For example, Hector is the ultimate hero. They will forever live on in the pages of the Iliad. In the art of war, the soldiers Homer described were receiving great honor. Homer wasn't afraid to be detailed with his descriptions of a hero's death. Homer wasn't a huge fan of war, but he understood the pressure society had on the young soldiers urging them to fight. To understand Homer's overall attitude about war, you must first keep in mind that this was a story that had been passed down for years with different people's personalities thrown into the mix. So in Homer's reality war is vain because no matter how hard an army fights, the will of the gods will ultimately be done.
Because the gods weigh so heavily into the results of any particular fight described in the Iliad, any act of a man alone is in vain. Homer also paints a picture of the futility of war. The affect on families of the deceased is also talked demonstrated with Priam and his sons (most directly Hector, with his wife, child, and father all being functioning characters in the story) Patroclus' death, and with Achilles thinking about his own father. While he is making war, Achilles is reminded by Thetis, and Hera (through one of his horses) of his unavoidable death that comes because he went to war. Another thing that exposes his disposition towards war is Achilles' fate. However, throughout the text Homer maintains almost perfect neutrality, he doesn't ever show care for one side or the other. In fact, the gruesome, but glorious deaths of soldiers and the central focus of Achilles' fame because of the war could point out the opposite. But, being the master craftsman that he is, it's not easy to catch.