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The Achaean forces are described in detail in the second book of the Iliad. It consisted of 28 areas in Central Greece, Thessaly, Peloponnese, Greece, Crete and some islands in the Ionian Sea, bringing the fleet to 1,200 ships. In specific the Boeotian fleet had 80 crew members on board each vessel, while the ships of Philoctetes had only 50 rowers each. Obviously, these numbers were the maximum and minimum crew of a ship. Including all the above the total armed forces of the Achaeans were from 70,000 to 130,000 men.
However, the Trojans also had great power. It was the most powerful military and economic power of that era, with customs, traditions and culture similar to the Achaeans. They believed in the same gods and spoke the same language. Apart from the actual Troy, whose army was led by Hector, eldest son of King Priam, the allies included: Dardania (under Aeneas, who was the son of Venus) Adrastens, Perkotians, Pelasgians, Thracians, Kikones, Paeonian archers, Mysians, Phrygians, Milesians, Lycians under command of Sarpedon and Cares. It is not clear what language these people spoke, only Cares are referred to speak a barbarian language. The other allies of the Trojans are thought to have spoken different languages and different commands on the battlefield had to be translated to their leaders.
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