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Odysseus' Travels
Characters
The Trojan War
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On this page I'll include information about the characters in the Odyssey. I will include the Human Characters and the Gods in the Odyssey.

Men of the Odyssey

Odysseus

Odysseus is the King of Ithaca. Shortly after his son Telemachus is born, he has to go fight in the Trojan War. It takes him 20 years to return back to Ithaca. He is a clever master, mostly why he is king.
 

Telemachus
 
Telemachus is Odysseus' and Penelope's only son. He grows up to want to fight for Greece and be like his father.

Laertes
 
Odyssey's father.

Poseidon
 
God of the Sea. Poseidon makes Odysseus trip from Troy harder because he hurt Polyphemus, his son.

Zeus
 
God of the gods. Athena's father. Lets Athena help Odysseus.
 
Antinous
 
He is the most obnoxious suitor of them all. Trys to kill Telemachus with Eurymachus, and he is also the first suitor slain.
 
Eurymachus
 
Goes along with Antinous's ideas, and is also a suitor.
 
Eumaeus
 
He is a Servant to Odysseus. Eumaeus is keeper of the livestock and is also in charge of Telemachus while Odysseus travels the seas.
 
Polyphemus
 
A cyclopes. Trys to eat Odysseus and his men, who escape by tying themselves to Polyphemus' sheep. Odysseus blinds him.
Cyclopes
 
A race of one eyed giants.
 
Menelaus
 
His wife, Helen, is the supposed cause of the Trojan War, though most are not sure. He went along with Odysseus during his way to Troy. Menelaus is the King of Sparta.
 
Nestor
 
Like Menelaus, Nestor also helped Odysseus win the Trojan War. Nestor is the King of Pylos.
 
Tiresias
 
Tiresias lives in the Underworld, which of course makes him dead. Odysseus is sent to Hades to help him find his way back to Ithacha. Like Odysseus, Tiresias was also Greek.
 
Hermes
 
Hermes is named the Messenger God. He is required to help down in Hades with the dead spirits. Hermes is the one who helps Odysseus set free of Calypso's power.
 
Aeolus
 
Deemed the God of the Winds. A bag of bad winds, and high spirits should have guided Odysseus and his crew home to Ithaca. The angry sailormen thought Odysseus was holding out on them so they opened up Aelous' bag of bad winds.
 
 
 

Zeus
 
God of the gods. Athena's father. Lets Athena help Odysseus.
 
Antinous
 
First suitor killed. He is the most obnoxious suitor of them all. Trys to kill Telemachus.
 
Eurymachus
 
Goes along with Antinous's ideas, and is also a suitor.
 
Eumaeus
 
Faithful servant to Odysseus. Takes care of Telemachus while Odysseus is away at Troy.
 
Polyphemus
 
A cyclopes. Trys to eat Odysseus and his men, who escape by tying themselves to Polyphemus' sheep. Odysseus blinds him.
 
Cyclopes
 
A race of one eyed giants.
 
Agamemnon
 
Being a king, doesnt mean that you dont have problems.  When King Agamemnon of Mycenae returned to his home from helping Odysseus, he was killed by his wife and her boyfriend.
 
Eurylochus
 
Odysseus' main man.
 
Pesistratus
 
Friends of Odysseus' son Telemachus, and also King Nestor's son.
 
 
 
 

Women of the Odyssey

Penelope
 
Odysseus' wife and Mother of Telemachus. The example of a perfect wife.

Athena
 
Zeus's daughter. Help's Odysseus on his journey from Ithaca to Troy and back to Ithaca. She also helps Telemachus safetly back to Ithaca after his journey to find his father. Goddess of Wisdom.

Penelope
 
Wife of Odysseus and mother of Telemachus. Penelope tries to keep her cool when 108 suitors show up to her house to ask for her hand in marriage.
 
Eurycleia 
 
Faithful servant to Odysseus and Penelope. She is the one who nursed Telemachus. She keeps Odysseus' return a secret from Penelope . She knows her masters very well, considering she recognized Odysseus from the scar on his leg upon his return from Ithaca.
 
Calypso
 
A nymph who falls head over heals for Odysseus. She hasnt seen a man since she started her own island overtaken by women. Holds Odysseus prisoner for 7 years until Hermes insists to let him go.
 
Circe 
 
Makes men into pigs. The Messenger god gives Odysseus a plant to not be bewitched by her spells. Is forced to stay with her for a year.
 
 
Anticleia
 
Odysseus' mother who committed suicide after Odysseus' did not return from Ihtaca.
 
Arete
 
Wife of Alcinous, King of Phaecians which makes her Queen of the Phaecians.
 
 
Helen
 
Helen is the supposed start of the Trojan War by being kidnapped by Paris. She is the cousin of Odysseus' wife Penelope, and wife of Menelaus.
 
Nausicaa
 
Nausciaa helped Odysseus when he became shipwrecked. Nausciaa is the daughter of Alcinous and Arete.
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