Glossary of Gods, Greeks, and Trojans
Check out this helpful guide outlining characters voiced and referenced in An Iliad.
Gods and Goddesses
More| NAME | ROLE |
|---|---|
| Zeus | King of the Greek gods and husband of Hera; he alternates between supporting the Greeks and the Trojans |
| Hera | Goddess of women and fertility, wife (and sister) of Zeus; Hera is often jealous and vengeful of Zeus’s lovers and she hates the Trojans |
| Athena | Greek virgin goddess of the discipline and art of war, wisdom, and truth; patron goddess of Athens and supporter of the Greeks She is thought to be the daughter of only Zeus, and to have sprung from his head full-grown and in full armor |
| Aphrodite | Greek goddess of love, beauty, and sexuality; she is the unhappy and unfaithful wife of Hephaestus and she supports the Trojans |
| Apollo | God of the sun, medicine, archery, and the arts; Apollo is the son of Zeus and Leto, and has a twin sister, Artemis; he supports the Trojans |
| Ares | Ruthless god of war/slaughter, courage, masculinity, and brother of Athena; loves war itself and supports the Trojans |
| Hephaestus | God of smiths and metalworking; husband of unfaithful Aphrodite; son of Zeus and Hera He was raised by Thetis (mother of Achilles), and he crafts Achilles’ brilliant armor; he supports the Greeks |
| Hermes | Described as a guide and giant-killer, son of Zeus; he is Zeus’s messenger–swift, shrewd, and cunning |
| Poseidon | God of the sea and younger brother of Zeus; though he primarily interferes on the side of the Greeks, he backs down at Zeus’ behest |
| Thetis | A sea goddess and the mother of Achilles; Zeus fell in love with her, but they couldn’t marry because of a prophesy |
Greeks (Achaeans)
More| NAME | ROLE |
|---|---|
| Agamemnon | King of Mycenae, husband of Clytemnestra, brother to Menelaus, supreme commander of all Achaea’s armies; the conflict of The Iliad begins when he angers Achilles by taking Briseis, Achilles’s lover |
| Helen | The daughter of Zeus and the wife of Menelaus; the Trojan War begins when Paris abducts her from Sparta |
| Menelaus | King of Mycenian Sparta, husband of Helen (stolen by Paris of Troy); brother of Agamemnon |
| Achilles | Son of Peleus and Thetis, commander of the Myrmidons, Achaean allies; he is the champion of the Greeks, but his rage is the source of much of the conflict in The Iliad |
| Briseis | Captive and lover of Achilles; she is taken by Agamemnon, causing Achilles to fly into a rage |
| Diomedes | King of Argos; one of the strongest fighters for Achaea |
| Great Ajax | Commander of the contingent from Salamis; a champion for the Achaean army, second only to Achilles |
| Odysseus | King of Ithaca and protagonist of Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey; Odysseus is known for his cunning (the Trojan Horse is his idea) |
| Patroclus | Achilles’s best friend; borrows Achilles’s armor to fight in the war and his death inspires Achilles to return to battle |
| Peleus | Father of Achilles; his first marriage is to Antigone |
| Menoetius | Father of Patroclus |
| Atreus | Father of Menelaus and Agamemnon |
| Nestor | A former Argonaut; he is old at the time of the Trojan War, in which his sons fight He offers counsel to Agamemnon and Achilles, and leads troops, but does not fight himself; he is the oldest of all the chieftains |
Trojans (Dardans)
More| NAME | ROLE |
|---|---|
| Priam | King of Troy, father of Hector and Paris; he goes to Achilles himself to request the body of Hector |
| Hecuba | Priam’s wife and Hector’s mother |
| Hector | Priam’s oldest son, Paris’s brother, and Troy’s supreme commander; he kills Patroclus, which spurs Achilles to return to war |
| Paris | Son of Priam and younger brother of Hector; a coward; he kidnaps Helen and begins the Trojan War |
| Andromache | Hector’s wife; she asks him not to return to war on his brief visit home |
| Astyanax | Hector’s baby son, eventually killed at the hands of the Greeks |
| Cassandra | Daughter of Priam and a prophetess |
Posted on June 25, 2025 in Learning Guides, Productions