Homer's poem, the Iliad, describes a long and brutal war between the Greeks and Trojans. The leaders of these two armies, Achilles and Hector, were two great warriors who fought for honor and for their people, were highly respected by their people and were considered heroes. These two characters play an important role in Homer's poem "Iliad" as the entire story revolves around them and their actions. Even though Achilles and Hector are great warriors, they differ in the way they treat their families, the way they lead their men in battle, the reasons why they fight, and the way they view and act towards the gods. Hector fights mainly because he feels he has a responsibility towards his city and his family. The city of Troy is especially important to Hector because his parents are the king and queen of Troy and it is his duty to protect them. Hector's devotion to his family is seen in the way he interacts with his wife, Andromache, and his son Skamandrios. Hector's loving words towards his wife and son show that he is a caring and compassionate man. (Book VI 89-93) Achilles takes care of his family, especially his mother Thetis whom he loves very much, however when she warns him of his fate of dying in this war should he continue to fight, he ignores her warnings ( Book IX 128). This is what separates Hector from Achilles, Hector explains to his wife his reasons for returning to battle which are for the greater good while Achilles says that if he returned home he would lose all his honor. Achilles does not always show his feelings to his loved ones, however when he finds out about the death of his best friend Patroclus he collapses. “A dark cloud of pain fell over Achilles as he listened. He filled both hands with powder from...... half the paper ...... and up to the coasts, where the Greek ships were located. In Homer's poem "Iliad" Hector and Achilles were the two main characters who were considered great warriors in their own right. They were seen as heroes among their people, they were loved and respected. However, despite these similarities, Hector and Achilles were two very different people. Hector was more of a family man who fought to keep his family and his people safe. He also had great respect for the gods, which is why he was loved by Zeus. Achilles however was very stubborn and fought for glory and hoped to consolidate his legacy. He did not respect the gods and was not afraid to face them, although he loved his mother very much, he ignored her warnings to preserve his name and honor. Ultimately these characteristics would lead to the downfall of these great warriors.