The goddesses have a major role in both epics as Helpers of men. They have varied reasons for this. One is a maternal instinct. This is displayed in the literal mother-son relationships of Aphrodite and Aeneas, Thetis and Achilles, and the protective instinct that Athene displays in Book 3 of the ...

Characters Hektor Chorus of Trojan Elders/advisers to King Priam King Priam Aeneas Paris Andromache Helen Character Descriptions Hektor – a prince of the great city of Troy. He is the son of King Priam and Queen Hecabe, brother of Paris, husband of Adromache. He is the greatest war...

Present in most epics, dreams are used by Homer and Virgil in the Iliad, Odyssey, and the Aeneid to catalyze action in the plot. These epic dreams serve a vital purpose to the bard in his formulation of the epic and to the audience in their understanding of the epic. Inspired by gods, formulated i...