February 16, 2026 • 31 mins
An in-depth exploration of Odysseus, King of Ithaka. We trace his early life, the roots of his cunning, and the shaping of a mind that would outwit kings and gods. And we ask the question that still matters: why Penelope was the choice that defined him.
Explore more Greek myth and epic retellings:
The Homeric Chronicles, an adult fantasy series inspired by Greek mythology and the Trojan War.
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Explore more Greek myth and epic retellings:
The Homeric Chronicles, an adult fantasy series inspired by Greek mythology and the Trojan War.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:21):
Welcome back, murmered Ons to another episode of Greek Mythology
Retold podcast. I hope you and yours are experiencing an
abundance of peace and prosperity today and in the days
to come. This begins a three part series on one
of my favorite Trojan War characters and one of the
(00:42):
most popular superman of Greek mythology, Odysseus of Ithaca. His
story intrigues us as we contemplate the age old question
of what it means to be human and flawed and
if we're honest with ourselves. We enjoy reading about someone
who can think themselves out of a jam. Time and
(01:02):
time again. It seems that every generation reinvents and re
examines Odysseus and his journey through the ten years of siege, warfare,
fantastical trials and temptations, and his journey for one woman,
his wife, Penelope, and of course home. In nineteen ninety seven,
we saw Odysseus in the TV series The Odyssey in
(01:24):
Troy two thousand and four, odysseus Voyage to the Underworld
in two thousand and eight, and Troy the Odyssey in
twenty seventeen, and the twenty eighteen Netflix production of Troy
Fall of a City, and in twenty twenty six we
will get yet another interpretation by Christopher Nolan in his
film The Odyssey. I for one hope it meets all
(01:48):
of the hype. For those of us who love Homer,
we might be the most critical of how these stories
are portrayed because we have developed personal connections with the
characters that we love in them. Like Odysseus, each portrayal
gave us a unique look at the many layers of
the King of Ithaca. We see Odysseus the trickster, the
(02:11):
silver tongued and his last talked about ruthless side. What
we will see from Nolan's upcoming film is anyone's guests.
But I am sure that we are here for whatever
it may be. His story has been retold in books
as well as film. Some classics are King of Ithaca
by Glynn Eiliff and Black Sales Before Troy by Rosemary Sutcliffe.
(02:31):
Most recently, You Are Odysseus by l. Jenkins Brown, where
the reader steps into Odysseus's sandals and decides which way
to turn. Odysseus is also featured as a main character
in Madeline Miller Circe, and of course in my Homeric
Chronicle series, with the last three novels locking in on
(02:52):
Odysseus from the end of the Trojan War to his
death at the hands of his son Teleganus. And there
was the most recently produced Off Broadway play Twelve Maids,
written and produced by Amanda Fischler, exploring the experience of
the maids and Odysseus's wrath when he returns, and how
(03:12):
can I overlook the wildly popular epic the musical produced
by Jorge Rivera Herons, following the roller coaster of Odysseus's life.
What is this continuing fascination with Odysseus about? For starters,
Homer gave Us the thinking man's hero after we had Achilles,
who was every man's warrior in the Iliad. Although physical
(03:36):
prowess was admired among the Greeks, we see that Odysseus
was admired for his mental strength and his cunning. Odysseus
is credited with the design of the Trojan horse and
implementing the behind enemy lines ambush of Troy, which we
will get too later. It's Odysseus's ability to roll with
(03:56):
the punches that we admire. He is the epitome of
human endurance, where adaptability and intellect trump brute strength. Perhaps
somewhere in our collective mind we know that we can't
all be the strongest like Achilles, and the nature of
Odysseus feels perhaps more relatable. But where does Odysseus get
(04:19):
all of this cunning? We need look no farther than
his parents his mother, to be exact. Odysseus's father was Laertes,
son of Arcissius and Chalcolmedusa, and his mother was Antichlia,
daughter of Atilicus and Amphithia. Of all Odysseus's grandparents, Atilicus
(04:40):
is probably the most interesting and influential ancestral figure. It's
presumably through his grandfather Atilicus that Odysseus learns about bending
the truth to serve his purpose and how to be
a successful thief. In Book nineteen of the Odyssey, lines
three ninety five to three ninety seven, we read that
(05:00):
Attilocus excelled all men in thieving and perjury, for Hermes
himself had given him these arts. End quote. It was
said that Attilochus could never be caught, which is probably
how he stockpiled a good deal of his possessions, and
why people held grudges against him. Pseudo Apollodorus in the
Library one nine sixteen makes the claim that Hermes is
(05:23):
actually Attilicus's father, which would make Odysseus Herme's great grandson.
Such a divine lineage, whether directly or indirectly acquired, neatly
explains Odysseus's natural cleverness, the wily Odysseus, his love of
wordplay the I'm nobody used with the Cyclops, and his
(05:44):
gift for disguise the beggar rus used to infiltrate behind
enemy lines like with the Suitors, or to deceive someone
like a young Achilles in Scyros. So it seems that
cunning ran in Odysseus's blood, learning various tricks of deceit,
not as criminal acts, but as art kind of like
(06:04):
Ocean's eleven. They were skilled artists of the complex heist,
to be admired for what they could pull off that
nobody else could, maybe even like the Spartans training young
boys in the Agogi to steal and not get caught,
the honor resting in not getting caught. From the Odyssey
book nineteen lines three ninety two four seventy. Homer recounts
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how Odysseus got his name and the boar hunting incident
that resulted in Odysseus's famous scar. The story goes that
Attilicus lived on Mount Parnassis and came to Ithaca when
his daughter Antiklia gave birth to the long awaited and
much wanted child. Being that childbirth was a precarious time
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in a Bronze age woman's life, it's not surprising that
a caring, doting father would have made the long journey
to Ithaca to his daughter. If you're interested in learning
more about Bronze age childbirth, I highly recommend doctor Emily
Hauser's book Penelope's Bones. Anyway, it was Euryclea, Odysseus's nursemaid,
(07:12):
who brought the newborn grandson and laid him on Atiloicus's lap.
He was given the honor of naming his daughter's precious son.
From Emily Wilson's translation, we read name him this. I
am disliked by many across the world, and I dislike
them back. Okay, I want to pause right here. Attilicus
(07:33):
is a hater. He steals things, gets away with it,
and he pisss people off and they don't like him.
He takes zero accountability for why people might dislike him.
So and he says continuing, I don't like them either.
He's blunt, no doubt. Then he says, name him, meaning
the baby Odysseus, and when he is a man, let
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him come to his mother's people's house by Mount Parnassus.
I will give him treasure and send him home rejoicing.
Odysseus means the angry one, or he who is hated,
so his life is fulfilling this meaning. Years later, Odysseus
travels to Parnassus to visit his grandparents and uncles and
(08:18):
to receive the gifts that he was promised. He is
received by his maternal family as a favored son, embraced
by his grandmother Amphythia in a hug that was so
big that her arms are described as wrapping around him
like vines. As a nonah of five, myself, I can
say this is the ultimate vibe anyway. After the night
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of celebration, with the ancient equivalent of the family barbecue
and flowing wine, the men get up and set out
on a boar hunt. Homer describes Odysseus as running out
in front of the group, keeping up with the hounds.
He comes across the boar's layer before anyone else, and
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this boar is a beast, tall bristles, red eyes, giant
white tusks. The boar charges him. He levels his spear,
but not before the boar gores him above the knee,
taking out a hunk of muscle. He manages to kill
it by the time his uncles catch up. They bind
his leg, and they heap accolades on their young nephew.
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Atilochus couldn't have been prouder. I can see it now,
a young Odysseus beaming under the praise. It was a
bit reckless to run ahead, But if he's a teenager,
that sounds about right, doesn't it. At a certain age,
you believe you're invincible until an incident shows you that
you aren't. But this firmly establishes that a young Odysseus
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was a skilled hunter and foreshadows his military prowess. This
is the Odysseus who will years from now revel in danger,
often without regard for his companions, sailing from place to place,
seeking home, but endangering everyone along for the ride. What
else was the young Odysseus up to on Ithaca besides
(10:09):
learning to deceive and be an adrenaline junkie. The Odyssey
opens with the much discussed line of sing to me
of the man muse of many turns, describing who Odysseus
was both physically and mentally through the word polytropos. Polly
is many, and tropos means to turn or to change,
(10:32):
or to convert, so polytropos literally means many turning, much twisting,
or of many ways. The ancient usage straddles both the
physical and mental turning and twisting that Odysseus does throughout
the Odyssey, as in turning a ship, changing course, and
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also being able to change his mind, adapt and be
resourceful or quick thinking to save his skin. Polytropos describes
someone who can maneuver in every sense, so when Homer
calls Odysseus polytropos, he's implying he's a man who can
turn his mind and his hands in any direction the
(11:17):
world requires that he can maguiver his way out of anything,
both by thinking up and creating or building the means
to achieve the goal. That's why the epithet sits beside
others like Polymytes of many wiles and Polymychonos of many contrivances,
all part of the same semantic field of techni or
(11:41):
craft skill and meetus the cunning and intelligence. In today's world,
we tend to think of an either or scenario, as
in someone was either a thinker or a doer, but
in Odysseus's case, the implication is that he was both.
Later in life, Odysseus is credited with many skills relating
(12:02):
to shipbuilding, navigating, and engineering, and it's likely that these
early skill sets were developed on Ithaca while he was
growing up. Ithaca being an island, would have necessitated that
young men learned all aspects of boats and sailing. In
the Odyssey, Odysseus captains his own ship and is the
(12:23):
commander of twelve ships, and this would be a testament
to his seamanship. Having grown up on an island with
a father who was also a sailor. There are things
about living on an island that just dictate the way
that you live. You're always in the water, you're swimming,
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you're on a boat, you learn how to sail. It's
just becomes part of the things that you do every day.
So I can imagine that a young Odysseus would have
been at the shore quite often, would have been learning
how to build ships, and would have spent a lot
(13:05):
of time around the water. We get a glimpse of
the possibilities of what Odysseus may have been up to
on the island in the Odyssey book five, lines two
twenty eight through two sixty two, when Odysseus is actually
on Calypso's island. When the Goddess finally releases him, she
doesn't provide the ship or the vessel, or the raft
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or anything. Odysseus has to build it himself, and we
read he felled twenty trees with the axe, smoothed them skillfully,
and made them straight to line. He fitted them together
with pegs and mortises, bound them fast. He built decks
and sides, and set up masts and a steering oar.
(13:48):
This passage clearly presents him as both a craftsman and navigator.
He's nothing if not a survivor. He built a small
ship with a deck and sides, and this is more
than him lashing logs together with a rope. This is
a complex set of skills that would take years to hone.
(14:09):
This is further evidence of his craftsmanship and engineering skills
that we will see later with the Trojan Horse story.
The sources have subtle variances, but the overall picture is
that he designed and built it and led a team
behind enemy lines. The Little Iliad explicitly states that Odysseus
was the mastermind behind the Wooden Horse, while it was Epeius,
(14:30):
with a little nudge from Athena, who actually built it.
Apollodorus Library Epitome five, fourteen two five nineteen follows this
same narrative, naming Odysseus as leading the ambush. So clearly
Odysseus is considered a master builder and a strategist. Another
illustration of how Odysseus exercised his polytrophos was his attempt
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at avoiding the draft into Agamemnon's war against Troy. According
to Apollodorus Epitome seven and thirty eight, Odysseus fakes insanity
by plowing the beach with salt, presumably because he was
warned by Halitherses that if he went to Troy, he
would be gone a long time and return alone. I
say presumably because in the Odyssey book two lines one
(15:17):
seventy four to one seventy six, Helletherses warns the suitors
that he had foreseen Odysseus's troubles and that he would
return in the twentieth year, which was fast approaching. It
is highly likely, given the friendship between the seer and Odysseus,
that the king had been warned, which is why he
tried so hard to avoid going in the first place.
(15:39):
He was, in the end unsuccessful, and perhaps this is
the first time that we see Odysseus as a defire
of fate and the gods. In Song of Sacrifice, I
give the scene of Odysseus trying to outmaneuver Agamemnon from
two points of view. The first is from Menelaus on
his ship, and the second from Odysseus on the beach
(16:00):
the bow of his anchorship. Menilaus watched the king of Ithaca.
He hit the elbow of Thalpius as he pointed to
the shore. What's he doing? Look? There, isn't that Odysseus.
Thalpius mouth hung agape? Is he plowing the beach? Menelaus
shook his head. What an idiot? The gods must have
(16:23):
stirred his mind to madness. Thalpius concurred. A small group
of curious rowers crowded around Menelaus to watch the lunacy
on the beach. Menilaus grabbed Alpius by the forearm. Look,
Palomedes is coming. What's that in his arms? I can't
quite make it out. Looks like a bundle of cloth.
(16:46):
The Spartan king leaned over the rail, squinting his eyes
against the sun. He's laying it on the ground in
front of Odysseus's plow. What in Hades is he up to?
All of the spectators were riveted to the scene, watching
intently as Palamedes walked clear of Odysseus's next past with
the plow. Whatever it is, Odysseus is going to turn
(17:09):
it under the sand with the next row. Thalpius crossed
his arms. What an idiot? Menelaus grabbed Aalpius's shoulder. Look
he stopped by the gods he pulled the oxen short
of whatever that is? Why is he just standing there?
Thalpius asked, confusion, wrinkling his brow. The onlookers murmured amongst themselves, Ah, Gods,
(17:35):
I wish I could hear what they're saying. Menilaus said,
Odysseus hadn't anticipated this counter maneuver. He'd heard the thin
cries of a newborn baby coming from the gift Palamedes
ceremoniously placed in front of him. He'd recognized the purple
trim on the weaving, and he knew instantly it was
his son, to Lemachus. So Agamemnon was putting him through
(18:00):
a test of his own. The choices were plain enough
to Odysseus. He could kill his son and remain with Penelope,
losing everything that he held most dear forever. Or he
could reveal his sanity, save his son, and save his family,
only to lose them for twenty years. He pulled the
seed bag off his shoulder, letting it sag to the ground,
(18:22):
spilling the precious salt. He dropped the oxen's reins, their
hoofs sinking into the soft sand. The heavy beasts snorted
and their nostrils flared, sniffing the tangy sea air. Slowly,
Odysseus gently scooped up the swaddled bundle, hugging it to
his chest. With a hand calloused by ship building and
(18:44):
farm work, he tenderly lifted a corner of the blanket.
His tiny son's face squinted in the bright light. Before
wailing loudly. Odysseus abandoned the salt bag, the oxen, the plow,
and his hopes of avoiding war on the shore him.
As the young king walked up the beach, cradling the
baby with one strong arm, he locked eyes with Palamedes,
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who stood with arms crossed over his chest in smug satisfaction.
When Odysseus was shoulder to shoulder with him, he stopped
and faced him. You've cost me, my wife and my son.
You watch yourself, my friend. I might be gone for years,
but you'll never see home again. By athena Ah, make
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sure of that. Palamedes' eyes rounded, but he said nothing clearly.
This plowing the beach story is intended to show Odysseus's
cunning as a strength and as a curse. It's a
curse because his cunning leads him to believe that through
his sheer will, he can outwit fate. Agamemnon weaponized this
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trait multiple times during the war by sending him on
crucial mis bis, were the war's outcome depended on Odysseus
to do what he did best, and Odysseus was the
one who tricked Achilles into giving himself up on Skyro's,
got Chrysaeus to accept Agamemnon's apology, persuaded Neoptolemus to join
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the war, and cajoled Philip Tetes to pick up his
bow and arrow to help the Greeks win the war
after they had previously abandoned him. And what discussion of
Odysseus would not be complete without talking about his choice
of wife, Penelope and why she was the one for
(20:36):
our wily young king. Odysseus had gone to Sparta, like
so many other noblemen, princes and kings, with Helen's hand
at stake. Why did he choose her cousin Penelope instead?
I can imagine that for someone like Odysseus, he would
be attracted to someone's mind, not just beauty or pedigree. Well,
a hundred men were ogling and drooling over Helen. He
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was taken by the quiet Princess. Penelope was the daughter
of Ecarius, who in most traditions is a prince of Sparta.
This makes Penelope more than some minor noble She comes
from the same heroic family as Helen and was raised
in the intrigues of the Spartan court. This would position
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her to become a very powerful queen because she would
have the political training and experience the mental discipline. And
as we see in the Odyssey, he did choose wisely
because she was able to outmaneuver these suitors and their
families for years. All of this would not have been
(21:40):
lost on a young Odysseus. When he met Penelope. He
was likely drawn to her for all of these reasons,
and once he set his sights on Penelope, her father
would only consent if he won a foot race against
any of the other suitors. In Song of Sacrifice, chapter
fifty three, I tell a new story about Odysseus's cunning
(22:02):
driven by his jealousy. Here's Odysseus executing his strategy to
win the race so that he would be the one
to claim Penelope. Odysseus worried after Penelope's secret messenger informed
him of Vicarius's terms. What could a Carreus have against him?
Why not agreed to the betrothal. In the dowry, his
(22:25):
daughter would be a queen. Why is that not enough?
If he lost, Penelope would belong to another man. Suspecting
his competition would be chosen from among the losing stragglers
of Helen's suitors, he made his way to the outer courtyard,
where he knew they camped. Hospitality dictate they could remain
for a fortnight or longer too. Sir waved him over, Odysseus,
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come join us. Nodding, the sly young king smiled and
took his seat at the crowded table. I was hoping
to find someone awake, he said, whisking an amphor from
the table and drinking. He feigned a hearty gulp from
the tall jar. Yes, join us for the most delicious wine.
I believe old and Darius has hidden the best doors
(23:12):
from us. Patrick Les slurred slightly as he drank deeply
from his wide brimmed cup. But it won't stop me
from drinking it, the men laughed. Odysseus sized them up
around the table. Two Sir has heavy legs. He feigned
another gulp, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand.
Patrick Les is already drunk, but he's swift as the wind.
(23:34):
That could be a problem. If he shakes free of
the heavy head, he's sure to wake with patrick LESE
your cup is nearly empty, patrick Les laughed, squinting at it.
So it is. He shook an amphora, then hurled it
to the ground, where it shattered empty. Odysseus held out
the jar in his hands. Allow me, my friend. He
(23:57):
filled patrick Lea's cup to the rim gratitude, Odysseus generous.
Odysseus say, I heard it was you who put the
oath idea in ten Darius head shrugging. Odysseus said, Tendarius
keeps his own counsel. Perhaps it was Diomedes. Diomedes spat
(24:19):
out a mouthful of wine. Ah, look what you made
me do. Still can't believe I took that damned oath.
Swinging another gulp, he stood and stretched his limbs. But
my consolation will be the lovely Penelope. Odysseus eyes nearly
fell out of his sockets. A dina. Diomedes was carved
(24:43):
like a god, tall, wide through the shoulders, all muscle
and youth. His beard was merely more than a shadow
along his jaw ah, the mark of a man newly
coming to his strength. He moved as though nothing in
the world had yet checked him. If he is Victor,
Odysseus couldn't even finish the thought, you will have to
(25:04):
win that race first. Drunken laughter sounded round the table.
Diomedes laughed loudest, and then finished his wine. I'm for sleep.
I have a race to win tomorrow, as our lord
Odysseus has reminded me. So soon, Odysseus, godd you are
the youngest here will gonna let it be said that
(25:26):
a bunch of old men can drink more than that
giant Diamedes more drunken laughter, Diomedes scoffed at the idea. Ah,
poor the wine, old man, Odysseus, Poor Diomedes a generous cup,
fainting another heavy draft for himself. Tyndarius is definitely keeping
(25:47):
the best of his stores from us. Who else has
entered the race for Ecarius's daughter too, Sir grinned, I'd
take Ecarius's daughter any night. Diomedes snorted. The Trojans even
know how to keep a woman satisfied. Two Sir slammed
his cup down. I'm as Greek as any of you bastards,
(26:09):
and I can satisfy any woman foolish enough to doubt it.
A short stout man named Eumelius nodded. I won't pass
it up. I'm not likely to win, but who knows
who the gods will favor? Tu sir said, there's the
sharp truth of the matter. Clydius, the eldest of the
gathered men, added, the gods love to cut us with
(26:32):
their truths. We busy with suffering, bleed for their amusement.
Patrickles nodded that gods bend us over every chance they get,
not all of us. Eumelius said, you should be wary
of speaking such things aloud, Patricklis, you suppose the gods
can't hear you. Patricles looked up into the night, twinkling
(26:56):
with silver jewels. Are you listening up there? If i've
a you strike me down. Everyone held their breath, expecting
Patrickles to be struck down by a lightning bolt, or
a spear, or a plague. But nothing happened. In the
silence they sleep, Patricles said, reaching to pull the wax
(27:17):
plug from afresh Amphora wine cups were raised again. Wine
splashed onto the table. Odysseus smiled behind his hand. Good
keep drinking. I was sorry to hear about your brother. Clydius.
The old man's eyes shone. Iphetus deserved better than what
(27:39):
Heracles gave him. Do you still have that bow he
gifted you? It hangs in my hall? Odysseus said, that
was my first true adventure and his last. Odysseus lifted
his cup to Iphis. They drank deeply. When Don's rosy
fingers crept across the sky, the suitors finally staggered off
(28:02):
to their beds. To a man unsteady, heavy limbed, and
dulled by excess, Odysseus watched the courtyard empty, then turned
away without a word, and went to claim what little
sleep he could. As we know, Odysseus wins the race
and marries Penelope. These two, Odysseus and Penelope are bound
(28:27):
not by sentimentality or appearance, but by their intellect. Their
relationship is a continual exchange of tests and riddles and deceptions,
where recognition comes through mental parity rather than just emotion,
Where recognition comes through mental parity rather than just emotion.
(28:48):
When he returns, two tests stand between them. First, they speak,
and she welcomes the beggar Odysseus and extends the required hospitality.
Then sets up the bow challenge, knowing only her Odysseus
could do the impossible task. Then she tests Odysseus by
(29:09):
telling him their marriage bed will be moved out into
the hall because he won't be sleeping with her because
too many men have tried to trick her. This is
when Odysseus blows a gasket and he tells her that
no one could move the bed because it was rooted
to the ground, and he should know because he built it.
Only then, after the tests had all been passed, where
(29:31):
Odysseus and Penelope reunited. The long twenty years of longing
and hoping were finally over, and he is drawn to
minds that can meet his own strategy. Wit and Meetus
are the true language of his desire. Their reunion unfolds
as an intellectual reckoning before it becomes an emotional one,
(29:54):
a deliberate choice by Homer that shows love for Odysseus
requires e quality of mind. Penelope is irreplaceable not just
because she waited, but because she understood him and proved
it time and time again. Well that's part one of
(30:15):
two for Odysseus, the Trickster King, and I hope that
you have enjoyed diving into Odysseus's cunning and wiley roots
and his mental match with Penelope. The next part of
The Trickster King will focus on Odysseus's time in the
Trojan War. As always, I thank you for listening and
(30:35):
supporting Greek Mythology Retold. Please give a like or rating
on your favorite podcast platform, and feel free to reach
out on social media with any comments or questions that
you might have. I do love to hear from you.
Well that's it for now, so drink your wine and
be merry. Mrmad's condu
Welcome back, murmered Ons to another episode of Greek Mythology
Retold podcast. I hope you and yours are experiencing an
abundance of peace and prosperity today and in the days
to come. This begins a three part series on one
of my favorite Trojan War characters and one of the
(00:42):
most popular superman of Greek mythology, Odysseus of Ithaca. His
story intrigues us as we contemplate the age old question
of what it means to be human and flawed and
if we're honest with ourselves. We enjoy reading about someone
who can think themselves out of a jam. Time and
(01:02):
time again. It seems that every generation reinvents and re
examines Odysseus and his journey through the ten years of siege, warfare,
fantastical trials and temptations, and his journey for one woman,
his wife, Penelope, and of course home. In nineteen ninety seven,
we saw Odysseus in the TV series The Odyssey in
(01:24):
Troy two thousand and four, odysseus Voyage to the Underworld
in two thousand and eight, and Troy the Odyssey in
twenty seventeen, and the twenty eighteen Netflix production of Troy
Fall of a City, and in twenty twenty six we
will get yet another interpretation by Christopher Nolan in his
film The Odyssey. I for one hope it meets all
(01:48):
of the hype. For those of us who love Homer,
we might be the most critical of how these stories
are portrayed because we have developed personal connections with the
characters that we love in them. Like Odysseus, each portrayal
gave us a unique look at the many layers of
the King of Ithaca. We see Odysseus the trickster, the
(02:11):
silver tongued and his last talked about ruthless side. What
we will see from Nolan's upcoming film is anyone's guests.
But I am sure that we are here for whatever
it may be. His story has been retold in books
as well as film. Some classics are King of Ithaca
by Glynn Eiliff and Black Sales Before Troy by Rosemary Sutcliffe.
(02:31):
Most recently, You Are Odysseus by l. Jenkins Brown, where
the reader steps into Odysseus's sandals and decides which way
to turn. Odysseus is also featured as a main character
in Madeline Miller Circe, and of course in my Homeric
Chronicle series, with the last three novels locking in on
(02:52):
Odysseus from the end of the Trojan War to his
death at the hands of his son Teleganus. And there
was the most recently produced Off Broadway play Twelve Maids,
written and produced by Amanda Fischler, exploring the experience of
the maids and Odysseus's wrath when he returns, and how
(03:12):
can I overlook the wildly popular epic the musical produced
by Jorge Rivera Herons, following the roller coaster of Odysseus's life.
What is this continuing fascination with Odysseus about? For starters,
Homer gave Us the thinking man's hero after we had Achilles,
who was every man's warrior in the Iliad. Although physical
(03:36):
prowess was admired among the Greeks, we see that Odysseus
was admired for his mental strength and his cunning. Odysseus
is credited with the design of the Trojan horse and
implementing the behind enemy lines ambush of Troy, which we
will get too later. It's Odysseus's ability to roll with
(03:56):
the punches that we admire. He is the epitome of
human endurance, where adaptability and intellect trump brute strength. Perhaps
somewhere in our collective mind we know that we can't
all be the strongest like Achilles, and the nature of
Odysseus feels perhaps more relatable. But where does Odysseus get
(04:19):
all of this cunning? We need look no farther than
his parents his mother, to be exact. Odysseus's father was Laertes,
son of Arcissius and Chalcolmedusa, and his mother was Antichlia,
daughter of Atilicus and Amphithia. Of all Odysseus's grandparents, Atilicus
(04:40):
is probably the most interesting and influential ancestral figure. It's
presumably through his grandfather Atilicus that Odysseus learns about bending
the truth to serve his purpose and how to be
a successful thief. In Book nineteen of the Odyssey, lines
three ninety five to three ninety seven, we read that
(05:00):
Attilocus excelled all men in thieving and perjury, for Hermes
himself had given him these arts. End quote. It was
said that Attilochus could never be caught, which is probably
how he stockpiled a good deal of his possessions, and
why people held grudges against him. Pseudo Apollodorus in the
Library one nine sixteen makes the claim that Hermes is
(05:23):
actually Attilicus's father, which would make Odysseus Herme's great grandson.
Such a divine lineage, whether directly or indirectly acquired, neatly
explains Odysseus's natural cleverness, the wily Odysseus, his love of
wordplay the I'm nobody used with the Cyclops, and his
(05:44):
gift for disguise the beggar rus used to infiltrate behind
enemy lines like with the Suitors, or to deceive someone
like a young Achilles in Scyros. So it seems that
cunning ran in Odysseus's blood, learning various tricks of deceit,
not as criminal acts, but as art kind of like
(06:04):
Ocean's eleven. They were skilled artists of the complex heist,
to be admired for what they could pull off that
nobody else could, maybe even like the Spartans training young
boys in the Agogi to steal and not get caught,
the honor resting in not getting caught. From the Odyssey
book nineteen lines three ninety two four seventy. Homer recounts
(06:29):
how Odysseus got his name and the boar hunting incident
that resulted in Odysseus's famous scar. The story goes that
Attilicus lived on Mount Parnassis and came to Ithaca when
his daughter Antiklia gave birth to the long awaited and
much wanted child. Being that childbirth was a precarious time
(06:49):
in a Bronze age woman's life, it's not surprising that
a caring, doting father would have made the long journey
to Ithaca to his daughter. If you're interested in learning
more about Bronze age childbirth, I highly recommend doctor Emily
Hauser's book Penelope's Bones. Anyway, it was Euryclea, Odysseus's nursemaid,
(07:12):
who brought the newborn grandson and laid him on Atiloicus's lap.
He was given the honor of naming his daughter's precious son.
From Emily Wilson's translation, we read name him this. I
am disliked by many across the world, and I dislike
them back. Okay, I want to pause right here. Attilicus
(07:33):
is a hater. He steals things, gets away with it,
and he pisss people off and they don't like him.
He takes zero accountability for why people might dislike him.
So and he says continuing, I don't like them either.
He's blunt, no doubt. Then he says, name him, meaning
the baby Odysseus, and when he is a man, let
(07:56):
him come to his mother's people's house by Mount Parnassus.
I will give him treasure and send him home rejoicing.
Odysseus means the angry one, or he who is hated,
so his life is fulfilling this meaning. Years later, Odysseus
travels to Parnassus to visit his grandparents and uncles and
(08:18):
to receive the gifts that he was promised. He is
received by his maternal family as a favored son, embraced
by his grandmother Amphythia in a hug that was so
big that her arms are described as wrapping around him
like vines. As a nonah of five, myself, I can
say this is the ultimate vibe anyway. After the night
(08:39):
of celebration, with the ancient equivalent of the family barbecue
and flowing wine, the men get up and set out
on a boar hunt. Homer describes Odysseus as running out
in front of the group, keeping up with the hounds.
He comes across the boar's layer before anyone else, and
(08:59):
this boar is a beast, tall bristles, red eyes, giant
white tusks. The boar charges him. He levels his spear,
but not before the boar gores him above the knee,
taking out a hunk of muscle. He manages to kill
it by the time his uncles catch up. They bind
his leg, and they heap accolades on their young nephew.
(09:22):
Atilochus couldn't have been prouder. I can see it now,
a young Odysseus beaming under the praise. It was a
bit reckless to run ahead, But if he's a teenager,
that sounds about right, doesn't it. At a certain age,
you believe you're invincible until an incident shows you that
you aren't. But this firmly establishes that a young Odysseus
(09:46):
was a skilled hunter and foreshadows his military prowess. This
is the Odysseus who will years from now revel in danger,
often without regard for his companions, sailing from place to place,
seeking home, but endangering everyone along for the ride. What
else was the young Odysseus up to on Ithaca besides
(10:09):
learning to deceive and be an adrenaline junkie. The Odyssey
opens with the much discussed line of sing to me
of the man muse of many turns, describing who Odysseus
was both physically and mentally through the word polytropos. Polly
is many, and tropos means to turn or to change,
(10:32):
or to convert, so polytropos literally means many turning, much twisting,
or of many ways. The ancient usage straddles both the
physical and mental turning and twisting that Odysseus does throughout
the Odyssey, as in turning a ship, changing course, and
(10:54):
also being able to change his mind, adapt and be
resourceful or quick thinking to save his skin. Polytropos describes
someone who can maneuver in every sense, so when Homer
calls Odysseus polytropos, he's implying he's a man who can
turn his mind and his hands in any direction the
(11:17):
world requires that he can maguiver his way out of anything,
both by thinking up and creating or building the means
to achieve the goal. That's why the epithet sits beside
others like Polymytes of many wiles and Polymychonos of many contrivances,
all part of the same semantic field of techni or
(11:41):
craft skill and meetus the cunning and intelligence. In today's world,
we tend to think of an either or scenario, as
in someone was either a thinker or a doer, but
in Odysseus's case, the implication is that he was both.
Later in life, Odysseus is credited with many skills relating
(12:02):
to shipbuilding, navigating, and engineering, and it's likely that these
early skill sets were developed on Ithaca while he was
growing up. Ithaca being an island, would have necessitated that
young men learned all aspects of boats and sailing. In
the Odyssey, Odysseus captains his own ship and is the
(12:23):
commander of twelve ships, and this would be a testament
to his seamanship. Having grown up on an island with
a father who was also a sailor. There are things
about living on an island that just dictate the way
that you live. You're always in the water, you're swimming,
(12:44):
you're on a boat, you learn how to sail. It's
just becomes part of the things that you do every day.
So I can imagine that a young Odysseus would have
been at the shore quite often, would have been learning
how to build ships, and would have spent a lot
(13:05):
of time around the water. We get a glimpse of
the possibilities of what Odysseus may have been up to
on the island in the Odyssey book five, lines two
twenty eight through two sixty two, when Odysseus is actually
on Calypso's island. When the Goddess finally releases him, she
doesn't provide the ship or the vessel, or the raft
(13:27):
or anything. Odysseus has to build it himself, and we
read he felled twenty trees with the axe, smoothed them skillfully,
and made them straight to line. He fitted them together
with pegs and mortises, bound them fast. He built decks
and sides, and set up masts and a steering oar.
(13:48):
This passage clearly presents him as both a craftsman and navigator.
He's nothing if not a survivor. He built a small
ship with a deck and sides, and this is more
than him lashing logs together with a rope. This is
a complex set of skills that would take years to hone.
(14:09):
This is further evidence of his craftsmanship and engineering skills
that we will see later with the Trojan Horse story.
The sources have subtle variances, but the overall picture is
that he designed and built it and led a team
behind enemy lines. The Little Iliad explicitly states that Odysseus
was the mastermind behind the Wooden Horse, while it was Epeius,
(14:30):
with a little nudge from Athena, who actually built it.
Apollodorus Library Epitome five, fourteen two five nineteen follows this
same narrative, naming Odysseus as leading the ambush. So clearly
Odysseus is considered a master builder and a strategist. Another
illustration of how Odysseus exercised his polytrophos was his attempt
(14:54):
at avoiding the draft into Agamemnon's war against Troy. According
to Apollodorus Epitome seven and thirty eight, Odysseus fakes insanity
by plowing the beach with salt, presumably because he was
warned by Halitherses that if he went to Troy, he
would be gone a long time and return alone. I
say presumably because in the Odyssey book two lines one
(15:17):
seventy four to one seventy six, Helletherses warns the suitors
that he had foreseen Odysseus's troubles and that he would
return in the twentieth year, which was fast approaching. It
is highly likely, given the friendship between the seer and Odysseus,
that the king had been warned, which is why he
tried so hard to avoid going in the first place.
(15:39):
He was, in the end unsuccessful, and perhaps this is
the first time that we see Odysseus as a defire
of fate and the gods. In Song of Sacrifice, I
give the scene of Odysseus trying to outmaneuver Agamemnon from
two points of view. The first is from Menelaus on
his ship, and the second from Odysseus on the beach
(16:00):
the bow of his anchorship. Menilaus watched the king of Ithaca.
He hit the elbow of Thalpius as he pointed to
the shore. What's he doing? Look? There, isn't that Odysseus.
Thalpius mouth hung agape? Is he plowing the beach? Menelaus
shook his head. What an idiot? The gods must have
(16:23):
stirred his mind to madness. Thalpius concurred. A small group
of curious rowers crowded around Menelaus to watch the lunacy
on the beach. Menilaus grabbed Alpius by the forearm. Look,
Palomedes is coming. What's that in his arms? I can't
quite make it out. Looks like a bundle of cloth.
(16:46):
The Spartan king leaned over the rail, squinting his eyes
against the sun. He's laying it on the ground in
front of Odysseus's plow. What in Hades is he up to?
All of the spectators were riveted to the scene, watching
intently as Palamedes walked clear of Odysseus's next past with
the plow. Whatever it is, Odysseus is going to turn
(17:09):
it under the sand with the next row. Thalpius crossed
his arms. What an idiot? Menelaus grabbed Aalpius's shoulder. Look
he stopped by the gods he pulled the oxen short
of whatever that is? Why is he just standing there?
Thalpius asked, confusion, wrinkling his brow. The onlookers murmured amongst themselves, Ah, Gods,
(17:35):
I wish I could hear what they're saying. Menilaus said,
Odysseus hadn't anticipated this counter maneuver. He'd heard the thin
cries of a newborn baby coming from the gift Palamedes
ceremoniously placed in front of him. He'd recognized the purple
trim on the weaving, and he knew instantly it was
his son, to Lemachus. So Agamemnon was putting him through
(18:00):
a test of his own. The choices were plain enough
to Odysseus. He could kill his son and remain with Penelope,
losing everything that he held most dear forever. Or he
could reveal his sanity, save his son, and save his family,
only to lose them for twenty years. He pulled the
seed bag off his shoulder, letting it sag to the ground,
(18:22):
spilling the precious salt. He dropped the oxen's reins, their
hoofs sinking into the soft sand. The heavy beasts snorted
and their nostrils flared, sniffing the tangy sea air. Slowly,
Odysseus gently scooped up the swaddled bundle, hugging it to
his chest. With a hand calloused by ship building and
(18:44):
farm work, he tenderly lifted a corner of the blanket.
His tiny son's face squinted in the bright light. Before
wailing loudly. Odysseus abandoned the salt bag, the oxen, the plow,
and his hopes of avoiding war on the shore him.
As the young king walked up the beach, cradling the
baby with one strong arm, he locked eyes with Palamedes,
(19:08):
who stood with arms crossed over his chest in smug satisfaction.
When Odysseus was shoulder to shoulder with him, he stopped
and faced him. You've cost me, my wife and my son.
You watch yourself, my friend. I might be gone for years,
but you'll never see home again. By athena Ah, make
(19:29):
sure of that. Palamedes' eyes rounded, but he said nothing clearly.
This plowing the beach story is intended to show Odysseus's
cunning as a strength and as a curse. It's a
curse because his cunning leads him to believe that through
his sheer will, he can outwit fate. Agamemnon weaponized this
(19:55):
trait multiple times during the war by sending him on
crucial mis bis, were the war's outcome depended on Odysseus
to do what he did best, and Odysseus was the
one who tricked Achilles into giving himself up on Skyro's,
got Chrysaeus to accept Agamemnon's apology, persuaded Neoptolemus to join
(20:16):
the war, and cajoled Philip Tetes to pick up his
bow and arrow to help the Greeks win the war
after they had previously abandoned him. And what discussion of
Odysseus would not be complete without talking about his choice
of wife, Penelope and why she was the one for
(20:36):
our wily young king. Odysseus had gone to Sparta, like
so many other noblemen, princes and kings, with Helen's hand
at stake. Why did he choose her cousin Penelope instead?
I can imagine that for someone like Odysseus, he would
be attracted to someone's mind, not just beauty or pedigree. Well,
a hundred men were ogling and drooling over Helen. He
(20:59):
was taken by the quiet Princess. Penelope was the daughter
of Ecarius, who in most traditions is a prince of Sparta.
This makes Penelope more than some minor noble She comes
from the same heroic family as Helen and was raised
in the intrigues of the Spartan court. This would position
(21:20):
her to become a very powerful queen because she would
have the political training and experience the mental discipline. And
as we see in the Odyssey, he did choose wisely
because she was able to outmaneuver these suitors and their
families for years. All of this would not have been
(21:40):
lost on a young Odysseus. When he met Penelope. He
was likely drawn to her for all of these reasons,
and once he set his sights on Penelope, her father
would only consent if he won a foot race against
any of the other suitors. In Song of Sacrifice, chapter
fifty three, I tell a new story about Odysseus's cunning
(22:02):
driven by his jealousy. Here's Odysseus executing his strategy to
win the race so that he would be the one
to claim Penelope. Odysseus worried after Penelope's secret messenger informed
him of Vicarius's terms. What could a Carreus have against him?
Why not agreed to the betrothal. In the dowry, his
(22:25):
daughter would be a queen. Why is that not enough?
If he lost, Penelope would belong to another man. Suspecting
his competition would be chosen from among the losing stragglers
of Helen's suitors, he made his way to the outer courtyard,
where he knew they camped. Hospitality dictate they could remain
for a fortnight or longer too. Sir waved him over, Odysseus,
(22:49):
come join us. Nodding, the sly young king smiled and
took his seat at the crowded table. I was hoping
to find someone awake, he said, whisking an amphor from
the table and drinking. He feigned a hearty gulp from
the tall jar. Yes, join us for the most delicious wine.
I believe old and Darius has hidden the best doors
(23:12):
from us. Patrick Les slurred slightly as he drank deeply
from his wide brimmed cup. But it won't stop me
from drinking it, the men laughed. Odysseus sized them up
around the table. Two Sir has heavy legs. He feigned
another gulp, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand.
Patrick Les is already drunk, but he's swift as the wind.
(23:34):
That could be a problem. If he shakes free of
the heavy head, he's sure to wake with patrick LESE
your cup is nearly empty, patrick Les laughed, squinting at it.
So it is. He shook an amphora, then hurled it
to the ground, where it shattered empty. Odysseus held out
the jar in his hands. Allow me, my friend. He
(23:57):
filled patrick Lea's cup to the rim gratitude, Odysseus generous.
Odysseus say, I heard it was you who put the
oath idea in ten Darius head shrugging. Odysseus said, Tendarius
keeps his own counsel. Perhaps it was Diomedes. Diomedes spat
(24:19):
out a mouthful of wine. Ah, look what you made
me do. Still can't believe I took that damned oath.
Swinging another gulp, he stood and stretched his limbs. But
my consolation will be the lovely Penelope. Odysseus eyes nearly
fell out of his sockets. A dina. Diomedes was carved
(24:43):
like a god, tall, wide through the shoulders, all muscle
and youth. His beard was merely more than a shadow
along his jaw ah, the mark of a man newly
coming to his strength. He moved as though nothing in
the world had yet checked him. If he is Victor,
Odysseus couldn't even finish the thought, you will have to
(25:04):
win that race first. Drunken laughter sounded round the table.
Diomedes laughed loudest, and then finished his wine. I'm for sleep.
I have a race to win tomorrow, as our lord
Odysseus has reminded me. So soon, Odysseus, godd you are
the youngest here will gonna let it be said that
(25:26):
a bunch of old men can drink more than that
giant Diamedes more drunken laughter, Diomedes scoffed at the idea. Ah,
poor the wine, old man, Odysseus, Poor Diomedes a generous cup,
fainting another heavy draft for himself. Tyndarius is definitely keeping
(25:47):
the best of his stores from us. Who else has
entered the race for Ecarius's daughter too, Sir grinned, I'd
take Ecarius's daughter any night. Diomedes snorted. The Trojans even
know how to keep a woman satisfied. Two Sir slammed
his cup down. I'm as Greek as any of you bastards,
(26:09):
and I can satisfy any woman foolish enough to doubt it.
A short stout man named Eumelius nodded. I won't pass
it up. I'm not likely to win, but who knows
who the gods will favor? Tu sir said, there's the
sharp truth of the matter. Clydius, the eldest of the
gathered men, added, the gods love to cut us with
(26:32):
their truths. We busy with suffering, bleed for their amusement.
Patrickles nodded that gods bend us over every chance they get,
not all of us. Eumelius said, you should be wary
of speaking such things aloud, Patricklis, you suppose the gods
can't hear you. Patricles looked up into the night, twinkling
(26:56):
with silver jewels. Are you listening up there? If i've
a you strike me down. Everyone held their breath, expecting
Patrickles to be struck down by a lightning bolt, or
a spear, or a plague. But nothing happened. In the
silence they sleep, Patricles said, reaching to pull the wax
(27:17):
plug from afresh Amphora wine cups were raised again. Wine
splashed onto the table. Odysseus smiled behind his hand. Good
keep drinking. I was sorry to hear about your brother. Clydius.
The old man's eyes shone. Iphetus deserved better than what
(27:39):
Heracles gave him. Do you still have that bow he
gifted you? It hangs in my hall? Odysseus said, that
was my first true adventure and his last. Odysseus lifted
his cup to Iphis. They drank deeply. When Don's rosy
fingers crept across the sky, the suitors finally staggered off
(28:02):
to their beds. To a man unsteady, heavy limbed, and
dulled by excess, Odysseus watched the courtyard empty, then turned
away without a word, and went to claim what little
sleep he could. As we know, Odysseus wins the race
and marries Penelope. These two, Odysseus and Penelope are bound
(28:27):
not by sentimentality or appearance, but by their intellect. Their
relationship is a continual exchange of tests and riddles and deceptions,
where recognition comes through mental parity rather than just emotion,
Where recognition comes through mental parity rather than just emotion.
(28:48):
When he returns, two tests stand between them. First, they speak,
and she welcomes the beggar Odysseus and extends the required hospitality.
Then sets up the bow challenge, knowing only her Odysseus
could do the impossible task. Then she tests Odysseus by
(29:09):
telling him their marriage bed will be moved out into
the hall because he won't be sleeping with her because
too many men have tried to trick her. This is
when Odysseus blows a gasket and he tells her that
no one could move the bed because it was rooted
to the ground, and he should know because he built it.
Only then, after the tests had all been passed, where
(29:31):
Odysseus and Penelope reunited. The long twenty years of longing
and hoping were finally over, and he is drawn to
minds that can meet his own strategy. Wit and Meetus
are the true language of his desire. Their reunion unfolds
as an intellectual reckoning before it becomes an emotional one,
(29:54):
a deliberate choice by Homer that shows love for Odysseus
requires e quality of mind. Penelope is irreplaceable not just
because she waited, but because she understood him and proved
it time and time again. Well that's part one of
(30:15):
two for Odysseus, the Trickster King, and I hope that
you have enjoyed diving into Odysseus's cunning and wiley roots
and his mental match with Penelope. The next part of
The Trickster King will focus on Odysseus's time in the
Trojan War. As always, I thank you for listening and
(30:35):
supporting Greek Mythology Retold. Please give a like or rating
on your favorite podcast platform, and feel free to reach
out on social media with any comments or questions that
you might have. I do love to hear from you.
Well that's it for now, so drink your wine and
be merry. Mrmad's condu
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