Iliad and Odyssey

achilles

greek hero who is known for his wrath, strength and bravery. begins the iliad refusing to fight due to a dispute with Agamemnon over honor and respect.

agamemnon

King of Mycenae, leader of the Greek forces during the Trojan War. His conflict with Achilles starts over Helen and escalates due to issues of pride and honor.

menelaus

King of Sparta, (ex)? husband of Helen. rallied the Greek forces against Troy.

Odysseus

Greek hero known for his intelligence and cunning, Greek strategist; devised the plan of the Trojan Horse.

patroclus

Achilles' close friend and companion, whose death at the hands of Hector spurs Achilles to return to battle and seek revenge.

Gods on Greek side

Hera, Athena, Poseidon, Hermes, Hephaestus (sometimes Zeus)

Gods on Trojan side

Apollo, Aphrodite, ares

people on greek side

Agamemnon, dimedes, odysseus, Achilles, patroclus, menelaus

people on trojan side

hector, Priam, Paris (Alexander), hecuba

hector

prince of Troy, dies in battle to achilles

priam

king of Troy, father of Hector and paris

paris

abucts Helen from greece, takes her to Troy. basically starts the war

diomedes

warrior on greek side, wounds ares and aphrodite in battle

odysseus (in the odyssey)

king of ithaca, warrior, strong, resourceful

penelope

wife of odysseus, fends of suitors, very clever

telemachus

son of Penelope and odysseus, in search of his father and mother, matures on his journey. inspired by Athena to find his father and stand up to his mothers suitors

athena (in the odyssey)

helps out odysseus and his son, pities him and helps him escape from the island

poseidon (in the odyssey)

angry and vengeful at odysseus for blinding his son, cyclops polyphemus

zeus (in the odyssey)

orders Odysseus’ release from Calypso’s island, who was keeping him captive

Cyclops

traps Odysseus and his man in his cave. gets tricked by ody when he gives him strong wine and tells him his name is nobody. when cyclops is sleeping, ody stabs him in his eye. ody and his men hide under the cyclops’ sheep and when the cyclops let the sheep out to eat, they escape. ody taunts the cyclops with his real name and then the cyclops curses the rest of his journey