The Iliad : Characters

Characters

Characters

Major Characters (Greeks, Achaeans, or Argives)

• Achilles: The greatest hero of the Greeks. A demigod, son of the sea goddess Thetis. His wrath is the central focus of the epic. Symbol of pride, vengeance, and heroism.
• Agamemnon: Commander-in-Chief of the Greek army. Proud and power-hungry. He quarrels with Achilles over Briseis. Symbol of leadership and conflict.
• Menelaus: Brother of Agamemnon, husband of Helen. The Trojan War begins when Paris abducts Helen. Symbol of marital honor and revenge.
• Odysseus: The clever and resourceful Greek hero. Skilled in speech, often proposes strategies. Symbol of wisdom and intelligence.
• Ajax (Telamonian Ajax): A giant and powerful warrior. Famous for his bravery. He duels Hector on the battlefield. Symbol of physical strength and courage.
• Diomedes: A young and valiant hero. At one point, with the aid of Athena, he even battles gods. Symbol of bravery, fate, and divine support.
• Nestor: The wise elder warrior. Advisor and mediator. Symbol of experience and prudence.
• Patroclus: Closest friend and companion of Achilles. He enters battle wearing Achilles’ armor and is slain by Hector. Symbol of friendship, sacrifice, and inspiration.
• Calchas: The prophet of the Greek army. He interprets the will of the gods. Symbol of fate and religious rites.

Minor Characters (Greeks)

• Phoenix: Teacher and guardian-like friend of Achilles. Tries to persuade him to return to battle. Symbol of loyalty and counsel.
• Idomeneus: King of Crete. A brave warrior and loyal supporter of Agamemnon. Symbol of valor and leadership.
• Machaon: Healer and warrior, son of Asclepius. Treats the wounded soldiers. Symbol of healing and knowledge.
• Podalirius: Brother of Machaon, also a skilled healer. Symbol of recovery and preservation of health.
• Thersites: A common soldier, ugly and talkative. Speaks against the leaders, especially insulting Agamemnon. Symbol of rebellion and satire.
• Automedon: Charioteer of Achilles. Later companion of Patroclus. Symbol of loyalty and service.
• Eurypylus: A brave Greek warrior. He is wounded in battle. Symbol of pain and sacrifice.
• Protesilaus: The first Greek warrior to set foot on Troy’s shore and be slain. Symbol of fate and predestined death.
• Antilochus: The valiant son of Nestor. Aids his father in battle. His death brings deep sorrow to Nestor. Symbol of youthful bravery and self-sacrifice.

Major Characters (Trojans)

• Hector: Prince of Troy and its greatest warrior. Son of Priam and Hecuba. Brave, responsible, and humane. He kills Patroclus but is later slain by Achilles. Symbol of heroism and family duty.
• Priam: King of Troy, father of Hector and Paris. Kind and wise, though a frail old man. He bravely goes to Achilles to beg for Hector’s body. Symbol of paternal love and human dignity.
• Paris (Alexander): Prince of Troy, whose abduction of Helen caused the war. Handsome but cowardly and pleasure-loving. Symbol of beauty, desire, and cowardice.
• Helen: Wife of Menelaus, who left with Paris. Her presence sparked the Trojan War. Symbol of beauty, attraction, and conflict.
• Andromache: Wife of Hector and mother of their young son Astyanax. Deeply devoted to her husband and child. Symbol of family love and the sorrow of war.
• Aeneas: A Trojan hero, son of Aphrodite. Saved multiple times by the gods. Later becomes a central figure in Roman mythology. Symbol of heroism and future destiny.
• Deiphobus: Another son of Priam, a brave warrior. In most traditions, he receives Helen as wife after Paris’s death. Symbol of warfare and dynastic ties.
• Polydamas: Hector’s friend and advisor. Often gives strategic counsel, though Hector does not always heed him. Symbol of wisdom and caution.
• Cassandra: Daughter of Priam, gifted with prophecy. Yet no one believes her predictions. Symbol of truth and disbelief.
• Agenor: A Trojan warrior who, after Hector’s death, briefly resists Achilles. Symbol of courage and self-sacrifice.

Minor Characters (Trojans and Allies)

• Polites: One of Priam’s sons. Killed by Achilles in battle. Symbol of youth and the fall of Troy’s royal line.
• Lycaon: Another son of Priam. Previously captured by the Greeks and released, but later killed by Achilles. Symbol of fate and merciless death.
• Astyanax: Young son of Hector and Andromache. Killed by the Greeks after the war so he could not grow up to seek revenge. Symbol of war’s cruelty and the sacrifice of innocence.
• Glaucus: Trojan ally, prince of Lycia. Meets Diomedes in battle, where they realize their ancestors were friends. Instead of fighting, they exchange armor. Symbol of friendship and honor.
• Sarpedon: Son of Zeus and ally of Troy. Fights bravely but is killed by Patroclus. Symbol of heroism, fate, and inevitable death.
• Antenor: A wise elder counselor of Troy. Often suggests peace instead of war. Symbol of wisdom and diplomacy.
• Rhesus: Allied king from Thrace. His famous horses are stolen during a night raid by Odysseus and Diomedes. Symbol of sudden misfortune.
• Dolon: A Trojan spy. Captured and killed by Odysseus and Diomedes. Symbol of deceit and failure.
• Penthesilea (Amazon Queen): More prominent in later Epic Cycle traditions, but known as an ally of Troy. Symbol of female heroism and sacrifice.

Gods

• Zeus (Neutral): King of the gods and husband of Hera. He usually prefers to remain neutral, though at times he takes sides for the sake of his children. He respects fate and destiny.
• Apollo (Supports Trojans): Son of Zeus and twin brother of Artemis. God of the sun, music, and prophecy. He protects the Trojans and actively fights against the Greeks on the battlefield.
• Ares (Supports Trojans): God of war. He stands with the Trojans. His love for battle symbolizes bloodshed and destruction.
• Poseidon (Supports Achaeans): God of the sea and brother of Zeus. He supports the Greeks and often intervenes directly in the fighting to help them.
• Hephaestus (Supports Achaeans): God of fire and blacksmithing. He forges new armor and a shield for Achilles, thus supporting the Greeks.
• Hermes (Neutral but helpful): Messenger of the gods. He secretly guides Priam to the Greek camp so he can ransom Hector’s body. Symbol of peace and compassion.

Goddesses

• Hera (Supports Achaeans): Wife of Zeus and queen of the goddesses. She is loyal to the Greeks and desires the fall of Troy. Symbol of pride and vengeance.
• Athena (Supports Achaeans): Goddess of wisdom and warfare. She consistently aids the Greeks and directs battle against the Trojans. Symbol of intelligence and strategic power.
• Aphrodite (Supports Trojans): Goddess of love and beauty. She supports Paris because he awarded her the prize in the beauty contest. Symbol of love and attraction.
• Thetis (Supports Achaeans): Sea goddess and mother of Achilles. She prays to Zeus to protect her son. Symbol of motherhood and emotion.
• Artemis (Supports Trojans): Goddess of the hunt and the moon, twin sister of Apollo. She often supports the Trojans. Symbol of nature and femininity.