Proper Greek Names

The Achaeans (also called the “Argives” or “Danaans” inhabitants of Achaea in Greece

Achilles - The son of the military man Peleus and the sea-nymph Thetis. The most powerful warrior in The Iliad, commands the Myrmidons, soldiers from his homeland of Phthia in Greece. Proud and headstrong, he takes offense easily and reacts with blistering indignation when he perceives that his honor has been slighted. His wrath at Agamemnon for taking his war prize, the maiden Briseis, forms the main subject of The Iliad.

Agamemnon (also called “Atrides”) - King of Mycenae and leader of the Achaean army; brother of King Menelaus of Sparta. Arrogant and often selfish, provides the Achaeans with strong but sometimes reckless and self-serving leadership. he lacks consideration and forethought. Most saliently, his tactless appropriation of Achilles’ war prize, the maiden Briseis, creates a crisis for the Achaeans.

Andromache Hector’s loving wife, begs Hector to withdraw from the war and save himself before the Achaeans kill him.

Aphrodite Goddess of love and daughter of Zeus, is married to Hephaestus but maintains a romantic relationship with Ares. She supports Paris and the Trojans throughout the war, though she proves somewhat ineffectual in battle.

Apollo A son of Zeus and twin brother of the goddess Artemis, he is god of the sun and the arts, particularly music. He supports the Trojans and often intervenes in the war on their behalf.

Ares God of war and lover of Aphrodite, generally supports the Trojans in the war.

Artemis Goddess of the hunt, daughter of Zeus, and twin sister of Apollo. supports the Trojans in the war.

Astyanax Hector and Andromache’s infant son.

Athena - (Pallas) The goddess of wisdom, purposeful battle, and the womanly arts; Zeus’s daughter. Like Hera, passionately hates the Trojans and often gives the Achaeans valuable aid.

Aulis Where Agamemnon's daughter is sacrificed and where they are right before they leave for Troy.

Briseis A war prize of Achilles. When Agamemnon is forced to return Chryseis to her father, he appropriates Briseis as compensation, sparking Achilles’ great rage.

Calchas seer. identification of the cause of the plague ravaging the Achaean army in Book 1 leads inadvertently to the rift between Agamemnon and Achilles that occupies the first nineteen books of The Iliad.

Chryseis Chryses’ daughter. Agamenon's prize

Chryses A priest of Apollo in a Trojan-allied town; the father of Chryseis.

Danaans- The Greeks, or Achaeans

Diomedes (“Tydides”) The youngest of the Achaean commanders, is bold and sometimes proves impetuous. After Achilles withdraws from combat, Athena inspires with such courage that he actually wounds two gods, Aphrodite and Ares.

Haephaestus God of fire and husband of Aphrodite, is the gods’ metalsmith and is known as the lame or crippled god. Although the text doesn’t make clear his sympathies in the mortals’ struggle, he helps the Achaeans by forging a new set of armor for Achilles and by rescuing Achilles during his fight with a river god.

Hector A son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba, is the mightiest warrior in the Trojan army. He mirrors Achilles in some of his flaws, but his bloodlust is not so great as that of Achilles. He is devoted to his wife, Andromache, and son, Astyanax, but resents his brother Paris for bringing war upon their family and city.

Hecuba Queen of Troy, wife of Priam, and mother of Hector and Paris.

Helen Reputed to be the most beautiful woman in the ancient world, was stolen from her husband, Menelaus, and taken to Troy by Paris. She loathes herself now for the misery that she has caused so many Trojan and Achaean men. Although her contempt extends to Paris as well, she continues to stay with him.

Hera Queen of the gods and Zeus’s wife, is a conniving, headstrong woman. She often goes behind Zeus’s back in matters on which they disagree, working with Athena to crush the Trojans, whom she passionately hates.

Hermes The messenger of the gods. Hermes escorts Priam to Achilles’ tent in Book 24

Ilium Troy

Menelaus King of Sparta; the younger brother of Agamemnon. While it is the abduction of his wife, Helen, by the Trojan prince Paris that sparks the Trojan War, proves quieter, less imposing, and less arrogant than Agamemnon. Though he has a stout heart, he is not among the mightiest Achaean warriors.

Nestor King of Pylos and the oldest Achaean commander. Although age has taken much of his physical strength, it has left him with great wisdom. He often acts as an advisor to the military commanders, especially Agamemnon. He and Odysseus are the Achaeans’ most deft and persuasive orators, although Nestor’s speeches are sometimes long-winded.

Niobe Had 12 kids 6 daughters and 6 sons insulted the goddess Leto, Apollo and Artemis mother, Apollo kills her sons and Artemis kills her daughters and 9 days the mother laid in her children's blood because she was turned to stone, but on the 10th the gods interred (buried) them but she turned to food. serves Achilles. Bk 24 Pg 608

Odysseus A fine warrior and the cleverest of the Achaean commanders. Along with Nestor, he is one of the Achaeans’ two best public speakers. He helps mediate between Agamemnon and Achilles during their quarrel and often prevents them from making rash decisions

Paris (“Alexander”) A son of Priam and Hecuba and brother of Hector. His abduction of the beautiful Helen, wife of Menelaus, sparked the Trojan War. his is self-centered and often unmanly. He fights effectively with a bow and arrow (never with the more manly sword or spear) but often lacks the spirit for battle and prefers to sit in his room making love to Helen while others fight for him, thus earning both Hector’s and Helen’s scorn.

Patroclus Achilles’ beloved friend, companion, and advisor, he grew up alongside the great warrior in Phthia, under the guardianship of Peleus. Devoted to both Achilles and the Achaean cause, he stands by the enraged Achilles but also dons Achilles’ terrifying armor in an attempt to hold the Trojans back.

Peleus Achilles’ father and the grandson of Zeus. Although his name often appears in the epic, he never appears in person. Priam powerfully invokes the memory of he when he convinces Achilles to return Hector’s corpse to the Trojans in Book 24.

Poseidon The brother of Zeus and god of the sea. he holds a long-standing grudge against the Trojans because they never paid him for helping them to build their city. He therefore supports the Achaeans in the war.

Priam King of Troy and husband of Hecuba, he is the father of fifty Trojan warriors, including Hector and Paris. Though too old to fight, he has earned the respect of both the Trojans and the Achaeans by virtue of his level-headed, wise, and benevolent rule. He treats Helen kindly, though he laments the war that her beauty has sparked.

Sarpedon One of Zeus’s sons. his fate seems intertwined with the gods’ quibbles, calling attention to the unclear nature of the gods’ relationship to Fate.

Thetis A sea-nymph and the devoted mother of Achilles, he gets Zeus to help the Trojans and punish the Achaeans at the request of her angry son. When Achilles finally rejoins the battle, she commissions Hephaestus to design him a new suit of armor.

Zeus King of the gods and husband of Hera, he claims neutrality in the mortals’ conflict and often tries to keep the other gods from participating in it. However, he throws his weight behind the Trojan side for much of the battle after the sulking Achilles has his mother, Thetis, ask the god to do