Odysseus (Trickster)
heroOdysseus was the most cunning of all Greek heroes — the man of polytropos (many turns), whose intelligence rather than strength defined a new kind of heroism.
The Myth
Unlike Achilles or Ajax, Odysseus survived by his mind. He devised the Trojan Horse. He blinded Polyphemus through trickery (calling himself "Nobody"). He resisted the Sirens through planning (being tied to the mast). He endured Calypso's island through patience. He returned to Ithaca in disguise and outwitted the suitors. The Odyssey created a new heroic model: the hero as survivor, strategist, and storyteller. His Latin name Ulysses gave Joyce his modern epic.
Parents
Laertes and Anticleia (or Sisyphus)
Children
Telemachus (by Penelope)
Symbols
Fun Fact
An "odyssey" means any long, eventful journey — the most universally used mythological word in the English language.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth:
Explore Further
Achilles
heroThe greatest warrior in the Greek army at Troy, nearly invulnerable thanks to being dipped in the...
Calypso
godA beautiful nymph who kept Odysseus on her island Ogygia for seven years, offering him immortality...
Ithaca
placeA small, rocky island in the Ionian Sea that was the homeland of Odysseus. His desperate longing to...
Odysseus
heroThe cleverest of the Greek heroes, whose ten-year journey home from Troy is one of the greatest...
Penelope
heroThe wife of Odysseus who waited twenty years for his return, fending off 108 suitors through clever...
Polyphemus
creaturePolyphemus was the one-eyed giant Cyclops, son of Poseidon, who trapped Odysseus's men in his cave...