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