| Character | Description |
|---|
The Iliad - Trojans |
|---|
| Helen | Beautiful Spartan princess, and wife of Menelaus who started the Trojan when she ran off with Paris. |
| Paris | Prince of Troy, kidnaps Helen with the help of Aphrodite. |
| Hector | Prince of Troy, Brave and Noble leader of Trojans. Killed by Achilles. |
| Aeneas | Trojan hero, and son of Aphrodite, who escaped Troy and eventually settled near Rome. |
| Cassandra | Trojan princess who was given the gift of prophesy, but was never to be believed. |
| Priam | King of Troy, who pleads with Achilles for the body of his son Hector. |
| Hecuba | Queen of Troy, mother of Hector, Paris, and Cassandra. |
| Andromache | Faithful wife of Hector who becomes a concubine of Achilles' son after the war. |
| Pandarus | Trojan archer who unwittingly sabotages a truce by shooting Menelaus. |
The Iliad - Greeks |
|---|
| Menelaus | Spartan king and husband of Helen, who raised a fleet of "1000 Ships" to rescue her from Troy. |
| Agamemnon | Brother of Menelaus, and Greek leader in the Trojan War. Killed by his wife upon his return home. |
| Achilles | Greatest warrior hero of the Greeks, renowned for his fighting skills. Central character of the Iliad. |
| Patroclus | Dearest friend of Achilles who dons the armor of Achilles and is killed by Hector. |
| Thetis | Immortal Mother of Achilles, who seeks to protect him from harm. |
| Nestor | Veteran warrior who is too old to fight, but serves as a trusted advisor to the Greeks. |
| Iphigenia | Daughter of Agamemnon who is sacrificed to the Gods while the Greek fleet is stranded at Aulis. |
| Diomedes | Courageous and noble hero, who leads the Greeks in battle after Achilles quits the field. |
| Ajax (Greater) | Strongest and Bravest of the Greek warriors, chosen to do single combat with Hector. |
| Briseis | Greek princess who is the cause of a great row between Achilles and Agamemnon during the Trojan War. |
The Odyssey - Heroines and Heroes |
|---|
| Odysseus | Greek hero known best for strategy and craft. Central character of the Odyssey. |
| Penelope | Patient and faithful wife of Odysseus. Kept suitors at bay for twenty years as she awaited his return. |
| Telemaches | Son of Odysseus who leaves Ithaca in search of his father. |
| Laertes | Father of Odysseus, who sailed with Jason on the Argo and grieves for his lost son. |
| Nausicaa | Phaecian princess who rescues Odysseus when he drifts ashore her land. |
The Odyssey - Monsters and Immortals |
|---|
| Lotus Eaters | Race of people who eat lotus plants that put the into an oblivious sleep. |
| Aeolus | Ruler of the four winds, including the Boreas, the North wind, and Zephyrus, the West Wind. |
| Circe | Sorceress daughter of Helios, exiled to the island of Aeaea, where she turned men into beasts. |
| Scylla | Six headed sea-monster that grabbed sailors from every vessel that approached her. |
| Charybdis | Giant sea monster in the shape of a whirlpool, who consumed vessels that sailed too close. |
| Harpies | Ugly winged bird-women, who torment people by snatching their food away. |
| Sirens | Beautiful Sea Nymphs who lure sailors to their death with alluring song. |
| Clashing Rocks | (Symplegades) A pair of Rocks in the Bosperous that smash ships between them as they pass. |
| Talos | Bronze giant who protect Crete by hurling boulders at passing ships. |
| Cyclopes | Race of one-eyed giants, sons of Gaia, freed from Tartarus by Zeus. |
| Polyphemus | Giant Cyclops, son of Poseidon, who captures Odysseus in his cave. |
| Laestrygonians | Race of man-eating giants who ate a great many of Odysseus's men. |
| Calypso | Sea nymph who fell in love with Odysseus and kept him captive for many years. |