Characters in the Iliad:
The Greeks:

Achilles = from Phthia, son of Peleus (human) and Thetis (goddess), leader of
the Myrmidons, best Greek warrior. He argues with Agamemnon in the Iliad
book 1 his “war prize” Briseis. He withdraws from the fighting and many
Greeks die. He is a very aggressive and proud character.

Agamemnon = son of Atreus, brother to Menelaos and King of Mycenae in
Greece. He is the commander –in-chief of the Greek army in their war against
Troy. Argues with Achilles in book 1 (see above).

Automedon = a Myrmidon, friend and charioteer of Patroklos.

Diomedes = son of Tydeus, one of the finest and bravest Greek warriors, he
is fierce in battle and the Trojans fear him. In book 6 Hekabe and the Trojan
women go to the Temple of Athene to pray to Athene to hold back Diomedes
from the fighting. Athene refuses as she is on the Greek side.

Euphorbos = one of three people responsible for killing Patroklos. He
wounded him in book 16 and then snatched his spear from his back and ran
away. He was eventually killed by Menelaos.

Eurybates = a herald who is sent to fetch Briseis from Achilles in book 1.

Kalchas = a soothsayer and prophet of the Greeks. Hated by Agamemnon
who calls him a “prophet of evil”. He told Agamemnon to sacrifice his
daughter Iphigenia in order to get favourable winds to leave Greece and set
sail for Troy. In book 1 he tells Agamemnon that the plague in the Greek
camp will not end until Chryseis is returned to her father.

Helen = she was originally married to Menelaos but was abducted by Paris
and brought to Troy where she became his wife. Supposedly, she is the most
beautiful woman in the world and “the face that launched 1,000 ships”.

Menelaos = son of Atreus, brother to Agamemnon, husband to Helen who
was abducted by Paris. King of Sparta in Greece.

Myrmidons = men from Phthia who are led in war by Achilles.
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
Nestor = King of Pylos in Greece, oldest of the Greek warriors in Troy,
reputation for being wise and experienced. Advises Agamemnon and Achilles
in book 1.

Odysseus= the most intelligent of all the Greek warriors in Troy. He comes up
with the idea of the wooden horse which helps the Greeks defeat the Trojans.
In book 1 he returns Chryseis to her father and offered sacrifices to Apollo on
behalf of the Greeks to make up for what they have done.

Patroklos = son of Menoitios, friend of Achilles, leads the Myrmidons into
battle disguised as Achilles. He fights with Sarpedon and kills him. He is killed
by Hektor who takes his armour. Achilles is devastated by his death and
returns to battle to avenge his death.

Talthybios = a herald who is sent to fetch Briseis from Achilles in Book 1.
The Trojans:

Adrestos = taken alive by Menelaos and then killed by Agamemnon in book 6.

Aeneas = son of Aphrodite, a Trojan nobleman, Priam’s son in law. He is
second in command in the Trojan army (after Hektor). In book 6, Helenos
advises Aeneas and Hektor to make a stand against the Greeks and gather all
the troops to fight them.

Andromache = good and loyal wife to Hektor. Her father and 7 brothers were
killed by Achilles. She is devastated by the death of her husband.

Asios = Apollo disguised himself as Hektor’s uncle Asios in book 16 and told
Hektor to continue fighting against Patroklos as his fate is to kill him.

Astyanax = the infant son of Hektor and Andromache. Also known as
Skamandrios.

Deiphobos = in book 22 Athene disguises herself as Deiphobos (Hektor’s
favourite brother) and tells Hektor to stop running and stand and face Achilles
so that they can face him together. Hektor is delighted and agrees. He later
realises that he has been tricked.

Hekabe = wife of Priam, she has 19 children with Priam; Hektor is the most
prominent of them. In book 22 she begs Hektor to come back inside the city
gates as she fears he will be killed by Achilles.
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
Hektor = prince of Troy and son of Priam and Hekabe. A dutiful commander
of all the Trojan allied forces. He is the greatest of the Trojan warriors and a
much loved character in the Iliad. A devoted and loving husband and father
also.

Helenos = son of Priam and Hekabe, a prince of Troy and a seer.

Idaios = herald (messenger) of Priam, in book 24 he drives the chariot
bringing Priam into the Greek camp.

Kassandra = daughter of Priam and Hekabe, she is the first to see Priam
arrive back from the Greek camp in book 24.

Kebriones = illegitimate son of Priam, brother of Hektor and his charioteer.
Patroklos killed Kebriones in book 16 and mocked him for falling easily from
his chariot like an acrobat.

Laodike = a Trojan princess, Hektor’s sister. Hekabe and Laodike meet Hektor
when he returns to Troy from battle in book 6.

Paris = also known as Alexandros. A Trojan prince, son of Priam and Hekabe
and husband of Helen. He seems content to let the Trojans to fight for him.
He is reprimanded for this by Hektor more than once. Hektor accuses him of
cowardice in book 6.

Poulydamas = joint leader of the Trojan company. He advised Hektor to bring
the Trojans into the city sooner. In book 22 Hektor realises that he should
have taken his advice.

Priam = King of Troy. He is very old and no longer able to command his army
in the field, but his great courage is seen when he travels to the Greek camp
one night to ransom Hektor’s body. He is a noble and generous man, one of
the few Trojans besides Hektor who treats Helen with respect and courtesy
despite her infidelity to her husband and the war caused by her actions.

Theano = priestess of Athene. She opens the door to the temple of Athene
for the women of Troy in book 6 and prayed to Athene to hold back
Diomedes in war. Athene refused as she is on the Greek side in the war.
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Trojan allies:

Glaukos = joint leader of the Lycians, son of Hippolochos, wounded by
Teukros and healed by Apollo. He rallies the Trojans to fight for Sarpedon. He
exchanges armour with Diomedes in book 6 when they discover that their
grandfathers had a guest friendship.

Pyraichames = the leader of the Paionians, Patroklos kills him in battle.

Sarpedon = joint leader of the Lycians, son of Zeus, fights with Patroklos and
is killed by him, Zeus contemplates saving him but cannot, there is a violent
struggle between the Greeks and Trojans over his body.
Other important characters:

Briseis = a slave girl awarded to Achilles, taken from Achilles by Agamemnon,
Achilles loves her and is furious when Agamemnon takes her away from him,
she is eventually returned to Achilles.

Chryseis = daughter of Chryses, the priest of Apollo. She is the “war prize”
hostage of Agamemnon until Apollo demands that she be returned to her
father.

Chryses = a priest of Apollo who asked Agamemnon for his daughter Chryseis
back, in book 1, in return for unlimited ransom. Agamemnon cruelly refuses.
The Gods:
Trojan side:

Aphrodite = daughter of Zeus and goddess of love. She is mother to Aeneas
so therefore fights on the Trojan side.

Apollo = son of Zeus, god of prophecy, light, poetry and music. A strong
supporter of the Trojans. For example, he knocks Patroklos off the walls of
Troy.

Ares = son of Zeus and Hera, god of war. He is the lover of Aphrodite and
fights on the Trojan side.
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Greek side:

Athena = daughter of Zeus, goddess of wisdom. She plays a prominent role
in the war fighting on the Greek side. She hates to Trojans because of the
Judgement of Paris.

Hera = sister and wife of Zeus. She is the most fanatical of all the Olympian
supporters of the Greeks and is willing to go to any lengths, including the
deception of her husband, to achieve the defeat of Troy. She hates the
Trojans because of the Judgement of Paris.

Hermes = messenger God, he is on the Greek side but does little to help
them. Zeus sends him to escort Priam on his visit to Achilles in book 24.

Poseidon = brother of Zeus, god of the sea. He is a strong supporter of the
Greeks, having an old grudge against Troy.

Thetis = mother of Achilles, a sea nymph (goddess). She is a strong
supporter of the Greeks and her son Achilles. She does all she can to help her
son in his quarrel with Agamemnon but otherwise she is not involved in the
war.
Neutral:

Iris = a messenger goddess who is sent to summon Thetis for a meeting with
Zeus in book 24. She is also sent to Priam in book 24 to give him instructions
about his visit to the Greek camp.

Zeus = King of the Gods. His duty is to carry out the will of destiny, so he is
officially neutral in the war, but he is sympathetic towards the Trojans,
particularly Hektor and Priam, and he supports Achilles against Agamemnon.
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