# Agamemnon — The Iliad character guide

> Agamemnon in The Iliad by Homer.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** Atrides, Wide-ruling Agamemnon, King Agamemnon, noble Agamemnon

**First appearance:** 0001-the-iliad

## Snapshot

The Greek high king whose authority holds the coalition together and whose pride keeps threatening to tear it apart.

## Who they are

Agamemnon commands the expedition against Troy, but his power rests on the consent of proud kings who resent taking orders. He insults the priest Chryses, provoking Apollo's plague, then seizes Achilles' prize to reassert his rank — a move that costs him his best fighter. His struggle to lead without losing face shapes the quarrel that opens the epic and haunts every council afterward.

## Relationships

### [Achilles](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iliad_se/characters/achilles)

_rivalry_

Achilles and Agamemnon are bitter rivals over honor and Briseis, leading to Achilles' withdrawal from battle.

### [Achilles](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iliad_se/characters/achilles)

_rivalry_

Achilles and Agamemnon are bitter rivals over honor and Briseis, leading to Achilles' withdrawal from battle.

### [Achilles](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iliad_se/characters/achilles)

_rivalry_

Achilles and Agamemnon are bitter rivals over honor and Briseis, leading to Achilles' withdrawal from battle.

## In the story

### [The Iliad](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iliad_se/chapters/the-iliad)

Greek commander whose insult to Achilles and refusal to ransom Chryseis trigger the initial conflict and plague.

### [Book I: The Contention of Achilles and Agamemnon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iliad_se/chapters/book-i-the-contention-of-achilles-and-agamemnon)

Insults Chryses, refuses to ransom Chryseis, quarrels with Achilles, and takes Briseis from him.

### [Book II: The Trial of the Army, and Catalogue of the Forces](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iliad_se/chapters/book-ii-the-trial-of-the-army-and-catalogue-of-the-forces)

Deceived by Zeus's dream, tests the army's resolve, and leads the sacrifice.

### [Book III: Single Combat of Menelaus and Paris](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iliad_se/chapters/book-iii-single-combat-of-menelaus-and-paris)

Commands the Greeks to hold their fire when Hector speaks, and orders a lamb for the sacrifice to seal the truce.

### [Book IV: The Breaking of the Truce, and the First Battle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iliad_se/chapters/book-iv-the-breaking-of-the-truce-and-the-first-battle)

Horrified by his brother's wound; delivers a speech foretelling Troy's destruction and rallies the Greek forces.

### [Book VII: The Combat of Hector and Ajax](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iliad_se/chapters/book-vii-the-combat-of-hector-and-ajax)

Restrains Menelaus from fighting Hector, hosts a feast for Ajax, and accepts the truce for burying the dead.

### [Book VIII: The Second Battle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iliad_se/chapters/book-viii-the-second-battle)

Rallies the Greek army after Hera moves him, climbing Ulysses' ship to exhort the troops.

### [Book IX: The Embassy to Achilles](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iliad_se/chapters/book-ix-the-embassy-to-achilles)

Proposes retreat to the Greeks, weeping and lamenting his fate, but is rebuked by Diomed and Nestor.

### [Book X: The Night-Adventure of Diomed and Ulysses](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iliad_se/chapters/book-x-the-night-adventure-of-diomed-and-ulysses)

Agamemnon is sleepless and deeply troubled by the Greek army's peril, consulting with Nestor and organizing a night mission.

### [Book XI: The Third Battle, and Exploits of Agamemnon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iliad_se/chapters/book-xi-the-third-battle-and-exploits-of-agamemnon)

Leads the Greek assault, slays many Trojans including Bienor, Oileus, Isus, Antiphus, Pisander, and Hippolochus, but is eventually wounded and forced to withdraw.

### [Book XIV: The Fraud Practised on Jupiter by Juno](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iliad_se/chapters/book-xiv-the-fraud-practised-on-jupiter-by-juno)

Proposes retreat by night, is rebuked by Ulysses, then joins the wounded kings to rally the troops.

### [Book XIX: The Reconciliation of Achilles and Agamemnon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iliad_se/chapters/book-xix-the-reconciliation-of-achilles-and-agamemnon)

Publicly reconciles with Achilles, offers gifts and swears an oath regarding Briseis.

### [Book XXIII: The Funeral of Patroclus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iliad_se/chapters/book-xxiii-the-funeral-of-patroclus)

Offers Achilles a bath and later dismisses the troops at Achilles' request.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iliad_se/characters/agamemnon
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iliad_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iliad_se/characters