The battle was fought between the two, Achilles and Hector, but it involved multiple interpositions by Gods and Goddesses. Moreover, there would have no such battle without their intervention. There were many steps before the battle starts. First, through the messenger, Iris – Goddess of the rainbow -, Hera told Achilles to save the body of Patroclus. That motivated him to go to war. Second, Achilles’ mother, Thetis, and Hephaestus – God of lame – prepared armor and weapons for Achilles. The fine equipments would become necessary in the battle.
After Achilles arrived at the gates of Troy, Hector escaped from him with knowing he was unable to defeat the overwhelming Achilles. They were running around the city for three times during his escape. Apollo was helping Hector to escape that long. Therefore, Zeus stopped them by placing on them agonizing deaths to make Hector “face his fate.” Furthermore, Athena used a trick and persuaded Hector to start a fight with Achilles by disguising as his favorite brother, Deiphobus. The fight of the two men finally started at this point. In other words, the fight between Achilles and Hector would have not even occurred without these complex interventions by the multiple Gods and Goddesses. That makes me question the meaning of “fate.”
Indeed, the meaning of fate in the Homeric epic is not as clearly defined as it would be in Merriam-Webster’s. I think in a way the mortals and immortals in the story perceive fate differently, the gods and goddesses intervening only when they feel necessary as to help create a better outcome or “fate” for the mortals, and the mortals usually unaware of the decision making going on in the heavens, believe whatever cards they are dealt (whether or not decided by the gods) are the cards that fate has dealt them. Interesting post!