Polemides, Pommo

Polemides is the central character of the narrative, if not the story as a whole. It is through his eyes that the reader sees Alcibiades and the war as a whole. Polemides is a soldier, trained in Sparta, but an Athenian citizen. He joins the Athenian army in the aftermath of the war's initial conflict. His ethics and morals at the beginning of the conflict put him at odds with his commanders and lead him to a friendship with Alcibiades, who he turns to for help. Polemides is a simple soul who is swept along by events. He is deeply affected by the loss of his wife and child to the plague. It leads him into a dark period and he turns from desire of a family life back to soldiering to fill the void in his life.

Polemides always returns to soldiering despite periods approaching happiness...