Apollo
The Olympian god of the sun, medicine, prophecy, and archery is none other than Apollo. In the Iliad Apollo greatly favors the Trojans and is the god, besides his father Zeus, who does the most for their cause. His mother, Thetis, and his sister Artemis also are mentioned in the book as Zeus allows the gods to take sides and fight each other as the mortals fight all around them. Apollo is the god that aided Hector greatly when Hector killed Patroclus, and Apollo also faced off with Achilles, but the latter decides to retreat. |
Zeus
The Lord of the Skies, the god of the gods, and the ruler of Mount Olympus is Zeus. Throughout the entire story, Zeus is constantly trying to give the Trojans the glory while warning the other gods not to try to stop him because he is stronger than all of them combined. His authority, however, does not go unchallenged as his own wife Hera as well as his daughter Athena are constantly trying to help the Argives behind his back. Enraged, Zeus threatens to beat them and hang them up in Olympus for everyone to see before he continues to bash the Argives. Finally, when Achilles goes onto the field, Zeus stops his attacks and allows the other gods to fight each other as he watches in amusement from Mount Olympus. |
Hera
The queen of the gods, wife of Zeus, and goddess of the family Hera is the champion of the Argives in the Iliad. She makes a deal with the god of Sleep and persuades Zeus to go to bed while Hypnos casts a deep sleeping spell on him. She is constantly arguing with Zeus about his constant favoring the Trojans and not giving any attention of the Argives. They do not always argue though. She also gives him advice and helps him see the big picture when he is unsure of what to do. |
Athena
The daughter of Zeus and Hera and the goddess and wisdom and battle strategy and the arts Athena is the Argives second champion. She is often seen in the book as a level-headed goddess who desperately wants to help the Argives but does not want to incur her father's wrath. She often advises Ares to stop fighting because it is reckless as well as accompanies her mother on her missions to help the Argives. Athena is the goddess who, on Zeus's command, came down from Olympus and tricked Hector into fighting Achilles. Taking the form of his brother, Athena guides Hector to his death by Achilles's spear. |