Characters of The Iliad

The Achaians (the Greeks)

Achilles central character; greatest warrior; pride as greatest weakness
Agamemnon indecisive but well-meaning King of Mycenae; commander-in-chief
of the expedition against Troy; brother of Menelaos
Aias son of Telamon ; known for great strength and courage (also known as Ajax
in some books)
Aias the Lesser great warrior but is conceited and insolent
Antilochos Nestors son
Automedon charioteer of Achilles
Diomedes well-known for courtesy and bravery
Helen married to Menelaos but ran away with Paris; the most beautiful woman on
earth but is also selfish
Kalchas fortune teller for the Achaians
Menelaos husband of Helen; brother of Agamemnon
Myrmidons soldiers of Achilles
Nestor old, wise counselor
Odysseus cleverest Achaian, apart from being a great warrior
Patroklos close friend of Achilles; his constant companion
The Trojans and their Allies
Andromache Hectors wife; loyal and obedient
Aeneas Aphrodites son; brave
Antenor nobleman who advises the return of Helen to the Achaians
Astyanax son of Hektor and Andromache
Chryseis daughter of Chryses, the priest of Apollo
Dolon Trojan nobleman captured by Odysseus and Diomedes
Glaukos prince and renowned warrior
Hekuba wife of Priam;Hektors mother
Hektor prince of Troy; son of Priam and Hekuba; commander of all Trojan forces;
responsible
Helenos son of Priam and Hekuba; prince of Troy
Cassandra daughter of Priam and Hekuba; Hektor and Pariss sister
Pandaros good fighter and treacherous man
Paris prince of Troy; son of Priam and Hekuba; believed to have been the cause of
the ruin of Troy
Poulydamas a military strategist
Priam king of Troy; man of great courage and integrity
The Gods and Goddesses
*Aphrodite daughter of Zeus; goddess of love; mother of Aeneas; fought on the
Trojan side
*Apollo son of Zeus; god of poetry, prophecy, and music
*Ares son of Zeus and Hera; god of war; loves Aphrodite and fought on the Trojan
side although made promises to Hera and Athena that he would support the
Achaians
*Artemis daughter of Zeus; goddess of chastity and hunting
**Athena daughter of Zeus; goddess of wisdom
**Hera sister and wife of Zeus; determined to see the defeat of Troy
**Hermes representative of the gods and carries the dead souls to Hades
**Poseidon younger brother of Zeus and the god of the sea; has a grudge against
Troy and supports the Achaians
**Thetis mother of Achilles; supports her son against Agamemnon but is not
directly involved in the war
Dione mother of Aphrodite
Hades ruler of the Underworld
Iris messenger of the gods
Zeus supreme god and king of Olympus; although supposed to be neutral, he is
sympathetic towards the Trojans, particularly Hektor and Priam,a nd he supports
Achilles against Agamemnon
*fought on the Trojan side
**fought on the Achaian side