Penelope
heroThe wife of Odysseus who waited twenty years for his return, fending off 108 suitors through clever stratagems. Mythology's greatest symbol of faithfulness and intelligence.
The Myth
When Odysseus left for the Trojan War, Penelope managed the kingdom and raised their son Telemachus. The war lasted ten years; the journey home took another ten. For twenty years, Penelope waited.
Suitors descended on the palace — 108 princes consuming Odysseus's wealth while competing for her hand. Penelope devised a famous stratagem: she would choose a suitor when she finished weaving a funeral shroud. Each night, she secretly unraveled the day's weaving. This ruse worked for three years.
When Odysseus returned disguised as a beggar, Penelope tested him before revealing herself. Even after he slaughtered the suitors, she demanded he describe their marriage bed built around a living olive tree. Only then did she embrace him.
Parents
Icarius and Periboea
Children
Telemachus
Symbols
Fun Fact
Penelope's weaving trick is one of the great examples of cunning intelligence in Greek literature.