Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey characters

Appears from the start

The greatest warrior in the Greek army at Troy and the son of the sea goddess Thetis. Proud, formidable, and intensely protective of his honor, he quarrels with Agamemnon after the commander takes Briseis from him. Achilles withdraws himself and his soldiers from the fighting, even though their absence may cost the Greeks dearly.

Appears from the start

The king of Mycenae and commander of the Greek coalition besieging Troy. When Apollo sends a plague upon the army, Agamemnon agrees to return his captive Chryseis but claims Achilles's captive Briseis in compensation. His insistence on rank and privilege drives the dispute that opens the epic.

Appears from the start

The goddess of wisdom and warfare, and an active supporter of the Greeks. Sent by Hera when Achilles is about to attack Agamemnon, she checks his anger and urges him to answer the insult with words rather than violence.

Appears from the start

King of the gods, whose decisions govern how far the other immortals may intervene at Troy. Thetis asks him to favor the Trojans until the Greeks understand how much they need Achilles, placing him between his promise to her and Hera's loyalty to the Greek cause.

Appears from the start

A resourceful Greek king and persuasive speaker serving in Agamemnon's army. He helps restore order when the troops rush toward their ships and is trusted with delicate missions, including returning Chryseis to her father. His judgment makes him valuable both in council and in battle.

Also known as Alexander

First appears in chapter 3

A Trojan prince whose taking of Helen from Menelaus helped cause the war. Handsome and confident at a distance, he retreats when Menelaus confronts him until Hector shames him into accepting single combat. He relies on skill with a bow rather than Hector's style of close fighting.

First appears in chapter 3

The foremost Trojan warrior, a son of King Priam and brother of Paris. He rebukes Paris for avoiding Menelaus and presses him to defend the city whose danger his choices helped create. Hector carries the burden of Troy's defense with a strong sense of duty to his family and people.

First appears in chapter 3

The wife of Menelaus, now living in Troy with Paris. From the city wall she identifies the leading Greek warriors for Priam and mourns the war fought over her. She is painfully aware of the destruction surrounding her and speaks with regret about leaving her former home.

First appears in chapter 3

The elderly king of Troy and father of Hector and Paris. He treats Helen with kindness rather than blaming her for the war and asks her to name the Greek leaders visible from the walls. Though no longer a battlefield commander, he remains the city's respected ruler.

First appears in chapter 9

Achilles's closest companion, who remains with him during his withdrawal from battle. He welcomes the Greek delegation that comes to Achilles's shelter and assists with the meal while the commanders try to persuade Achilles to return.

First appears in chapter 25

Odysseus's son, now approaching adulthood in Ithaca while his father's fate remains unknown. His home is overrun by men courting his mother and consuming the household's wealth. Encouraged by Athena, he begins to challenge them and to seek reliable news of Odysseus.

First appears in chapter 25

Odysseus's wife and the mother of Telemachus. Besieged by suitors who assume her husband will never return, she delays choosing a new husband and grieves for the absent Odysseus. Her uncertain position lies at the center of the disorder in the Ithacan household.

First appears in chapter 25

God of the sea and the principal divine obstacle to Odysseus's return. Although the other gods agree that the stranded hero should be allowed home, Poseidon's continuing anger keeps the journey dangerous.

First appears in chapter 25

A divine nymph living on the remote island where Odysseus is stranded. She wants him to remain with her, while he longs for Ithaca and his family. The gods discuss compelling her to release him so that his homeward journey can resume.

First appears in chapter 25

The most forceful of Penelope's suitors and a leading presence among the men occupying Odysseus's house. He dismisses Telemachus's objections and blames Penelope for postponing remarriage, showing little respect for the young heir's authority.

First appears in chapter 34

A goddess and enchantress whom Odysseus's crew encounters on the island of Aeaea. She welcomes part of the crew into her house, drugs their food, and transforms the men into swine, making her an immediate threat to the expedition.