His mother was Anticleia, daughter of the notorious cattle thief Autolycus. Odysseus's father in name was King Laertes of Ithaca. Yet a rumor spread that Anticleia was already pregnant when she married Laertes. Odysseus's real father may have been the infamous rogue Sisyphus, who seduced Anticleia to punish her father for stealing his cattle see What the Hell? Adventures in the Underworld. Odysseus's grandfather Autolycus had a great influence on the young boy. Asked by his daughter to name her child, Autolycus called the boy?
When he reached manhood, Odysseus began his travels with a trip to his grandfather. While hunting with the sons of Autolycus, a boar gored him in the thigh with its tusk, giving Odysseus a scar that he would bear for the rest of his life. As a young man, Odysseus became friends with Iphitus, a son of Eurytus, the famed archer who had taught young Heracles how to draw a bow. Iphitus honored Odysseus with the gift of his father's bow, which Odysseus prized so highly that he refused to use it to hunt or to fight?
Some storytellers insist that Odysseus won the right to marry Penelope through an athletic contest a foot race. Icarius, they say, offered Penelope's hand in marriage as the prize. When the time came for Helen to choose a husband, Odysseus was the only one of her many suitors not to bring gifts. Strongly suspecting that Helen would choose the wealth of Menelaus over the assets of all other men, Odysseus instead turned his attention to her cousin Penelope.
So when Helen's father Tyndareus worried that the rejected suitors would do harm to the chosen one, Odysseus suggested that all the suitors take an oath to protect the interests of whomever she chose.
In return for this ingenious solution, Tyndareus put in a good word about Odysseus to his brother Icarius, Penelope's father. As it turned out, Odysseus made the right choice. If you continue, we will assume that you agree to our Cookies Policy.
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What Was Odysseus Revenge on the Suitors? Was it Justified? Check the price of your paper. Later that day, Odysseus and the swineherd approached the town. On the way they were met by a man they both knew, a servant who kept the goats. One piece of filth sticking to another piece of filth. Old pig keeper, what are you taking that garbage to the palace for? Odysseus was sorely tempted to batter the man, but he knew he must keep his temper for now, so he and the loyal swineherd walked past.
Not far from the town there was a pile of dung and rubbish. Lying on top of it was a sad old dog who had been cast out of the palace by the suitors.
He lifted his muzzle from the dung heap and thumped his tail. Odysseus saw him, and went over to pat his faithful animal on the head. A few moments later he breathed his last. Inside the palace, they found the suitors feasting.
Odysseus went round the tables, begging for food. Some of the suitors threw him some scraps, but their leader was more cruel. Now kindly throw him out before I do much worse to him. It is his food and wine that you are helping yourself to — and he would gladly spare a few morsels.
At this the leader of the suitors flew into a rage. It hit him on the shoulder. All the suitors burst out into laughter and started to pelt Odysseus and the swineherd with food. They both kept their cool, and retreated further into the palace. Eumaeus found the old nurse who had looked after Odysseus as a baby. He said that the stranger was weary from tramping, and asked if she would bathe his feet. She gladly fetched hot water and began to do as she was asked.
Odysseus had gone out hunting as a young man, and the boar had charged at him and dug its tusk into his leg. She recognised the scar at once.
Let me rush to your poor Queen and let her know this wonderful news. As he walked back along the corridor, a maid spat at him and told him to get out of the palace with his begging bowl.
That evening, as Odysseus was sitting on the porch of the palace, along came a real beggar, Irus, and he was a complete scoundrel — a cheat and a sneak thief. He was a favourite of the suitors who recognised him as a kindred spirit. Irus was not pleased to see a rival beggar around the palace, competing with him for scraps. One of the suitors overhead the two old tramps quarrelling and thought it was hilarious.
A space was cleared in the middle of the dining hall. The suitors placed bets on which tramp would knock the other out first. Irus was the clear favourite to win, but then the two men stripped down for the fight.
Irus began to tremble with fear — but it was too late. The leader of the suitors whose name was Antinous swiftly changed his wager to back the newcomer.
Odysseus hit Irus with a glancing blow and he was out cold. The servants dragged him out by his feet and threw him on the dung heap beside the corpse of old Argos. The suitors gave Odysseus his reward for his victory: scraps of meat from their plates. Later that night, Odysseus and Prince Telemachus held a secret conference.
This is what Odysseus told his son to do. He must tell his mother to call the suitors together and tell them that she had made up her mind to hold an archery contest.
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