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Athena in the Iliad
The Trojan War, as described in Homer's Iliad, signifies a fundamental paradigm change in human thought from a focus on war as a solution to challenges, to a more amicable and interaction-oriented viewpoint. The goddess Athena is instrumental in Homer's work in bringing about this change. Importantly, the goddess does not attempt to stop the war; instead, she works in very subtle ways to promote the change that she knows must occur.
Athena often uses her relationship with her son, Achilles, to promote the new way of thinking. In the first book, for example, she advises Achilles to cool his anger against Agamemnon. Here it is important to note that she is not recommending that he stay out of the battle. Instead, she promotes active and critical thought before entering battle. This is a very subtle change from using war as a solution to everything, but it is a change in the direction of a more humanistic way of thinking.
In Book 19, Athena also advises wisdom when she provides Achilles with divine food to strengthen him. Achilles refuses to eat while he mourns Patroklos. Athena recognizes the lack of wisdom in this and encourages Achilles to gain strength for the battle ahead.
In Book 5 and 6, Athena's relationship with the other divinities show her urge to drive change. The Trojan War will result in a new era, but only if she encourages Greek victory. Hence, she enters a strategic partnership with Hera, who works with her against the will of Zeus to overcome the Trojans. Hera also helps Athena in her assistance to Diomedes.
As for Diomedes, his partnership culminates in change when he stops fighting Glaukos after finding out that their families are bound in friendship. This realization is indicative of the inevitable dawn of the new era: when conversation will reveal the need for further action, rather than letting emotion become the dictator of all human interaction.
The book also describes the foregone decision of the result of the war as decided by Hera who held a vicious grudge against the Trojans. The events in Book Four perfectly portrays how despite the truce forged and upheld after the fight between Menelaos and Alexandros, it is through the meddling of the gods and goddesses in the form of Athena's machinations to convince Pandaros to break the truce that
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