Characters in The Odyssey

imported from quizlet https://quizlet.com/2225590/characters-in-the-odyssey-flash-cards/?i=6jzsu2&x=1jqt

Odysseus

Main character. Son of Laertes and Anticleia, husband of Penelope and father of Telemachus. A cunning, very strong hero. Epithets: Man of many wiles, Odysseus the wise, son of Laertes.

Telemachus

Odysseus's son. Telemachus is about twenty at the beginning of the story. He is an obstacle to the suitors courting his mother, who try to assassinate him. He initially lacks the poise and confidence to oppose them; His maturation, especially during his trip to Pylos and Sparta in Books 3 and 4, provides a subplot to the epic. Often assisted by Athena.

Zeus

Father/brother of gods and king of men, who mediates the disputes of the gods on Mount Olympus. He sometimes helps Odysseus or permits Athena to do the same.

Poseidon

God of the sea. Poseidon is Odysseus's divine antagonist. He despises Odysseus for blinding his son, the cyclops Polyphemus, and constantly hampers his journey home. Ironically, Poseidon is the patron of the Phaeacians, who eventually help Odysseus return to Ithaca. Epithets: The earth shaker

Athena

Goddess of wisdom, purposeful battle, and the womanly arts. Athena assists Odysseus and Telemachus with divine powers throughout the epic, and she speaks up for them in the councils of the gods on Mount Olympus. She often appears in disguise throughout the epic. Referred to as "Pallas-Athena".

Penelope

Wife of Odysseus and mother of Telemachus. She is portrayed as sometimes flighty and excitable but also clever and steadfastly true to her husband. She is known for her beauty and is constantly pursued by many suitors throughout Odysseus's absense.

Aegisthus

A minor character mentioned in the epic; The lover of Clymenestra who kills Agamemnon and is killed by Orestes, Agamemnon's son. The story of his fate is referenced in the epic as an appropriate form of revenge.

Orestes

Son of Agamemnon; kills Aegisthus as revenge for killing his father. The story of him is referenced and repeated throughout the epic.

Agamemnon

Son of Atreus, brother of Menelaus, husband of Clytemnestra, and king of Mycenae. Elected commander in chief of the Greeks in the Trojan War. When war was over, he sailed home where he was murdered by Aegisthus and Clytemnestra; his son Orestes gains revenge against Aegisthus for him. Odysseus speaks to his spirit in Hades.

Clymenestra

Wife of Agamemnon; Cheats on him with Aegisthus then plots to have him murdered. See Aegisthus, Orestes, and Agamemnon.

Calypso

The beautiful nymph who falls in love with Odysseus when he lands on her island-home of Ogygia. Calypso holds him prisoner there for seven years until Hermes, under direction of Zeus, persuades her to let him go.

Polyphemus

The cyclops son of Poseidon who holds Odysseus and his some of his crew prisoner. Odysseus blinds him and escapes with his remaining crew members. Polyphemus curses him and asks his father for revenge.

Nestor

King of Pylos and old friend of Odysseus. Briefly encounters Telemachus and sends him to Menelaus in Sparta for news of Odysseus.

Peisistratos

Nestor's son, who accompanies Telemachus to Sparta.

Antinuos

Leader of the suitors courting Penelope. Coniving and deceitful, he plans Telemachus's assassination throughout most of the book. He is first to be killed by Odysseus, he is shot with an arrow in the throat.

Eurymachus

Son of Polybus. Second in leadership to Antinous. He assists in the plan to assassinate Telemachus. He is the second suitor to die, by an arrow to the liver.

Halitherses

Prophet and seer of Ithaca. Prophesizes the downfall of the suitors and Odysseus's approaching arrival home to Ithaca by reading a sign from the Gods.

Mentor

An older Lord and friend of Odysseus, from Ithaca. Athena takes on his form to speak to Telemachus and to help Odysseus and his son fight the suitor.

Idomeneus

King of Crete; Pictured as a great warrior and hero in the Iliad.

Eidothea

The nymph who helps Menelaus capture Proteus.

Proteus

Known as 'he who never lies'. Menelaus captures him to find out how to return home from Egypt; In the process, learns about other Trojan war heroes and about Odysseus.

Menelaus

King of Sparta, husband of Helen, brother of Agamemnon, and son of Atreus. He helped lead the Greeks in the Trojan War. He offers Telemachus assistance in his quest to find Odysseus. Referred to as 'the red-haired king'.

Hephaestus

The God of fire and iron-working.

Noemen

A suitor of Penelope.

Medon

Herald to the suitors, who is loyal to Odysseus and is spared when the suitors get slaughtered.

Laertes

Odysseus's father, who resides on a farm in Ithaca. In despair and physical decline, Laertes regains his spirit when Odysseus returns and eventually kills Antinous's father. Stands with Odysseus and Telemachus agaisnt the Ithican mob.

Hermes

God of flight, thieves, mischief, commerce, and travelers. Messenger of the gods. Convinces Calypso to release Odysseus at the request of Zeus and Athena.

Ino

Nymph; Gave her scarf to Odysseus which made him to help him escape Poseidon's storm.

Alcinous

King of the Phaeacians, who offers Odysseus hospitality in his island kingdom of Scheria. Alcinous hears Odysseus's story and provides him with safe passage back to Ithaca, angering Poseidon and fulfilling a prophecy.

Nausicaa

The beautiful daughter of King Alcinous and Queen Arete of the Phaeacians. She discovers Odysseus in a thicket by a river in Scheria and gives him food, cothing, and directions to the Scherian castle.

Arete

Queen of the Phaeacians, wife of Alcinous, and mother of Nausicaa and her four brothers. She is intelligent and influential. Nausicaa tells Odysseus to appeal for assistance to Arete.

Demodocus

Blind bard of the Phaeacians; Minstrel who sings at the palace of Alcinous. His beautiful voice was gifted to him by the Graces.

Ares

God of war

Aphrodite

Goddes of love and lust; Only Goddess not directly related to Zeus.

Circe

The beautiful witch-nymph who transforms Odysseus's crew into swine when he lands on her island. With Hermes' help, Odysseus resists Circe's powers and then becomes her lover, living in luxury at her side with his crew for a year.

Aeolus

Mortal king whom Zeus appointed keeper of the winds; He gives Odysseus a bag of winds to get home, which his crew releases and blows the ship back to Aeolus's island.

Eurylochus

Odysseus's cousin, right hand man, and leading member of Odysseus's crew; Often encourages the crew towards mutiny and disobedience. He tells Odysseus he has bad feelings about Ogygia, and witnesses his comrades being turned into swine. He also incites his comrades to eat the forbidden cattle.

Tiresias

The Theban prophet; Odysseus journeys to the underworld to discover his fate from Tiresias. He reveals his prophecy and tells Odysseus how to get back to Ithaca.

Elpenor

Youngest member of Odysseus' crew. The morning of their departure from Circe's island, he falls from the rooftop and dies. Odysseus meets with his shade in Hades.

Helen

Wife of Menelaus and queen of Sparta. Her abduction from Sparta by the Trojans sparked the Trojan War. Her beauty is without parallel, but she is criticized for giving in to her Trojan captors and thereby costing many Greek men their lives. She offers Telemachus assistance in his quest to find his father.

Achilles

The hero of the Trojan War and the Iliad. He dies at the hand of Paris before the end of the Trojan War and is seen by Odysseus in Hades, regretting his fate.

Heracles

Legendary hero who briefly talks to Odysseus in Hades about his labors.

Eumaus

Faithful swineheard of Odysseus.

Amphinomus

Among the dozens of suitors. He is against the initial plan to assassinate Telemachus and is Penelope's favorite suitor. However, he is killed in the final fight.

Melanthius

An Ithican goatherd and the brother of Melantho. He is a treacherous and opportunistic goatherd who supports the suitors, especially Eurymachus, and abuses the beggar who appears in Odysseus's palace, not realizing that the man is Odysseus himself.

Melantho

A hand maiden of Penelope; The sister of Melanthius. She taunts Odysseus when he is disguised as a beggar.

Eurynome

A hand maiden of Penelope.

Philoitius

An Ithican cowherd; He is loyal to Odysseus and helps him and Telemachus kill the suitors.

Ktessipus

A suitor; Throws a cow hoof at Odysseus and misses when he is disguised as a beggar.

Agelaus

A suitor; Son of Damastor. Tells the other suitors not to assault the beggar, who is Odysseus in disguised.

Leodes

Priest that repeatedly predicted that Odysseus will come to avenge their abuse of hospitality and begs Odysseus to spare him.