Suitors of Penelope

Penelope and the Suitors by John William Waterhouse (1912).

In Greek mythology, the suitors of Penelope (also known in Latin as the Proci) are one of the main subjects of Homer's Odyssey.

Role in the Odyssey

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Penelope Unraveling Her Work at Night by Dora Wheeler Keith (1886)

In the Odyssey, Homer describes Odysseus' journey home from Troy. Prior to the Trojan War, Odysseus was King of Ithaca, a Greek island known for its isolation and rugged terrain.[1] When he departs from Ithaca to fight for the Greeks in the war, he leaves behind a newborn child, Telemachus, and his wife, Penelope. Although most surviving Greek soldiers return shortly after the end of the fighting, Odysseus does not return to Ithaca until ten years after the end of the Trojan War.

During Odysseus' long absence, unmarried young men start to suspect that Odysseus died in Troy or on the journey home. Under the pretense of courting Penelope, these youths, called "the suitors", take up residence in Odysseus' home and vie for her hand in marriage. Rather than simply rejecting the suitors, Penelope devises a plan to delay their courtship. She claims she will choose a husband after she has finished weaving a funeral shroud to present to Odysseus' father, Laertes. For three years, Penelope weaves the shroud during the day and unravels it at night, awaiting her husband's return. The suitors learn of Penelope's delaying tactic when one of her maidservants, Melantho, reveals it to her lover Eurymachus. Upon finding out, the suitors demand that she choose a husband from among them.

Slaughter of the suitors by Odysseus and Telemachus, Campanian red-figure bell-krater, c. 330 BC, Louvre (CA 7124)

The suitors behave badly in Odysseus' home, drinking his wine and eating his food. Odysseus' son, Telemachus, now a young man, is frustrated with the suitors. Telemachus laments to Athena (disguised as Mentes, one of Odysseus' guest-friends) about the suitors' behavior. In return, Athena urges Telemachus to stand up to the suitors and set out in search of his father.[2]

Once Odysseus returns home (after Athena initially disguises him as a beggar so he can plot his revenge in secret), his son Telemachus tells him that there are 108 suitors: 52 from Dulichium, 24 from Same, 20 Achaeans from Zacynthus, and 12 from Ithaca.[3] Together, Odysseus, Telemachus, Eumaeus and Philoetius kill the suitors and the disloyal maidservants. For reasons of oral presentation (i.e., a memory aid), the suitors are usually listed in the same order throughout the Odyssey.[4]

Important suitors

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Although there are many suitors, three are particularly important to the narrative of the epic.

Antinous

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Antinous, son of Eupheithes, is the first of the suitors to speak in the epic and the first to die upon Odysseus' return.[5][6] Antinous is the most disrespectful of the suitors and is the one who devises a plan to murder Telemachus upon his return to Ithaca.[7] Although his plan is vetoed by Amphinomus, Antinous continues to behave arrogantly. He encourages the fight between beggar-Odysseus and the beggar Irus. When Odysseus finally returns home, disguised as a beggar, Antinous does not show him hospitality, throwing a stool at beggar-Odysseus. [8]

Eurymachus

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Eurymachus, son of Polybus, is the second of the suitors to appear in the epic. Eurymachus acts as a leader among the suitors because of his charisma. He is noted to be the most likely to win Penelope's hand because her father and brothers support the union and because he outdoes the other suitors in gift-giving.[9] Although he is charismatic, Eurymachus is deceitful. He discovers Penelope's plot because he is having an affair with one of Penelope's maidservants, Melantho.[10] Eurymachus also throws a stool at Odysseus. Further, when Odysseus reveals himself to the suitors, Eurymachus attempts to avoid punishment for the suitors' misdeeds by blaming them all on Antinous.[6]

Amphinomus

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Amphinomus, son of King Nisos, is the most sympathetic of the suitors. Amphinomus attempts twice to dissuade the suitors from murdering Telemachus. Odysseus recognizes this and attempts to warn Amphinomus to leave the home before the final battle. Despite this, Amphinomus stays and dies along with the other suitors.

List of suitors

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Appearing in the Odyssey

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While most of the suitors are not dealt with individually by Homer, some are mentioned by name and play more or less significant roles in the poem. Among them are:

  • Agelaus, son of Damastor. Killed by Odysseus.[11]
  • Amphimedon, son of Melaneus. Killed by Telemachus. Later recounts his death to Agamemnon and Achilles while in the underworld and blames Penelope for it.[12]
  • Amphinomus. Shows courtesy towards the disguised Odysseus, who warns him against staying;[13] the warning goes unheeded, though, and he is killed along with the other suitors, though by Telemachus and not Odysseus.
  • Antinous, son of Eupeithes. One of the leaders of the suitors and the first to be killed by Odysseus, he helps instigate the plot to kill Telemachus as he returns from the mainland,[14] and helps spur the fight between Odysseus (as the beggar) and Irus, a notorious beggar.[13]
  • Ctesippus of Same, son of Polytherses. A "ribald fellow" of great wealth who gives Odysseus, disguised as a beggar, a "present" by throwing a heifer's foot at him; Telemachus threatens him in response, and says that he would have killed him if he had not missed.[15] He is slain by Odysseus' loyal cowherd Philoetius.[16]
  • Demoptolemus, killed by Odysseus.[17]
  • Elatus, killed by Odysseus' loyal swineherd Eumaeus.[18]
  • Euryades, killed by Telemachus.[18]
  • Eurydamas. Offered a pair of earrings as a gift to Penelope.[19] Eventually killed by Odysseus.[20]
  • Eurymachus, son of Polybus. One of the leaders of the suitors, noted for being smooth and deceitful. He blames everything on Antinous after the latter is killed by Odysseus, saying that the suitors are sorry for what they have done and will repay Odysseus. His pleas do not persuade Odysseus, so he tells the suitors they will have to fight if they wish to live, and he is shot with an arrow while charging Odysseus.[21]
  • Eurynomus, son of Aegyptius. His brother Antiphus accompanied Odysseus to the Trojan War and was devoured by Polyphemus on the way back.[22]
  • Leiocritus, son of Evenor. Killed by Telemachus.[23]
  • Leodes, son of Oenops. The sacrificial priest to the suitors, he hates the evil deeds of the suitors and is indignant with the others.[24] While Odysseus is killing the suitors, he begs for mercy, saying that he tried to stop the others and they were paying for not listening to him. Odysseus hears him out, but says that, as a priest, he must have prayed for Odysseus to not come home, so he kills him anyway.[25]
  • Peisander, son of Polyctor. Offered a necklace as a gift to Penelope.[26] Killed by Philoetius.[18]
  • Polybus, son of Polyctor and father of Eurymachus.

Appearing in the Bibliotheca

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An extensive list of Penelope's suitors is given in the Bibliotheca.[27] This source does not appear to fully respect the Homeric tradition, as the numbers are different and not all of those named in the Odyssey appear in the Bibliotheca. Due to the text being damaged, some of the names are repeated several times and the lists for Dulichium and Zacynthus actually contain fewer names than the given figures suggest.

57 suitors from Dulichium

  1. Amphinomus
  2. Thoas
  3. Demoptolemus
  4. Amphimachus
  5. Euryalus
  6. Paralus
  7. Evenorides
  8. Clytius
  9. Agenor
  10. Eurypylus
  11. Pylaemenes
  12. Acamas
  13. Thersilochus
  14. Hagius
  15. Clymenus
  16. Philodemus
  17. Meneptolemus
  18. Damastor
  19. Bias
  20. Telmius
  21. Polyidus
  22. Astylochus
  23. Schedius
  24. Antigonus
  25. Marpsius
  26. Iphidamas
  27. Argius
  28. Glaucus
  29. Calydoneus
  30. Echion
  31. Lamas
  32. Andraemon
  33. Agerochus
  34. Medon
  35. Agrius
  36. Promus
  37. Ctesius
  38. Acarnan
  39. Cycnus
  40. Pseras
  41. Hellanicus
  42. Periphron
  43. Megasthenes
  44. Thrasymedes
  45. Ormenius
  46. Diopithes
  47. Mecisteus
  48. Antimachus
  49. Ptolemaeus
  50. Lestorides
  51. Nicomachus
  52. Polypoetes
  53. Ceraus

23 from Same

  1. Agelaus
  2. Peisander
  3. Elatus
  4. Ctesippus
  5. Hippodochus
  6. Eurystratus
  7. Archemolus
  8. Ithacus
  9. Peisenor
  10. Hyperenor
  11. Pheroetes
  12. Antisthenes
  13. Cerberus
  14. Perimedes
  15. Cynnus
  16. Thriasus
  17. Eteoneus
  18. Clytius
  19. Prothous
  20. Lycaethus
  21. Eumelus
  22. Itanus
  23. Lyammus

44 from Zacynthus

  1. Eurylochus
  2. Laomedes
  3. Molebus
  4. Phrenius
  5. Indius
  6. Minis
  7. Leiocritus
  8. Pronomus
  9. Nisas
  10. Daemon
  11. Archestratus
  12. Hippomachus
  13. Euryalus
  14. Periallus
  15. Evenorides
  16. Clytius
  17. Agenor
  18. Polybus
  19. Polydorus
  20. Thadytius
  21. Stratius
  22. Phrenius
  23. Indius
  24. Daesenor
  25. Laomedon
  26. Laodicus
  27. Halius
  28. Magnes
  29. Oloetrochus
  30. Barthas
  31. Theophron
  32. Nissaeus
  33. Alcarops
  34. Periclymenus
  35. Antenor
  36. Pellas
  37. Celtus
  38. Periphas
  39. Ormenus
  40. Polybus
  41. Andromedes

12 from Ithaca

  1. Antinous
  2. Pronous
  3. Leiodes
  4. Eurynomus
  5. Amphimachus
  6. Amphialus
  7. Promachus
  8. Amphimedon
  9. Aristratus
  10. Helenus
  11. Dulicheus
  12. Ctesippus

Notes

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  1. ^ Homer. Homer's The Odyssey. Translated by Richard Lattimore. New York, New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc. pp. Book IX, 30–34.
  2. ^ Homer (1967). Homer's The Odyssey. Translated by Richard Lattimore. New York, New York: Harper & Row Publishing Inc. Book I, 269-305.
  3. ^ Homer (1967). Homer's The Odyssey. Translated by Richard Lattimore. New York, New York: Harper & Row Publishing, Inc. pp. Book XVI, 245–254.
  4. ^ Reece, Steve, "The Three Circuits of the Suitors: A Ring Composition in Odyssey 17-22," Oral Tradition 10.1 (1995) 207-229. The Three Circuits of the Suitors
  5. ^ Homer's The Odyssey. Translated by Richard Lattimore. New York, New York: Harper & Row Publishing, Inc. 1967. pp. Book I, 383–387.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  6. ^ a b Homer's The Odyssey. New York, New York: Harper & Row Publishing, Inc. 1967. pp. Book XXII, 48–49.
  7. ^ Homer's The Odyssey. Translated by Richard Lattimore. New York, New York: Harper & Row Publishing, Inc. 1967. pp. Book XVI, 372.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  8. ^ Homer's The Odyssey. Translated by Richard Lattimore. New York, New York: Harper & Row Publishing, Inc. 1967. pp. Book XVII, 375–415.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  9. ^ Homer's The Odyssey. Translated by Richard Lattimore. New York, New York: Harper & Row Publishing, Inc. 1967. pp. Book XV, 16–18.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  10. ^ Homer's The Odyssey. Translated by Richard Lattimore. New York, New York: Harper & Row Publishing, Inc. 1967. pp. Book XVIII, 323–326.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  11. ^ The Odyssey, 22. 241, 293
  12. ^ The Odyssey, 22. 284; 24. 103; XXIV.125
  13. ^ a b The Odyssey, Book XVIII
  14. ^ The Odyssey, Book IV
  15. ^ The Odyssey, 20. 288 ff
  16. ^ The Odyssey, 22. 286 ff
  17. ^ The Odyssey, 22. 226
  18. ^ a b c The Odyssey, 22. 267
  19. ^ The Odyssey, 18. 296
  20. ^ The Odyssey, 22. 283
  21. ^ The Odyssey, 22. 79
  22. ^ The Odyssey, 2. 15 - 22
  23. ^ The Odyssey, 2.242; 22.294
  24. ^ The Odyssey, 21. 144
  25. ^ The Odyssey, 22. 310
  26. ^ The Odyssey, 18. 299
  27. ^ Apollodorus, Epitome 7.26–30

References

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