list of homeric characters

8/10/2019 List of Homeric Characters

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List of Homeric characters

This is a list of the main characters that appear inthe Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer.

Greeks in the Trojan War

Achilles ( ), the leader of

the Myrmidons (), son

of Peleus and Thetis and the principal Greek champion

whose anger is one of the main elements of the story.

Agamemnon ( ), King of Mycenae,

supreme commander of the Achaean armies whose

actions provoke the feud with Achilles; elder brother

of King Menelaus.

Ajax or Aias (), also known as Telamonian Ajax

(he was the son of Telamon) and Greater Ajax, was the

tallest and strongest warrior (after Achilles) to fight for

the Achaeans.

Ajax the Lesser, an Achaean commander, son

of Oileus often fights alongside Great Ajax; the two

together are sometimes called the "Ajaxes"

( , Aiante ).

Calchas (), a powerful

Greek prophet and omen reader, who guided the

Greeks through the war with his predictions.

Diomedes (also called "Tydides")( ) - the

youngest of the Achaean commanders, famous for

wounding two gods, Aphrodite and Ares.

Helen ( ) the wife of Menelaus, the King of

Sparta. Paris visits Menelaus in Sparta. With the

assistance of Aphrodite, Paris and Helen fall in love

and elope back to Troy, but in Sparta her elopement is

considered an abduction.

Idomeneus, () King of Crete and Achaean

commander. Leads a charge against the Trojans in

Book 13.

Menelaus (), King of Sparta and the

abandoned husband of Helen. He is the younger

brother of Agamemnon.

Nestor (), of Gernia and the son of Neleus.

He was said to be the only one of his brothers to

survive an assault from Heracles. Oldest member of

the entire Greek army at Troy.

Odysseus ( ), another w arrior-king, famed

for his cunning, who is the main character of another

(roughly equally ancient) epic, the Odyssey .

Patroclus (), beloved companion to

Achilles.

Phoenix , an old Achaean warrior greatly trusted by

Achilles, acts as mediator between Achilles and

Agamemnon.

Teucer , Achaean archer, half-brother of Ajax.

TROJANS

Aeneas ( ), cousin of Hector, iscipallieutenant, son of Aphrodite, the only major Trojanfigure to survive the war. Held by later tradition to

be the forefather of the founders of Rome. Seethe Aeneid .

Agenor , a Trojan warrior who attempts to fightAchilles in Book 21.

Antenor , a Trojan nobleman who argues thatHelen should be returned to Menelaus in order toend the war.

Glaucus , co-leader of the Lycian forces allied tothe Trojan cause with Sarpedon.

Hector ( ), firstborn son of King Priam,husband of Andromache, father of Astyanax, leader of the Trojan and allied armies and heirapparent to the throne of Troy.

Paris (), Trojan prince and Hector's brother,also called Alexander; his abduction of Helen isthe casus belli . He was supposed to be killed as a

baby because his sister Cassandra foresaw that hewould cause the destruction of Troy. Raised by ashepherd.

Polydamas , a young Trojan commander. Priam (), king of the Trojans, son and

successor of Laomedon, husband ofQueen Hecuba, father of Hector and Paris, too oldto take part in the fighting; many of his fifty sonsare counted among the Trojan commanders.

Sarpedon, co-leader of the Lycian forces allied tothe Trojan cause with Glaucus. Son of Zeus.
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Family and Servants of Odysseus

Laertes, father of Odysseus. Penelope , wife of Odysseus, mother of Telemachus,

she is clever and loyal to Odysseus, she is contrasted

with Clytemnestra.

Telemachus , son of Odysseus and Penelope, matures

during his travels to Sparta and Pylos, fights

Penelope's suitors with Odysseus.

Suitors of Penelope

Amphinomus Antinous Eurymachus

Mistresses

Briseis , mistress and love interest of Achilles, a

woman captured in the sack of Lyrnessos, a small town

in the territory of Troy, and awarded to Achilles as a

prize; Agamemnon takes her from Achilles in Book 1

and Achilles withdraws from battle as a result.

Chryseis, Chryses daughter, taken as a war prize by

Agamemnon.

Helen ( ), daughter of Zeus, former Queen

of Sparta and wife of Menelaus, now espoused

to Paris.

Deities

Aphrodite , goddess of love, beauty, and sexual

pleasure. Daughter of Zeus, wife of Hephaestus, and

lover of Ares.

Apollo Ares, god of war. Lover of Aphrodite. Driven from the

field of battle by Diomedes (aided by Athena).

Athena, goddess of wisdom. Hera, queen of the gods. Hermes, messenger of the gods, leads Priam into

Achilles' camp in book 24.

Iris, messenger of Zeus and Hera.

Poseidon, brother of Zeus, Greek god of the sea and

earthquake, curses Odysseus.

Zeus, king of the Gods, brother of Poseidon and father

of Athena, Aphrodite and Helen

The Iliad (sometimes referred to as the Song of Ilion or Song of Ilium ) is an ancient Greek epic

poem in dactylic hexameter, traditionally attributed

to Homer. Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of

the city of Troy (Ilium) by a coalition of Greek states, it

tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel

between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles.

Although the story covers only a few weeks in the final

year of the war, the Iliad mentions or alludes to many of

the Greek legends about the siege; the earlier events, such

as the gathering of warriors for the siege, the cause of the

war, and related concerns tend to appear near the

beginning. Then the epic narrative takes up events

prophesied for the future, such as Achilles' looming death

and the sack of Troy, prefigured and alluded to more and

more vividly, so that when it reaches an end, the poem has

told a more or less complete tale of the Trojan War.

The Iliad is paired with something of a sequel, the Odyssey

also attributed to Homer. Along with the Odyssey ,

the Iliad is among the oldest extant works of Western

literature, and its written version is usually dated to around

the eighth century BC .[1] Recent statistical modelling based

on language evolution has found it to date to 760 710

BC .[2] In the modern vulgate (accepted version),

the Iliad contains 15,693 lines; it is written in Homeric

Greek, a literary amalgam of Ionic Greek and

other dialects.

Synopsis

Note: Book numbers are in parentheses and come before

the synopsis of the book.

(1) After an invocation to the Muses, the story launches in

medias res (in the middle of things) towards the end of the

Trojan War between the Trojans and the

besieging Greeks. Chryses, a Trojan priest of Apollo, offers
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the Greeks wealth for the return of his daughter Chryseis, a

captive of Agamemnon, the Greek leader. Although most

of the Greek army is in favour of the offer, Agamemnon

refuses. Chryses prays for Apollo's help, and Apollo causes

a plague throughout the Greek army.

After nine days of plague, Achilles, the leader ofthe Myrmidon contingent, calls an assembly to solve the

plague problem. Under pressure, Agamemnon agrees to

return Chryseis to her father, but also decides to take

Achilles's captive, Briseis, as compensation. Angered,

Achilles declares that he and his men will no longer fight

for Agamemnon, but will go home. Odysseus takes a ship

and brings Chryseis to her father, whereupon Apollo ends

the plague.

In the meantime, Agamemnon's messengers take Briseisaway. Achilles then asks his mother, Thetis, to as kZeus that

the Greeks be brought to breaking point by the Trojans, so

Agamemnon will realize how much the Greeks need

Achilles. Thetis does so, and Zeus agrees.

(2) Zeus sends a dream to Agamemnon, urging him to

attack the city. Agamemnon heeds the dream but decides to

first test the morale of the Greek army by telling them to go

home. The plan backfires, and only the intervention of

Odysseus, inspired by Athena, stops a rout.

Odysseus confronts and beats Thersites, a common soldier

who voices discontent at fighting Agamemnon's war. After

a meal, the Greeks deploy in companies upon the Trojan

plain. The poet takes the opportunity to describe the

provenance of each Greek contingent. When news of the

Greek deployment reaches king Priam, the Trojans too

sortie upon the plain. In a similar list to that for the Greeks,

the poet describes the Trojans and their allies.

(3) The armies approach each other on the plain, but before

they meet, Paris offers to end the war by fighting a duel

with Menelaus, urged by his brother and head of the Trojan

army, Hector. While Helen tells Priam about the Greek

commanders from the walls of Troy, both sides swear a

truce and promise to abide by the outcome of the duel.

Paris is beaten, but Aphrodite rescues him and leads him to

bed with Helen before Menelaus could kill him.

(4) Pressured by Hera' s hatred of Troy, Zeus arranges for

the Trojan Pandaros to break the truce by wounding

Menelaus with an arrow. Agamemnon rouses the Greeks,

and battle is joined.

(5) In the fighting, Diomedes kills many Trojans, including

Pandaros, and defeats Aeneas, whom again Aphroditerescues, but Diomedes attacks and wounds the goddess.

Apollo faces Diomedes, and warns him against warring

with gods. Many heroes and commanders join in, including

Hector, and the gods supporting each side try to influence

the battle. Emboldened by Athena, Diomedes

wounds Ares and puts him out of action.

(6) Hector rallies the Trojans and stops a rout; the Greek

Diomedes and the Trojan Glaukos find common ground

and exchange unequal gifts. Hector enters the city, urges prayers and sacrifices, incites Paris to battle, bids his

wife Andromache and son Astyanax farewell on the city

walls, and rejoins the battle.

(7) Hector duels with Ajax, but nightfall interrupts the fight

and both sides retire. The Greeks agree to burn their dead

and build a wall to protect their ships and camp, while the

Trojans quarrel about returning Helen. Paris offers to return

the treasure he took, and give further wealth as

compensation, but without returning Helen, and the offer is

refused. A day's truce is agreed for burning the dead,

during which the Greeks also build their wall and trench.

(8) The next morning, Zeus prohibits the gods from

interfering, and fighting begins anew. The Trojans prevail

and force the Greeks back to their wall while Hera and

Athena are forbidden from helping. Night falls before the

Trojans can assail the Greek wall. They camp in the field to

attack at first light, and their watchfires light the plain like

stars.

(9) Meanwhile, the Greeks are desperate. Agamemnon

admits his error, and sends an embassy composed of

Odysseus, Ajax, Phoenix, and two heralds to offer Briseis

and extensive gifts to Achilles, who has been camped next

to his ships throughout, if only he would return to the

fighting. Achilles and his companion Patroclus receive the

embassy well, but Achilles angrily refuses Agamemnon's
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chryseishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agamemnonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achilleshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrmidonshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chryseishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Briseishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odysseushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thetishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeushttp://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0217:book=2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athenahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thersiteshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priamhttp://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0217:book=3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_(mythology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menelaushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hectorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_of_Troyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphroditehttp://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0217:book=4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandarushttp://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0217:book=5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diomedeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeneashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Areshttp://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0217:book=6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glaucus_(soldier)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andromachehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astyanaxhttp://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0217:book=7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajax_(mythology)http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0217:book=8http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0217:book=9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_(son_of_Amyntor)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patroclushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patroclushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_(son_of_Amyntor)http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0217:book=9http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0217:book=8http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajax_(mythology)http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0217:book=7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astyanaxhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andromachehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glaucus_(soldier)http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0217:book=6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Areshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeneashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diomedeshttp://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0217:book=5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandarushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herahttp://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0217:book=4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphroditehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_of_Troyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hectorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menelaushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_(mythology)http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0217:book=3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thersiteshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athenahttp://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0217:book=2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thetishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odysseushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Briseishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chryseishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrmidonshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achilleshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agamemnonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chryseis


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offer, and declares that he would only return to battle if the

Trojans reach his ships and threaten them with fire. The

embassy returns empty-handed.

(10) Later that night, Odysseus and Diomedes venture out

to the Trojan lines, killing the Trojan Dolon and wreaking

havoc in the camps of some Thracian allies of Troy.

(11) In the morning, the fighting is fierce and Agamemnon,

Diomedes, and Odysseus are all wounded. Achilles sends

Patroclus from his camp to inquire about the Greek

casualties, and while there Patroclus is moved to pity by a

speech of Nestor.

(12) The Trojans assault the Greek wall on foot. Hector,

ignoring an omen, leads the terrible fighting. The Greeks

are overwhelmed in rout, the wall's gate is broken, and

Hector charges in.

(13) Many fall on both sides. The Trojan

seer Polydamas urges Hector to fall back and warns him

about Achilles, but is ignored.

(14) Hera seduces Zeus and lures him to sleep,

allowing Poseidon to help the Greeks, and the Trojans are

driven back onto the plain.

(15) Zeus awakes and is enraged by Poseidon's

intervention. Against the mounting discontent of the Greek-

supporting gods, Zeus sends Apollo to aid the Trojans, who

once again breach the wall, and the battle reaches the ships.

(16) Patroclus can stand to watch no longer, and begs

Achilles to be allowed to defend the ships. Achilles relents,

and lends Patroclus his armor, but sends him off with a

stern admonition not to pursue the Trojans, lest he take

Achilles's glory. Patroclus leads the Myrmidons to battle

and arrives as the Trojans set fire to the first ships. TheTrojans are routed by the sudden onslaught, and Patroclus

begins his assault by killing the Trojan hero Sarpedon.

Patroclus, ignoring Achilles's command, pursues and

reaches the gates of Troy, where Apollo himself stops him.

Patroclus is set upon by Apollo and Euphorbos, and is

finally killed by Hector.

(17) Hector takes Achilles's armor from the fallen

Patroclus, but fighting develops around Patroclus' body.

(18) Achilles is mad with grief when he hears of Patroclus's

death, and vows to take vengeance on Hector; his mother

Thetis grieves, too, knowing that Achilles is fated to die

young if he kills Hector. Achilles is urged to help retrieve

Patroclus' body, but has no armour. Made brilliant by

Athena, Achilles stands next to the Greek wall and roars in

rage. The Trojans are dismayed by his appearance and the

Greeks manage to bear Patroclus' body away. Again

Polydamas urges Hector to withdraw into the city, again

Hector refuses, and the Trojans camp in the plain at

nightfall. Patroclus is mourned, and meanwhile, at Thetis'

request, Hephaestusf ashions a new set of armor for

Achilles, among which is a magnificently wrought shield.

(19) In the morning, Agamemnon gives Achilles all the

promised gifts, including Briseis, but he is indifferent tothem. Achilles fasts while the Greeks take their meal, and

straps on his new armor, and heaves his great spear. His

horse Xanthos prophesies to Achilles his death. Achilles

drives his chariot into battle.

(20) Zeus lifts the ban on the gods' interference, and the

gods freely intervene on both sides. The onslaught of

Achilles, burning with rage and grief, is terrible, and he

slays many.

(21) Driving the Trojans before him, Achilles cuts off half

in the river Skamandros and proceeds to slaughter them and

fills the river with the dead. The river, angry at the killing,

confronts Achilles, but is beaten back by Hephaestus'

firestorm. The gods fight among themselves. The great

gates of the city are opened to receive the fleeing Trojans,

and Apollo leads Achilles away from the city by pretending

to be a Trojan.

(22) When Apollo reveals himself to Achilles, the Trojans

had retreated into the city, all except for Hector, who,

having twice ignored the counsels of Polydamas, feels the

shame of rout and resolves to face Achilles, in spite of the

pleas of Priam and Hecuba, his parents. When Achilles

approaches, Hector's will fails him, and he is chased around

the city by Achilles. Finally, Athena tricks him to stop

running, and he turns to face his opponent. After a brief

duel, Achilles stabs Hector through the neck. Before dying,
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Hector reminds Achilles that he is fated to die in the war as

well. Achilles takes Hector's body and dishonours it.

(23) The ghost of Patroclus comes to Achilles in a dream

and urges the burial of his body. The Greeks hold a day of

funeral games, and Achilles gives out the prizes.

(24) Dismayed by Achilles' continued abuse of Hector's

body, Zeus decides that it must be returned to Priam. Led

by Hermes, Priam takes a wagon out of Troy, across the

plains, and enters the Greek camp unnoticed. He grasps

Achilles by the knees and begs to have his son's body.

Achilles is moved to tears, and the two lament their losses

in the war. After a meal, Priam carries Hector's body back

into Troy. Hector is buried, and the city mourns.

A Detailed explanation of the gods role in the Iliad

During the Trojan War the Greek gods favour and help oneside or another side. Here is a detailed description of whatside each god is on and their reasons for being on that

particular side.In the beginning, Zeus, chief of the Olympian Gods, turnsto the Trojan side because Thetis wants Achilles honoured.After this, he seems to tend to favor the Trojan side,

because he likes Hektor and has a son of his on the Trojan

Side. Other gods who favor the Trojan side include Areswho told Hera he was on the Greek side but turns out to beon the Trojan side, because he did not want to be with hismother. Apollo tends to favour the Trojan side because helikes Hektor. Aphrodite, goddess favored by Paris with theGolden Apple, is on the Trojan side and will not give upher cause, just as Hera is with the Greeks. She is on theTrojan side because Paris favoured her.There are other gods who help out the Greeks. Hera, wifeof Zeus, is on the Greek side because she likes the Greeks.Athena is on the Greek side, too. She likes Diomedes and

Odysseus. She helps Diomedes to fight with great strengthand makes Hektor turn back and get killed.There are a few gods who do not favor any side. Iris is aneutral goddess. She is the one who sends messages tosome of the Greeks and Trojans in the book. Hephaestus,god of smith work and a blacksmith, is respectively neutral,

but does aid the Greeks during a point in the fighting bymaking Achilles armour.In conclusion, many gods choose a side to help win thewar. Theses gods and goddesses have many differentreasons for favoring one side or the other as I have

discussed above.

Is Achilles responsible for Patrokloss death? Defend youranswer

Why is Achilles associated with Patrokloss death in thefirst place? Achilles and Agamemnon had a fight. In the

end Achilles would not join in battle. Eventually the Greekswere by their ships losing the battle. Patroklos saw theships burning so he ran to Achilles begging to lead theMyrmidons into battle. Achilles consented but said thatPatroklos must come back after making the Trojans retreat.So Patroklos, in Achilles armour, comes down on theTrojans and defeats them sending them in a rout back to thecity. There Patroklos had his helmet thrown off by Apollo.And then Euphorbus knocked out the armour. While thishappened Hector, seeing his chance, threw a spear and hitPatroklos in the stomach. That is how Achilles is related to

Patrokloss death. In my opinion, Achilles is not responsible for his death.First of all, the Iliad says that the gods interfere with humanaffairs and often take away free will from them. Achillesalso said that Patroklos would have to come back toAchilles after driving the Trojans from the ships. Whenyou have driven them from the ships, come back; althoughlater the thunderous Lord of Hera might grant you thewinning glory, you must not set your mind on fighting theTrojans, whose delight is in battle, without meYou mustturn back once you bring the light of salvation to the ships

and let the others go fi ghting in the flat lands. So Achillessays to Patroklos. But the glory and honour that might haveawaited him drove him on and on to his death.

Show the role of the characters in the Odyssey in detail.

The characters in the Odyssey behave all in different waysin reference to faithfulness. There are differences betweenthem and differences between their fates in the story.Penelope is the person who is married to Odysseus.Throughout the story she is always trying to think of ways

to escape the marriage of any of the suitors. She is heretrying to be faithful to Odysseus by not marrying anotherman. Even though Odysseus was not dead she should havewaited a few years before marrying and it happened to bethat he came back in time.Odysseus on the other hand, was faithful to his wifePenelope. When Circe and Calypso wanted him to staywith them forever and marry them he declined the offer andtried to set sail home. Odysseuss men all were faithful tohim until they ate the cattle of Helios when he told themnot to. That is when they were killed by Zeus for not
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listening and eating the sacred cattle.The maids and servants of Odysseus were for the most partfaithful. The maids that were not faithful and had loved thesuitors were in the end slain by Telemachus for their not

being faithful. The Goatherd of Odysseus was unfaithful aswas proved when he always helped the suitors and mockedthe people that wanted Odysseus back. The singer and

herald of Odysseus at his house were faithful and had hatedthe suitors. Telemachus had confirmed this and they werethen saved from the slaughter of the Suitors, and those wholiked the suitors, by Odysseus. The Swineherd and theCattle herd of Odysseus were both faithful and saved byalways repeating the words, How I w hich Odysseus wouldcome back and throughout the house the suitors wouldscatter and marriage would be a painful matter. This is

proof of their hatred for the suitors and love for their masterOdysseus.In conclusion the people that were unfaithful to Odysseus

in the book were all slain for their bad ways. The men ofOdysseus were killed for their unfaithfulness with the cattleof Helios. But the people that were faithful were all savedand kept alive and became once again the servants to agood master.

Similarities: (between iliad & odyssey)

- Both are attributed to Homer.

- Both begin with an evocation of the Muse.

- They both take place over the course of 10 years.

- They both begin in medias res, or in the middle of things.The Iliad opens up in the last couple weeks of the final yearof the war ; the Odyssey opens up with Telemachussearching for news of his father, and then we first learn ofOdysseus through flashbacks while he is being held captive

by Calypso--which was actually around the middle of his journey.

- They both use dactylic hexameter.

- Many of the same characters can be found in both poems.

Differences:

- The Iliad is about a 10-year war fought between theAchaeans (Greeks) and the Trojans; the Odyssey is aboutthe 10-year journey home of the hero Odysseus after theTrojan War.

- Achilles is one of the leading characters in the Iliad;Odysseus is the leading character in the Odyssey.

- The Iliad is a poem telling the tale of many (Achilles,Hector, the gods, etc.), while the Odyssey is primarily thetale of Odysseus.

- Menis, or the wrath of Achilles, is the main focal pointand one of several themes in the Iliad; Nostos, orhomecoming, is the main focal point and one of severalthemes in the Odyssey.

- In the Iliad, the gods are portrayed as pretty deceptive,temperamental, backstabbing gods; there's a lot of sneakingaround behind each other's backs to aid one side over theother (Hera wanted the Achaeans to be triumphant, butZeus tried to remain neutral), several of the gods conspiredto put Zeus to sleep so they could help the Achaeans win,

and the battlefield is essentially one giant chess board forthem, with mortals as their pawns. In the Odyssey, the godsseem a little more benevolent (Athena supports Odysseusand tries to assist him whenever she can, and they all --except Poseidon--would like to see Odysseus return toIthaca) and they seem more unified and civil in their viewson how things (particularly Odysseus making it home)should be handled. Even though Athena was Odysseusstaunchest supporter, she did not try to retaliate againstPoseidon when he made Odysseus' journey all the harderand even longer.

- In the Iliad, the gods were more actively involved in theaffairs of mortals than they were in the Odyssey. In fact,there were numerous occasions where they actually tookhuman form so they could go out onto the battlefield. In theOdyssey, there was little intervention, and usually onlywhen it was asked for.

- The Iliad takes place in one location: Troy; in theOdyssey, Odysseus visits numerous places in his journeyhome.

list of homeric characters

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