JohnWilliamWaterhouse-PenelopeandtheSuitors(1912)

Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities o ...

, the suitors of Penelope (also known as the Proci) are one of the main subjects of

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

's ''

Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the '' Iliad'', ...

''.

Role in the ''Odyssey''

In the ''

describes

Odysseus Odysseus ( ; grc-gre, Ὀδυσσεύς, Ὀδυσεύς, OdysseúsOdyseús, ), also known by the Latin variant Ulysses ( , ; lat, UlyssesUlixes), is a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem the ''Odyssey''. Odys ...

' journey home from Troy. Prior to the

Trojan War In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans ( Greeks) after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta. The war is one of the most important events in Greek mythology and ...

, Odysseus was King of

Ithaca Ithaca most commonly refers to: *Homer's Ithaca, an island featured in Homer's ''Odyssey'' *Ithaca (island), an island in Greece, possibly Homer's Ithaca *Ithaca, New York, a city, and home of Cornell University and Ithaca College Ithaca, Ithaka ...

, a Greek island known for its isolation and rugged terrain. 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 The name Eurymachus (; Ancient Greek: Εὐρύμαχος ''Eurúmakhos'') is attributed to the following individuals: ''Mythology'' * Eurymachus, son of Hermes and father of Eriboea, mother of the Aloadae. *Eurymachus, a prince of the Phlegyes ...

. Upon finding out, the suitors demand that she choose a husband from among them. Mnesterophonia Louvre CA7124

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 Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of v ...

(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. Once Odysseus returns home (after

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 Dulichium ( grc, Δουλίχιον ''Doulíkhion''),Hom. Il2.625/ref> also called Dolicha (Δολίχα ''Dolíkhā'') or Doliche (Δολίχη ''Dolíkhē''), was a place noted by numerous ancient writers that was either a city on, or an islan ...

, 24 from Same, 20 Achaeans from Zacynthus, and 12 from Ithaca. Together, Odysseus, Telemachus,

Eumaeus In Greek mythology, Eumaeus (; Ancient Greek: Εὔμαιος ''Eumaios'' means 'searching well') was Odysseus' swineherd and friend. His father, Ktesios son of Ormenos was king of an island called Syra (present-day Syros in the Greek islan ...

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''.

Important suitors

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

Antinous

Antinous Antinous, also called Antinoös, (; grc-gre, Ἀντίνοος; 27 November – before 30 October 130) was a Greek youth from Bithynia and a favourite and probable lover of the Roman emperor Hadrian. Following his premature death before his ...

, son of Eupheithes, is the first of the suitors to speak in the epic and the first to die upon Odysseus' return. Antinous is the most disrespectful of the suitors and is the one who devises a plan to murder Telemachus upon his return to Ithaca. Although his plan is vetoed by

Amphinomus In Greek mythology, Amphinomus (; grc, Ἀμφίνομος ''Amphínomos''; literally "grazing all about") may refer to the following personages: * Amphinomus, the Aetolian father of Thyrie ( Hyria) who became the mother of Cycnus by Apollo. * ...

, Antinous continues to behave arrogantly. When Odysseus finally returns home, disguised as a beggar, Antinous does not show him hospitality and throws a stool at him.

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. 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. 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.

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

Appearing in the ''Odyssey''

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. *

Amphimedon : ''For the genus of sponge, see Amphimedon (sponge)'' In Homer's ''Odyssey'', Amphimedon (; grc, Ἀμφιμέδων) was the Ithacan son of Melaneus and one of the suitors of Penelope. Mythology While retreating from Odysseus's party duri ...

, son of Melaneus. Killed by Telemachus. Later recounts his death to Agamemnon and

Achilles In Greek mythology, Achilles ( ) or Achilleus ( grc-gre, Ἀχιλλεύς) was a hero of the Trojan War, the greatest of all the Greek warriors, and the central character of Homer's '' Iliad''. He was the son of the Nereid Thetis and Pe ...

while in the underworld and blames Penelope for it. *

. Shows courtesy towards the disguised Odysseus, who warns him against staying;''The Odyssey'', Book XVIII the warning goes unheeded, though, and he is killed along with the other suitors, though by Telemachus and not Odysseus. *

, son of

Eupeithes In Greek mythology, Eupeithes (Εὐπείθης ''Eupeíthēs'') was the father of Antinous, the leader of the suitors of Penelope. After his son's death at the hands of Odysseus, Eupeithes tried to revolt against his rule. He was killed by Ody ...

. 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, and helps spur the fight between Odysseus (as the beggar) and Irus, a notorious beggar. *

Ctesippus :''The name Ctesippus may also refer to a character in Plato's Euthydemus and Lysis, and to a historical figure, see Leptines and Against Leptines.'' In Greek mythology, the name Ctesippus (; Ancient Greek: Κτήσιππος means 'possessing ...

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. After killing him, the cowherd says that his death is a present in return for the one he gave to Odysseus. *

Demoptolemus In Homer's ''Odyssey'', Demoptolemus (; Ancient Greek: Δημοπτόλεμος) was one of the myriad suitors of the queen of Ithaca, Penelope. He came from Dulichium along with other 56 wooers. Demoptolemus, with the other suitors, met his end ...

, killed by Odysseus. * Elatus, killed by

.''The Odyssey'', 22. 267 * Euryades, killed by Telemachus. * Eurydamas. Offered a pair of earrings as a gift to Penelope. Eventually killed by Odysseus. *

, 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. * Eurynomus, son of Aegyptius. His brother Antiphus accompanied Odysseus to the Trojan War and was devoured by Polyphemus on the way back. * Leiocritus, son of Evenor. Killed by Telemachus. * Leodes, son of Oenops. The sacrificial priest to the suitors, he hates the evil deeds of the suitors and is indignant with the others. 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. * Peisander, son of Polyctor. Offered a necklace as a gift to Penelope. Killed by Philoeteus. * Polybus, son of Polyctor and father of Eurymachus.

Appearing in the ''Bibliotheca''

An extensive list of Penelope's suitors is given in the '' Bibliotheca''.

Apollodorus Apollodorus (Greek: Ἀπολλόδωρος ''Apollodoros'') was a popular name in ancient Greece. It is the masculine gender of a noun compounded from Apollo, the deity, and doron, "gift"; that is, "Gift of Apollo." It may refer to: :''Note: A f ...

, Epitome 7.26–30 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 #

# Thoas #

# Amphimachus # Euryalus # Paralus #

Evenorides In Greek mythology, Evenorides ( Ancient Greek: Εὐηνορίδης means "son of Evenor") may refer to two Suitors of Penelope. * Evenorides, from Dulichium, came with other 56 wooers. * Evenorides, from Zacynthus, came with other 43 wooers. ...

Clytius Clytius ( Ancient Greek: Κλυτίος), also spelled Klythios, Klytios, Clytios, and Klytius, is the name of multiple people in Greek mythology: * Clytius, one of the Giants, sons of Gaia, killed by Hecate during the Gigantomachy, the battle of ...

# Agenor # Eurypylus # Pylaemenes # Acamas #

Thersilochus In Greek mythology, Thersilochus ( grc, Θερσίλοχος) may refer to three different figures: * Thersilochus, the Trojan son of AntenorVirgil, ''Aeneid'' 6.484 and Theano. His siblings were Crino, Acamas, Agenor, Antheus, Archelochus, Coö ...

# Hagius #

Clymenus In Greek mythology, Clymenus (; grc, Κλύμενος, Klúmenos} means "notorious" or "renowned") may refer to multiple individuals: *Clymenus, a son of Phoroneus by either Cerdo or Teledice or Cinna. He and his sister Chthonia founded a sanctu ...

# Philodemus # Meneptolemus # Damastor #

Bias Bias is a disproportionate weight ''in favor of'' or ''against'' an idea or thing, usually in a way that is closed-minded, prejudicial, or unfair. Biases can be innate or learned. People may develop biases for or against an individual, a group ...

# Telmius # Polyidus # Astylochus # Schedius # Antigonus # Marpsius #

Iphidamas In Greek mythology, the name Iphidamas ( Ancient Greek: Ἰφιδάμας, gen. Ἰφιδάμαντος) may refer to: * Iphidamas, also known as Amphidamas, son of Aleus and counted as one of the Argonauts. * Iphidamas (or Amphidamas), a son of B ...

# Argius # Glaucus # Calydoneus #

Echion In Greek mythology, the name Echion ( Ancient Greek: Ἐχῑ́ων (''gen''.: Ἐχίονος), derivative of ἔχις ''echis'' "viper") referred to five different beings: *Echion, one of the Gigantes, known for great strength (though not nece ...

# Lamas # Andraemon # Agerochus #

Medon Medon may refer to: * Medon (mythology), any of several persons with the name in Greek mythology * Medon (beetle), a genus in the family Staphylinidae * Médon, a town in Ivory Coast * Medon, Tennessee, a city in Madison County * Medon, a synonym ...

# Agrius # Promus #

Ctesius In Greek mythology, Ctesius ( Ancient Greek: Κτήσιος means 'belonging to property, acquisition') may refer to three distinct characters: * Ctesius, king of the island called Syria and son of Ormenus. He was the father of Eumaeus. * Ctesiu ...

# Acarnan # Cycnus # Pseras # Hellanicus # Periphron # Megasthenes # Thrasymedes #

Ormenius Ormenium ( grc, Ὀρμένιον) was a town of ancient Thessaly, mentioned in the Catalogue of Ships in Homer's ''Iliad'', along with Hypereia and Asterium, as belonging to Eurypylus. In Greek mythology, it was said to have been founded by Orme ...

# Diopithes # Mecisteus # Antimachus #

Ptolemaeus Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importance ...

# Lestorides #

Nicomachus Nicomachus of Gerasa ( grc-gre, Νικόμαχος; c. 60 – c. 120 AD) was an important ancient mathematician and music theorist, best known for his works '' Introduction to Arithmetic'' and '' Manual of Harmonics'' in Greek. He was bo ...

# Polypoetes # Ceraus 23 from Same # Agelaus #

Peisander Peisander (; el, Πείσανδρος) of Camirus in Rhodes, Ancient Greek epic poet, supposed to have flourished about 640 BC. Biography Peisander was the author of a ''Heracleia'' (Ἡράκλεια), in which he introduced a new conception o ...

# Elatus #

# Hippodochus # Eurystratus # Archemolus # Ithacus #

Peisenor In Greek mythology, the name Peisenor or Pisenor (Ancient Greek: Πεισήνωρ) may refer to: *Peisenor, a Centaur who attended the wedding of Pirithous and Hippodamia. *Peisenor, the Trojan father of Cleitus and Chlemus, who were killed by Te ...

# Hyperenor # Pheroetes #

Antisthenes Antisthenes (; el, Ἀντισθένης; 446 366 BCE) was a Greek philosopher and a pupil of Socrates. Antisthenes first learned rhetoric under Gorgias before becoming an ardent disciple of Socrates. He adopted and developed the ethical side ...

# Cerberus # Perimedes # Cynnus # Thriasus # Eteoneus #

# Prothous #

Lycaethus Lycaethus ( Ancient Greek: Λύκαιθος) is a name that refers to the following figures in Greek mythology: *Lycaethus, father of Creon, king of Corinth, father of Glauce and Hippotes. *Lycaethus, a son of King Hippocoon of Sparta, usurper of ...

# Eumelus # Itanus # Lyammus 44 from Zacynthus # Eurylochus # Laomedes # Molebus # Phrenius # Indius # Minis #

Leiocritus Leiocritus ( grc, Λειώκριτος) or Leocritus (Λεώκριτός) was the name of three characters in Greek mythology: *Leocritus, the Trojan son of Polydamas. He participated in the Trojan War and was killed by Odysseus. *Leiocritus, so ...

# Pronomus # Nisas # Daemon # Archestratus #

Hippomachus Hippomachus or Hippomakhos or Hippomachos ( Ancient Greek: Ἱππόμαχον or Ἱππόμαχος means "fighting on horseback, trooper") may refer to: * Hippomachus, a Trojan warrior and son of Antimachus. He was the brother of Hippolochus, ...

# Euryalus # Periallus #

# Agenor # Polybus # Polydorus # Thadytius # Stratius # Phrenius # Indius # Daesenor # Laomedon #

Laodicus In Greek mythology, Laodicus ( Ancient Greek: Λαόδικος means 'tried by the people') may refer to the following figures: *Laodicus, father of Theognete, one of the possible mothers of Jason by Aeson. *Laodicus, father of Europe who was o ...

# Halius # Magnes # Oloetrochus # Barthas # Theophron # Nissaeus # Alcarops # Periclymenus # Antenor # Pellas # Celtus #

Periphas Periphas (; Ancient Greek: Περίφᾱς ''Períphās'' means 'conspicuousness') in Greek mythology may refer to: * Periphas, a legendary king of Attica who Zeus turned into an eagle. *Periphas, an Egyptian prince as one of the sons of King A ...

Ormenus In Greek mythology Ormenus or Ormenos ( Ancient Greek: Ὄρμενος) is the name of eight men. * Ormenus, one of the Telchines. *Ormenus, king of Ormenion in Thessaly and son of Cercaphus. He was the father of Amyntor and Euaemon. *Ormenus, ...

# Polybus # Andromedes 12 from Ithaca #

Pronous ''Pronous'' is a genus of South American and African orb-weaver spiders first described by Eugen von Keyserling in 1881. Species it contains sixteen species: *'' Pronous affinis'' Simon, 1901 – Malaysia *'' Pronous beatus'' ( O. Pickard-Cam ...

# Leiodes # Eurynomus # Amphimachus #

Amphialus In Greek mythology, Amphialus or Amphialos ( Ancient Greek: Άμφίαλος means 'of two seas') may refer to the following figures: * Amphialus, son of Neoptolemus and Andromache. * Amphialus, a man in the crew of Menelaus during his return from ...

Promachus In Greek mythology and history, Promachus (; Ancient Greek: Πρόμαχος; English translation: "who leads in battle" or "champion") is a name that refers to several different people. ''Mythology'' *Promachus, son of Aeson. King of Iolcus, ...

# Aristratus # Helenus # Dulicheus #

Notes

References

, ''The Library'' with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. ISBN 0-674-99135-4
Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.Greek text available from the same website
*

, ''The Odyssey'' with an English Translation by A.T. Murray, Ph.D. in two volumes. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1919.
Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.Greek text available from the same website

External links

{{Characters in the Odyssey Characters in the Odyssey Marriage in classical antiquity