What does the "Iliad" reveal about the earliest days of Greek culture?

There are quite a number of ways to approach this question. We see the importance of gods in the lives of the Greeks. We also see their strong belief in fate. Even the gods cannot control fate. Humans are controlled by the gods and fate and seem to have little control over the outcome of things. They look for signs to guide them. They do not always obey the signs but are aware of the existence of those signs. The other aspect you could focus on is the role of women who are seen as nothing more than trophies to be obtained and owned.