King of Ithaca. Odysseus is an ancient Greek hero, king of the state of Ithaca, athlete, warrior and navigator. He took part in the Battle of Troy on the side of the Achaeans and, as we already know from the results of the Trojan Battle, emerged victorious. Odysseus and his adventures were sung by the ancient Greek blind poet and singer Homer in his poem “The Odyssey.” According to Homer, after the Battle of Trojan, Odysseus went to his homeland, but did not get there, but found himself plunged into adventure for many years, visiting many unexplored countries.

The Misadventures of Odysseus. Odysseus and the crew of his three ships, during their wanderings, barely escape from the island of the Cyclops, defeat the cannibal giant Polyphemus, pass the island where the god of the winds Aeolus lives, and meet the evil sorceress Circe, who turns people into pigs. Odysseus and his companions live on the island of Circe for some time; the sorceress gives birth to a son from Odysseus.

But Odysseus is still drawn home, and he desperately descends into the underground kingdom of the god Hades to talk with the soul of the long-dead great soothsayer. Then Odysseus, on the same boat with all his sailors who survived the misadventures, sails on. He sails past the monsters Scylla and Charybdis, by cunning he saves his sailors from the sirens, who enchant with their singing and then kill the travelers. He covers the sailors' ears and orders himself to be tied to the mast.

Odysseus and Penelope. After spending another 7 years in captivity on the island of the nymph Calypso, Odysseus is left alone, and the god of traders and travelers, Hermes, finally delivers him to Ithaca. Odysseus was not home for about 20 years, during which time his son grew up in Ithaca

Odysseus was married to Penelope, who spent all the years of her husband’s absence faithfully waiting for him at home, although everyone in Ithaca considered Odysseus dead and forced Penelope to marry, since in those days a woman did not have the right to live unmarried, women were obliged to live in the houses of their husbands . Penelope fought back everyone and still waited for her husband, and her name has become in modern language a common noun for the fidelity and devotion of a wife. And the word “odyssey” now means a long journey.

The famous character of the ancient Greek epic, Odysseus was best known for the legends about how he wandered the seas longer than all the heroes returning from the Trojan War. Homer’s immortal poem, which is called “Odyssey” after his name, tells what dangers and adventures this resourceful hero and his companions had to experience on stormy seas, unknown shores and islands: among the wicked lawless one-eyed Cyclops, among the cannibalistic giants Laestrygonians, among sorceress Kirke (Circe). Homer tells how Odysseus visited the underworld of Hades and sailed happily past the Sirens, who bewitched travelers with their singing; how his foolish companions angered the gods by slaughtering and eating the sacred bulls of Helios on the island of Trinacria; how he rushed across the waves, clinging to the mast of his crashed ship and found shelter with the beautiful-haired Calypso on the island of Ogygia.

Flight of Odysseus from the island of Polyphemus. Artist A. Böcklin, 1896

Odysseus spent seven years in the fragrant grotto of Calypso, surrounded by a dense cypress grove. The goddess, skilled in singing, who knew how to make beautiful fabrics, kept him with her, comforting with tender words and love the sadness of his longing for his homeland, but could not console him. Sitting on the shore, he looked at the wide sea and watered his soft clothes with tears, tormented by a sad desire to see at least the smoke rising from his native island of Ithaca.

Odysseus and Calypso. Artist Jan Styka

And while Odysseus was homesick, the arrogant suitors, forcing his faithful, modest wife Penelope to choose between them, but deceived by her clever invention and year after year waiting in vain for her decision, ate his herds and plotted against his brave son, Telemachus. Greek custom required that the groom give gifts to the one he was wooing, and they slaughtered the sheep, pigs and goats of Odysseus, which his shepherds were forced to bring to them, and drank his fine wine. After dinner, they had fun in the courtyard, danced, had fun with games, throwing a disc, throwing spears at a target, or rested, lying down on the skins of the oxen they had slaughtered, and in the evening they were polite to the maids.

Everyone remembers Homer's story about how Odysseus was thrown by the sea onto the shore of the island of the Phaeacians, and the daughter of the local king, Nausicaa, brought him to the hospitable house of his father; how happily and richly the Phaeacians lived, feasted, had fun, enjoying music and singing, and how Odysseus was moved to tears while listening to the song of the blind Demodocus, telling about the wooden horse and the capture of Troy; how they guessed who he was from his tears; how the Phaeacians took him at night on a magic ship to his native island, and laid him sleepy on the shore. At home, Odysseus found shelter in the home of a faithful servant, the swineherd Eumaeus, agreed with Telemachus on a plan of revenge, and, twenty years after his departure, he entered his palace, dressed as a beggar, where the suitors brazenly ruled. His servants laughed at him, his suitors insulted him. Odysseus was recognized only by his old servant and his faithful hunting dog, Argos. Argos was offended, not fed, he lay on the dung near the fence, and, dying, caressed his owner, and the old woman Eurycleia washed Odysseus’s feet.

Odysseus and the Sirens. Painting by J. W. Waterhouse, 1891

Soon after, at the festival of Apollo, Penelope brought a tight bow into the banquet hall and said that she would become the wife of the one of the suitors who would draw this bow and pierce twelve axes with an arrow. None of the suitors could string the bow; but Odysseus - still disguised as a beggar - pulled it, pierced the axes with an arrow, and began, with the help of faithful shepherds Eumaeus and Philotius, to punish the suitors. Antinous, the most impudent of them, plotting to kill Telemachus and become king, was the first to fall; The daring suitors fell, one after another. Odysseus smote and smote, until they all lay down, prostrate, bleeding, more than a hundred noble youths of Ithaca and the neighboring islands. When the hall and courtyard were cleared of bodies and blood, Penelope came down from the upper chambers. To make sure that Odysseus was really this stranger, she ordered the old maid to take the bed out of the bedroom. “Who took the bed from here? - Odysseus exclaimed. “I myself arranged my marriage bed under a shady olive tree, and then made myself a bed from its trunk.” This was known only to Penelope and Odysseus, so Penelope learned from these words that the wanderer was indeed her beloved husband. After that, they lived happily ever after inseparably.

The Destruction of Troy and the Adventures of Odysseus. Cartoon

The imagination of subsequent generations was not content with repeating these stories about the wanderings and adventures of Odysseus. "Telegony", a poem written around the middle of the 6th century by Eugammon, told about the adventures of the much-travelled hero in Elis and Thesprotia. She said that Odysseus founded several cities in Thesprotia, that the kings of Thesprotia were descendants of him and Callidice, the queen of that country, and that he was killed Telegonom, his son from the daughter of the sun, the sorceress Kirka.

When we hear or read about ancient Greek heroes, we imagine strong, physically developed athletes striving for glory and challenging fate. But was Odysseus, one of the most famous characters in Homer’s poems “The Iliad” and “Odyssey”, like this? How did he glorify and immortalize his name? What feats did you accomplish?

Myths and poems of Homer

From century to century, ancient Greek myths told about the origin and structure of the world, the deeds of heroes and Olympian gods. The wonderful world of mythology fascinated and frightened, explained and prescribed; it reflected the value system of Ancient Greece and the connection of times. Hellenic myths had a huge influence on the formation of European and world culture, and the names of many heroes, gods and monsters became common nouns, symbols of some qualities and properties. For example, a chimera is a symbol of something non-existent that can give rise to dangerous illusions and misconceptions.

With the development of social, economic and other public relations, mythological consciousness began to collapse, and the poems of the legendary Homer “Iliad” and “Odyssey” served as a kind of bridge between folklore and literature.

The heroic epic of Homer is the peak of the development of Hellenic mythology, but at the same time its artistic interpretation. In addition, as archaeological excavations by Heinrich Schliemann have proven, Homer's poems to some extent reflect the reality of the 11th-9th centuries BC. and can serve as a historical source. Homer is the first ancient Greek poet was, according to legend, blind and lived in the 8th century BC. However, there is no reliable information confirming the fact of its existence yet. But there are wonderful epic poems that recreate the magnificent world of ancient Greek mythology and, at the same time, had a huge impact on the development of all European culture.

The cross-cutting character of both Homer's poems is Odysseus, king of Ithaca, participant in the Trojan War.

If in the Iliad he is one of the minor (albeit key) characters in the siege of Troy, then in the Odyssey he is the main character.

Biography of Odysseus

The name "Odysseus" in ancient Greek means "angry" or "wrathful". The Romans called him Ulysses. The name Odysseus now has a common meaning: an odyssey is a long, dangerous journey filled with adventures.

Odysseus is the son of Argonaut Laertes and Artemis's companion Anticlea. According to legend, Odysseus's grandfather was Zeus, supreme Olympian god.

Odysseus's wife - Penelope, her name became a symbol of marital fidelity. Long She waited twenty years for her husband to return from the military campaign, deceiving numerous suitors with inventive cunning.

A major role in the poem “Odyssey” is played by the son of the main character, Telemachus.

Turning to the Homeric epic, we can identify the fateful events in the life of the legendary hero:

• participation in matchmaking with Helen the Beautiful, where Odysseus meets his future wife Penelope;
• participation, albeit reluctantly, in the Trojan War;
• protection of the body of Achilles;
• creation of the Trojan horse;
• a ten-year journey by sea and numerous adventures in which Odysseus loses all his companions;
• returning to Ithaca in the guise of an old beggar;
• the brutal extermination of Penelope's numerous suitors;
• happy family reunion.

All these events create a unique portrait of Odysseus, a characteristic of his personality.

Hero's personality

The main feature of Odysseus’ personality is its universality and cosmic nature. The genius of Homer created the image of a comprehensively developed person. Odysseus appears not only as a brave hero and winner on the battlefield, he also performs feats among monsters and wizards.

He is cunning and reasonable, cruel, but devoted to his homeland, family and friends, inquisitive and crafty. Odysseus is an excellent speaker and wise adviser, a brave sailor and a skilled carpenter and trader. He refused eternal youth and love, offered by the nymph Calypso, who was in love with him, in order to return to his homeland, to his family.

Thanks to his cunning and resourcefulness, Odysseus overcame numerous dangers:

• on the island of the Cyclops he blinded the giant Polyphemus and thereby escaped death and saved his comrades;
• defeated the sorceress Circe;
• heard the sirens singing, but did not die;
• passed on a ship between Scylla and Charybdis;
• defeated Penelope's suitors.

In essence, Odysseus's voyage is a path into the unknown, comprehension and mastery of the unknown, a road to oneself and the acquisition of one's own personality.

The legendary hero appears in Homer's poems as representative of all humanity, discovering and learning the world. The image of Odysseus embodied all the richness of human nature, its weaknesses and vastness. It is no coincidence that many famous writers and poets turned to this image: Sophocles, Ovid, Dante, Shakespeare, Lope de Vega, P. Corneille, L. Feuchtwanger, D. Joyce, T. Pratchett and others.

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ODYSSEUS

Odysseus - (or, according to the Roman tradition, Ulysses) - the king of Ithaca, the main character of Homer's poem "The Odyssey" and one of the minor characters in the "Iliad". The main traits of his character are courage, worldly wisdom and cunning. The nymph Calypso calls him far-sighted, with whom he lives as a prisoner for seven years. Even Odysseus himself calls cunning his main trait: “I am Odysseus, son of Laertes, everywhere by the invention of many glorious tricks and raised to heaven by loud rumor.” Odysseus traces his origins to the dexterous and inventive god Hermes, who was the grandfather of Odysseus' mother Anticlea. Therefore, cunning is a hereditary trait of Odysseus. On long journeys, the hero is helped not only by his natural ingenuity, but also by his rich life experience and ingenuity. Returning from under the walls of Troy to his native Ithaca, Odysseus loses all his companions and ends up on the island of the nymph Calypso. After seven years of Odysseus's captivity, the Olympian gods decide to command the nymph to release him. Hermes conveys the will of the gods to the nymph. The saddened Calypso asks Odysseus to stay, for which she promises him immortality and warns him of the dangers that await him along the way. But no promises can convince Odysseus to forget his home and family. Odysseus builds a raft and sets sail. Poseidon raises a terrible storm that breaks the raft. But Odysseus is saved by the sea goddess Leukotea. She tells him to take off his clothes, which are preventing him from swimming. So Odysseus reaches the shore of the Phaeacian island of Scheria. Warmly received by the Phaeacians, Odysseus at the feast tells them the story of his wanderings. First, sailing from Troy, Odysseus and his companions reached the lands of the Ciconians, in a battle with which, trying to capture their city of Ismara, many of Odysseus’s companions died. Then a storm raised by Zeus the Thunderer led the travelers astray, and they ended up on the island of lotus eaters - people who ate lotus. Having treated themselves to a lotus, many of Odysseus’s companions forget their homeland, but Odysseus forcibly returns them to the ship, ties them to the masts, and the Achaeans hastily leave the island of lotus eaters. The next test sent by the gods to Odysseus is a meeting with the Cyclops Polyphemus. Angered by the appearance of strangers on his island, the ferocious Polyphemus eats several captive companions of Odysseus every day. Odysseus thought for a long time about how to escape from the Cyclops’ cave. Finally he decides to make Polyphemus drink wine and gouges out his only eye with a sharpened log. The blinded Cyclops rolled away the stone blocking the exit from the cave and began to let the sheep out one by one, feeling each one. Odysseus tied the largest ram under his belly, and his companions were tied under other rams. Having got out of the cave and driven Polyphemus' sheep onto the ships, Odysseus leaves the island of the Cyclops. Soon Odysseus' ships arrive on the island of Aeolus, the lord of the winds. Aeolus welcomes wanderers for a whole month. When Odysseus asks him to let them go home, the owner agrees and gives Odysseus a bag containing all the winds, except Zephyr. Aeolus tells Zephyr to help the travelers return to their homeland and forbids Odysseus to untie the bag. However, on the way, when Odysseus falls asleep, his comrades, deciding that there is a lot of gold in the bag, untie the braid. The winds break free, a storm arises and returns travelers back to the island of Eola. But he refuses to help those who are persecuted by the wrath of the gods again. The warlike Laestrygonians, living on the next island, where Odysseus is thrown by fate and the gods, destroy all but one of the travelers' ships. Odysseus and his comrades continued their journey and finally reached the island of Eya, where the sorceress Kirk (Circe) lived. By mixing the juice of a magic herb into the wine, Kirk turns Odysseus’s companions into pigs. Appearing to Odysseus, the god Hermes gives him a miraculous root, which makes Odysseus invulnerable to the sorceress’s spell. Odysseus goes to the palace, tries Kirka's magic drink, but the spell has no effect on him. Then Odysseus threatens Kirke with his sword, and she promises to return his friends to their former appearance. After this, Odysseus spends a whole year on the island of Eya, and then asks Kirk to let him and his comrades go home. Kirk tells him to first visit the kingdom of Hades, the ruler of the underworld, and there ask the shadow of the soothsayer Tiresias about his fate. Taught by Kirk, Odysseus summons the souls of the dead, among others the soul of Tiresias appears, which tells the hero the reason for his misfortunes: he angered Poseidon himself. However, even in spite of Poseidon, Odysseus will be able to reach his homeland, unless his comrades touch the bulls of Helios grazing on the island of Trinacria. The shadow of Tiresias tells Odysseus about all the trials that he will have to go through on the way home, then other souls approach the hero: his mother, his comrades, many heroes who died at Troy, they give Odysseus various advice. The sorceress Kirka tells the heroes who have returned to her island what other dangers lie ahead of them and how to avoid them: about sirens (creatures with the body of birds and a female head, who lure sailors with sweet singing to their island and destroy them), about the six-headed Scylla and Charybdis, devouring and spewing water. Sailing past the island of the Sirens, Odysseus covered the ears of his comrades with soft wax, and ordered himself to be tied to the mast. Thus the wanderers passed this danger. The six-headed Scylla took six companions from Odysseus, and they managed to pass Charybdis. But the island of Helios had already appeared ahead, where, contrary to the oath given to Odysseus, his comrades, exhausted by hunger, slaughtered the bulls of Helios, for which Zeus punished them by crashing the ship and killing everyone except Odysseus. It was on the wreckage of the ship that Odysseus reached the island of the nymph Calypso. At this point Odysseus finished telling the Phaeacians about his wanderings. At the behest of King Alcinous, the Phaeacians took the fallen Odysseus to Ithaca and left him sleeping on the shore. There he first, pretending to be a beggar, met the swineherd Eumaeus, who, without recognizing the owner, told how Penelope’s suitors were ruining Odysseus’s household. At the same time, the gods return Telemachus from Sparta. Father and son meet, Odysseus goes to his palace, there he enters into single combat with Ir, one of the suitors. Then his wife Penelope tells the maid Eurycleia to wash the wanderer’s feet, and the maid recognizes Odysseus. Taking his bow (the string of which no one but him could pull), Odysseus takes revenge on the suitors, with the help of Pallas Athena, defeating them one by one. Finally Penelope comes out to him, afraid to believe that it is really her husband who has returned. But Odysseus reveals to her a secret known only to them, how their marital bed is arranged (Odysseus himself made it from an olive stump that grew near the palace). Thus, after a long separation, the faithful spouses met. Odysseus is the most prominent of the characters in Homer's poems. Compared to other characters (Agamemnon, Hector, Paris, Achilles), who personify one character trait, the image of Odysseus is much more complex. Odysseus is, first of all, a courageous warrior, whose courage is combined with common sense and practicality, the ability to find a way out of the most difficult life situations. Odysseus is an undoubted hero, who, however, does not pursue glory and does not boast of his exploits, as Achilles or Hector, who despise caution and prudence, do. Odysseus fights not only with a sword, but also with words, which also brings him victories. The extraordinary adventures that befell Odysseus only emphasize the strength of his desire for his homeland, for which he yearns so much. No dangers, no hardships and no one’s love can destroy the memory of his home in Odysseus’s heart. This is the main significance of the image of Odysseus.

Homer was born around the 12th-7th century BC, the exact years of his life are not known. Such famous works as the Iliad and the Odyssey are attributed to him. Ancient legends say that the poet was a blind wandering singer, and also knew these two poems by heart. But we will analyze only the second book, which tells about the adventures of the cunning Greek king, the lucky favorite of the gods Odysseus.

The plot of the Odyssey is constructed using such an artistic means as retrospection. The story begins in the middle, and the reader learns about all the events later, from the stories of the main character.

The story is based on the return of the king of Ithaca to his homeland after victory in the Trojan War. The cunning ruler spent ten years in the war and for the same amount of time he sailed home. From the revelations of the wise warrior, we learn that at the beginning of his journey he fell into the hands of the Cyclops Polyphemus, who devoured travelers. In order to get out of the clutches of the one-eyed villain, Odysseus got him drunk and pierced his eye, which angered the Cyclops. The enraged giant appealed to Poseidon and begged him to take revenge on the offender.

The king of Ithaca also tells how he came to the island of Kirk, who turned all his friends into pigs. The hero had to remain Kirka's lover for exactly a year. After this, he descends into underground Hades to talk with the soothsayer Tiresias.

Odysseus sails past the Sirens, who are trying to destroy the sailors with their singing. It also passes between Scylla and Charybdis. Soon the hero loses his ship and floats onto the island of Calypso, who was forcibly captured for seven years.

History of creation

The poem was written in hexameter - this is the meter of heroic poetry from the times of ancient Greece. It is divided into 24 songs, according to the number of letters in the Greek alphabet. It is believed that this book had no ancestors, but before the creation of the work, many tales and songs had already arisen, on the basis of which “Odysseus” was created.

The language of the work is not similar to any dialect of the Greek language. Often there are inflectional forms that were never used in the living ancient language.

Main characters

1. The main character of the poem is Odysseus, the king of Ithaca. The main traits of his character, oddly enough, are considered not heroism and courage, but intelligence, cunning and resourcefulness. His only desire is to return home to his beloved wife and son, whom he has not seen for about 20 years. Throughout the entire story, the hero is patronized by the goddess of wisdom - Athena.
   Odysseus appears before the reader in different roles: a navigator, a robber, a brave warrior, a beggar wanderer, etc. However, no matter who he is, he still passionately longs to return home and sincerely suffers for his fallen friends.
2. Penelope is the faithful wife of Odysseus, sister of Helen of Troy. She is modest and reserved, her moral character is impeccable. Loves handicrafts and home comfort. He is distinguished by his cunning, as he manages to deceive suitors for more than one year. An exceptionally decent woman.
3. Telemachus is the son of Odysseus. A brave and courageous fighter, a man of exceptional honor. He loves his family and honors the duty of the heir to the throne.

Mythology about Odysseus

Based on myths, we learn that the hero was the son of King Laertes and Artemis’s companion Anticlea. He was also the husband of Penelope and the father of Telemachus.

Being one of Elena's suitors, he chose her cousin Penelope over the most beautiful earthly woman.
He became famous thanks to his participation in the Trojan War. In addition, he was one of the key characters not only in the Odyssey, but also in the Iliad. He was not only brave, but also cunning, in honor of which he was given the nickname “cunning.” Thanks to his resourcefulness, he manages to escape from all troubles.

Odysseus' homeland is Ithaca, an island in the Ionian Ocean. There he was born and raised, and soon replaced his father, becoming king in his place. While the hero was swimming in the sea, trying to return home, the suitors who wooed his wife captured the city. They constantly plundered his palace and held feasts.

The king's son, unable to bear such a long absence of his father, prompted by Athena, goes in search of him.
Returning to his homeland, the cunning warrior finds out what happened in the city during his wanderings.

main idea

The cunning and dexterous fighter was too arrogant, which angered the Gods, or rather Poseidon. In a fit of narcissism, he exclaimed that he could choose his own destiny. This Deity was not forgiven him. Thus, the meaning of the work is that one should not indulge in pride and follow its lead. As mentioned above, the ruler of Ithaca deprived the son of the sea ruler of his sight, and was very self-confident, believing that the mercy of fate was based on his merits and imaginary superiority. His conceit went beyond all limits, for which God sent a curse on him and forced him to swim in the sea until he realized his guilt.

Homer in his poem showed that a person who considered himself the arbiter of his destiny and the crown of creation could suffer from this, and quite seriously. Even the king did not cease to have an inflated ego. In addition, the religious motive is strong: the poet, like all people of his time, believed that nothing in this world depends on the subject, everything is predetermined in advance.

Subjects

1. Homer reflected many themes in his heroic message. The main theme of the work is an adventurous journey full of adventures - the return of the king of Ithaca from the Trojan battle. Odysseus's colorful stories completely immerse the reader in the atmosphere of the book.
2. The stories of his arrival on the island of Calypso, how he sailed between Scylla and Charybdis, the Sirens and other stories of the Lord of Ithaca are imbued with the theme of love. The hero sincerely loves his family and does not agree to change them to a paradise island with a goddess as his mistress.
3. Also, the strength of feeling is expressed in the image of Penelope. With its help, the author reveals the theme of marital fidelity. She was cunning with all her might so as not to get to someone else. The woman believed in his return, even when no one believed.
4. The theme of fate appears in every episode of the work. Homer shows the rebellion of the individual against destiny, against the gods, leaning toward the idea that he is useless and criminal. Fatum even foresees these movements of the soul; all of them have already been calculated and drawn by the Moirai in the form of a thread of life.
5. Honor and dishonor are also a topic for the poet’s reflection. Telemachus considers it his duty to find his father and restore the former greatness of the house. Penelope thinks that moral failure is cheating on her husband. Odysseus believes that it would be dishonorable to give up and not try to return to his homeland.

Issues

• Since the poem tells about the ten-year wanderings of the main character, his countless exploits, brave deeds and, finally, a successful return home, the first place in the work is the fabulously-adventurous issues: the tyranny of the gods, the pride of Odysseus, the crisis of power in Ithaca, etc. d.
• Ten years have passed since the king sailed from Ithaca to Troy, all the participants in the battle returned home, and only one he still does not come. He becomes a hostage to the depths of the sea. His problem is that he loses faith in his own strength and experiences despair. But no matter how deep it is, the hero still goes towards his goal, and the thorns on his path only fuel his passion. The exploits and adventures described in the poem occupy most of the narrative and are its core basis.
• The problem of divine intervention in the destinies of people is also acute in the work. They control people like puppets, depriving them of self-confidence. The inhabitants of Olympus also resolve conflicts among themselves through a person, so sometimes he finds himself hostage to a situation for which he is not at all to blame.

Composition and genre

A poem is a large work written in poetic form. It combines lyrical and epic principles. Homer wrote the Odyssey in this genre - a lyric epic poem.

The composition is built on old techniques. A very typical plot for that time is about how a husband returns home, unrecognized by anyone, and ends up at his wife’s wedding. There are also widespread stories about a son who went in search of his father

The Iliad and the Odyssey differ in structure: thus, in the first book the story is presented sequentially, in the second this sequence is shifted. It was previously mentioned that this artistic method is called retrospection.

How did it end?

After ten years of Odysseus's voyage, the Gods took mercy and decided to let him go to land. But the king of Ithaca, before returning home, asks the Gods to turn him into an old man in order to find out who was waiting for him.

The hero meets his son and conspires with him against Penelope's suitors. The cunning ruler's plan works. The faithful wife recognizes the old man as her husband, who tells her one secret known only to them. After which Telemachus and his father brutally deal with those who had the courage to dare and create chaos in his palace in the absence of the king.