Odysseus, hero of Homer’s Odyssey and Iliad, is known for his cunning and fighting skills. He is king of Ithaca, married to Penelope, and father to Telemachus. He was a suitor of Helen before marrying Penelope and fought in the Trojan War. His journey home was filled with obstacles, including the siege of Penelope by suitors seeking his kingdom, which he ultimately overcame.
Odysseus, also known as Odysseus, is the hero of the epic poem Odyssey, attributed to the bard Homer. Odysseus also plays an important role in Homer’s other famous poem, The Iliad. Known as Odysseus the Cunning, this hero is touted for his ability to escape sticky situations using his wits. Indeed, his ability to sneak out of captivity, deceive evil, and cheat death is represented in the ten action-packed years he spends trying to get home after the Trojan War.
Besides being quite cunning and a talented fighter, Odysseus is also the king of Ithaca, a Greek island. There is some debate as to his parentage. Some believe that Odysseus is the son of Laertes and Anticlea. However, in the tragedy of Iphigenia at Aulis, Sisyphus is named his father. His wife is Penelope and together they have a son named Telemachus.
Although Odysseus is married to Penelope, it was known that he was first a suitor of her cousin, Helen of Troy. Helen was known for her striking beauty. She had so many suitors, in fact, that her father feared the wrath of her dismissed suitors should she choose a husband. Odysseus solved this problem by having each suitor swear to defend Helen’s chosen husband. When the suitors, including Odysseus, took this oath, Helena chose Menelaus. Later, Ulysses chose Penelope as his companion.
It was the abduction of Helen by Paris that started the Trojan War. When she was taken, Menelaus called on all suitors to help him reclaim her. This is why Helena is known to have had “the face of her that she launched a thousand ships”. It was because of her great beauty that she had these devoted suitors who came to her, along with her chosen husband, to her rescue. Since Odysseus was a member of this company, he left Penelope with their young son to fight alongside Menelaus.
Odysseus was a key figure in the Trojan War. However, it’s what happened after the war that he’s best known for. On his way home, he got sidetracked many times. Throughout this journey, he’s had to contend with a monstrous Cyclops, a drugged crew, bewitching women, and dangerous waters, to name just a few of his ordeals of him. Once he got to Ithaca, however, he still had one more battle to fight. His wife Penelope was under siege by suitors who sought his kingdom. With the use of wit and disguise, Odysseus once again prevails and reinstates himself as king of Ithaca.
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