63 pages • 2-hour read
Rosemary SutcliffA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.
Achilles is a half-immortal warrior and the greatest fighter in the Greek army. Blessed with almost complete invulnerability from the waters of the Underworld, his only physical weakness lies in a single spot on his ankle. He is a highly skilled musician and a ferociously proud combatant who actively chooses a short, glorious life over a long, obscure one. His intense personal pride heavily dictates his willingness to fight for the Greek cause.
Odysseus is the king of Ithaca, renowned among the Greek forces for his exceptional intellect and strategic mind. He acts as the primary problem-solver for the Greek army, relying on deceptive strategies, eloquent speeches, and physical disguises to gain advantages over brute force. He enjoys the direct favor of Athene and continuously seeks innovative ways to break the long siege of Troy.
Paris is the handsome, golden-haired prince of Troy whose selfish choices ignite the ten-year war. Raised by a herdsman on Mount Ida, he chooses Aphrodite in a divine beauty contest and claims Helen of Sparta as his promised prize. On the battlefield, he often wears a spotted panther skin but generally avoids direct combat, preferring his great bow over close-quarters fighting.
Hector is the chief war-leader and prince of the Trojans. Unlike his flighty brother Paris, Hector is methodical and duty-bound, taking the defense of his city very seriously. He deeply loves his family and acutely feels the heavy burden of command, fighting bravely against the Greeks despite knowing the bleak prophecies surrounding Troy.
Helen of the Fair Cheeks is widely considered the most beautiful mortal woman in the world. Originally married to King Menelaus of Sparta, she abandons her husband and infant child after falling under Aphrodite's spell and fleeing with Paris. Living within the high walls of Troy, she frequently experiences deep shame regarding Paris's cowardice and harbors a longing to return to her former life.
Agamemnon is the High King of Greece, leading the vast coalition of Greek armies across the sea. He is an authoritative and prideful leader who frequently relies on ancient oaths to bind the other kings to his cause. His stubbornness and immense sense of entitlement cause significant internal friction within the Greek camp, particularly regarding the distribution of captured women and war prizes.
Patroclus is Achilles's closest companion, raised and tutored alongside him by the centaur Chiron. Deeply empathetic toward the suffering of the regular Greek soldiers, he acts as the emotional conscience for Achilles when the great warrior's pride keeps him off the battlefield. He possesses great courage and a willingness to risk his own safety to relieve the struggling Greek army.
Menelaus is the King of Sparta and the original husband of Helen. Outraged by Paris's violation of his hospitality, he invokes a mutual defense oath among the Greek kings to launch the massive invasion of Troy. He is a fierce, capable warrior who deeply desires personal vengeance against the Trojan prince who stole his family and his honor.
Priam is the elderly king of Troy, ruling from the high citadel behind the city's great walls. Years after abandoning Paris, he warmly welcomes his son back into the royal family. He acts kindly toward Helen despite the devastating war she brings to his city, showing remarkable empathy and compassion even when forced to beg enemy warriors for mercy.
Husband of Hecuba
Father of Hector
Father of Paris
Father of Cassandra
Father-in-law of Helen
Petitioner to Achilles
Host of Penthesilea
Thetis is a sea nymph and the fiercely protective mother of Achilles. Knowing a prophecy that her son will die young in battle, she bathes him in the River Styx to make him invulnerable and later hides him among the maidens of Scyros to prevent him from joining the Greek army. She frequently intercedes with the gods, especially Zeus, to secure favors and advantages for her son.
The goddess of wisdom and battle strategy, Athene possesses sword-gray eyes and wears gleaming armor. Deeply offended when Paris chooses Aphrodite as the fairest goddess, she fiercely supports the Greeks in the ensuing war. She frequently intervenes in the mortal conflict, favoring leaders who use cunning and strategy over brute force.
Aphrodite is the goddess of beauty and love who wins the golden apple by promising Paris the most beautiful mortal woman in the world. She heavily favors Paris and actively protects him during battles by whisking him away from danger. She maintains tight control over Helen, using threats and magic to prevent the mortal queen from returning to her original husband.
Zeus is the King of the Gods, holding supreme authority over mortals and immortals alike. He attempts to manage the competing interests of the other gods while directing the overarching flow of the war. He sends prophetic dreams, lightning bolts, and sudden bursts of strength to manipulate the battlefield according to his promises.
Nestor is an elderly Greek king known for his levelheadedness and wisdom. He acts as a primary mediator and advisor within the Greek camp, frequently stepping in to offer compromises when tensions run high between the younger, more hotheaded warriors. His strategic advice often directs the Greek army's overarching maneuvers.
Diomedes is a highly capable and aggressive Greek king and warrior. He frequently partners with Odysseus on stealth missions and espionage, demonstrating both ruthless efficiency and bravery in combat. He refuses to give up the siege even when Agamemnon momentarily considers retreating in defeat.
Known as Ajax of Salamis, he is an enormous and powerful Greek warrior. He engages Hector in a brutal, day-long duel that ends in mutual respect and the exchange of gifts. He is fiercely protective of his fellow soldiers but is deeply vulnerable to bouts of volatile pride when his martial contributions are overlooked.
Penthesilea is the young queen of the Amazons, a tribe of fierce women warriors who ride on horseback. Seeking atonement and a glorious death in battle after accidentally killing her sister Hippolyta, she leads her forces fearlessly against the Greeks. Her youth, beauty, and tragic destiny make her a haunting parallel to the Greek hero Achilles.
Andromache is the devoted wife of Hector and mother to their young son, Astyanax. She constantly fears for her husband's life on the battlefield and views the boasting of Trojan allies with deep skepticism. She expresses the civilian anxiety and grief surrounding the endless, brutal conflict.
Hecuba is the Queen of Troy, married to King Priam. She attempts to protect her city by making lavish offerings to Athene, laying jeweled robes at the goddess's statue. She experiences immense grief as she watches her children fight and suffer on the battlefield below.
Briseis is a young woman taken as a war prize by Achilles. When Agamemnon is forced to surrender his own captive, he confiscates Briseis, sparking the bitter, war-altering feud between the two Greek leaders. She is deeply valued by Achilles and treats his companions with remarkable kindness despite her captive status.
Chryseis is the daughter of a prominent Trojan priest of Apollo. Her capture by the High King Agamemnon brings a devastating plague upon the Greek camp, as her father successfully prays to Apollo for her safe return.
Captive of Agamemnon
Oenone is a wood nymph who possesses deep healing magic. She is Paris's first love, living peacefully with him until he abandons her for the promise of Helen. Harbors deep emotional scars regarding his betrayal, complicating her willingness to use her magic when he needs her most.
Former partner of Paris
Apollo is the sun god who heavily favors the Trojans. He actively intervenes in combat to protect his favored warriors, breathing life and strength into Hector and ensuring crucial strikes hit their marks against Greek heroes.
Poseidon is the god of the sea and brother to Zeus. He fiercely supports the Greek forces, silently moving among them to grant renewed vigor and courage when their camp is breached. He works subtly to counter Zeus's direct interventions.
Brother of Zeus
Worshipped by Laocoon
Eris is the goddess of discord whose spiteful actions serve as the catalyst for the entire Trojan War. Furious at being excluded from a royal wedding, she tosses a golden apple inscribed "to the fairest" among the guests, fully aware of the chaos it will cause.
Philoctetes is a Greek archer who was abandoned by his comrades for ten years due to a festering, painful dragon bite. He survives by hunting birds and harbors deep bitterness toward the Greek leaders until they return to seek his help fulfilling a vital prophecy.
Resentful of Odysseus
Convinced by Diomedes
Calchas is a crucial Greek soothsayer. He provides the army with necessary strategic interpretations of divine signs, ultimately advising the leaders that they must abandon brute strength and turn to cunning if they are to successfully breach the walls of Troy.
Advisor to Agamemnon
Sinon is a relatively unknown Greek soldier chosen for his lack of battlefield fame. He acts as the crucial operative in Odysseus's grand deception, delivering a masterful, tearful lie to the Trojans to convince them to bring the wooden horse into their city.
Subordinate to Odysseus
Doubted by Laocoon
Laocoon is the Trojan high priest of Poseidon. He possesses sharp intuition and immediately recognizes the danger of the giant wooden horse left by the Greeks. He attempts to prove the horse is hollow by throwing a spear at its belly, trying desperately to save his city from deception.
Priest of Poseidon
Suspicious of Sinon
Cassandra is a princess of Troy and the daughter of King Priam. She is burdened with the gift of prophecy but cursed so that no one will ever believe her true visions. She desperately tries to stop the Trojans from bringing the Greek offering into the city, but her warnings consistently fall on deaf ears.
Xanthus is an immortal horse born of the west wind, serving as one of Achilles's chariot steeds. Gifted with the unique ability to speak by the goddess Hera, the immortal horse feels deep sorrow for the human tragedies of the war and attempts to warn his master of impending doom.