died for love of Helen. Achilles withdraws from the battle because he loves Briseis, the favorite of all women captured in battle, and refuses to return until she has recovered. Achilles returns to battle to avenge Patroclus, but only after Briseis is returned to him in the same condition in which she was taken. It is evident, I admit, that after the death of Patroclus, the motivations in the Iliad quickly turned to revenge, as demonstrated by Achilles' proclamation to Hector: "Would God wish my anger, my fury would now drive me to cut away the your flesh." and eat you raw...!" These are the words of a man driven by revenge, but isn't revenge, in this case, motivated by love? Achilles' love for Patroclus? Although the events of the Odyssey were different from those of the Iliad, they were nevertheless , driven by love. The love of the suitors for Penelope, the love of Odysseus for Penelope, and the love of Odysseus for his home, are all examples of the motivations of the Odyssey. Odysseus' love for his wife, his home, and his son was so deep that he gave up becoming immortal to continue his quest for them..