The Story of Odysseus
Odysseus was the king of the small rocky island of Ithaca, the son of Laertes and Anticleia. His grandfather was the cunning Autolycus, and as a boy Odysseus was wounded by a boar while hunting, leaving a scar on his leg. He married the wise Penelope, and they had a son, Telemachus.
When the Greeks gathered for war against Troy, Odysseus did not want to leave his family. He pretended to be mad, plowing his fields and sowing them with salt, but Palamedes placed baby Telemachus in front of the plow, and Odysseus swerved, proving he was sane. At Troy he became famous for his clever speeches and tricks, and it was his plan to build the wooden horse that finally brought the city down.
The journey home took ten more years. After raiding the Cicones and escaping the land of the Lotus Eaters, he and his men were trapped in the cave of the Cyclops Polyphemus, a son of Poseidon. Odysseus told the giant his name was Nobody, got him drunk, blinded his single eye and escaped by clinging under his sheep, but as he sailed away he boasted his real name, and Poseidon's anger followed him from then on.
The wind god Aeolus gave him a bag holding all the storm winds, but his curious crew opened it within sight of Ithaca and were blown back out to sea. The giant Laestrygonians destroyed all his ships but one. On the island of Aeaea, the sorceress Circe turned his men into pigs, but with a magic herb from Hermes he resisted her spell and made her restore them.
On Circe's advice he went down to the edge of the underworld to consult the ghost of the prophet Tiresias. He had himself tied to the mast so he could hear the Sirens' song without steering to his death, and he passed between the monster Scylla and the whirlpool Charybdis. When his starving men killed the sacred cattle of the sun god Helios, Zeus destroyed their ship, and Odysseus alone survived.
He washed ashore on the island of the nymph Calypso, who kept him for seven years and offered him immortality if he would stay. At last the gods ordered her to let him go, and he set out on a raft, only to be wrecked again by Poseidon. Saved by the veil of the sea goddess Leucothea, he reached the land of the Phaeacians, where the princess Nausicaa helped him and the king sent him home on a magical ship.
Athena disguised Odysseus as an old beggar so he could see how things stood in his house, where more than a hundred suitors were feasting on his wealth and pressing Penelope to marry. Only his old dog Argus knew him at once. With the help of Telemachus and two loyal servants, he won Penelope's archery contest by stringing his own great bow, killed the suitors, and proved himself to his wife by revealing the secret of their bed, carved from a living olive tree, and his long journey gave us the word odyssey.
Famous Myths About Odysseus
Feigning Madness
Odysseus did not want to leave his wife and baby son to fight at Troy, so he pretended to be mad, plowing his fields and sowing them with salt. Palamedes saw through the trick by placing baby Telemachus in front of the plow, and Odysseus swerved, proving he was sane.
The Trojan Horse
After ten years of war, Odysseus came up with the plan to build a giant wooden horse and hide soldiers inside. The Trojans dragged it into their city as a trophy, and that night the hidden Greeks crept out and opened the gates.
The Cyclops
On his way home, Odysseus and his men were trapped in the cave of the one-eyed giant Polyphemus, who began eating them. Odysseus told the giant his name was Nobody, blinded him with a sharpened stake, and escaped by clinging to the bellies of his sheep.
The Song of the Sirens
Odysseus wanted to hear the Sirens, whose song lured sailors to their deaths. He had his crew plug their ears with wax and tie him to the mast, so he heard the song and survived.
The Return to Ithaca
After twenty years away, Odysseus came home disguised as a beggar and found suitors devouring his house and courting his wife Penelope. He alone could string his great bow, and with it he and his son Telemachus took back their home.
Odysseus's Family Tree
Parents of Odysseus
Partners of Odysseus
Children of Odysseus
Frequently Asked Questions About Odysseus
Who was Odysseus in Greek mythology?
Odysseus was the clever king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's Odyssey. He was famous for his cunning and for his long journey home after the Trojan War.
Who were Odysseus's parents?
Odysseus was the son of Laertes, king of Ithaca, and his wife Anticlea.
Who was Odysseus's wife?
Odysseus's wife was Penelope, who stayed faithful to him for twenty years and outwitted the suitors who wanted to marry her. Their son was Telemachus.
What was Odysseus's role in the Trojan Horse?
Odysseus came up with the plan for the Trojan Horse, a huge wooden horse with Greek soldiers hidden inside. The Trojans pulled it into the city, and that night the Greeks opened the gates and Troy fell.
Why did it take Odysseus ten years to get home?
After Odysseus blinded the Cyclops Polyphemus, a son of Poseidon, the sea god turned against him. Storms, monsters, the witch Circe and seven years with the nymph Calypso kept him from Ithaca for ten years.
What is Odysseus's Roman name?
The Romans called Odysseus Ulysses.
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