The Vatican Penelope: a Roman marble copy of an Early Classical 6th-century Greek work (Vatican Museums)

In Homer's Odyssey, Penélopê (Πηνελόπη) is the faithful wife of Odysseus, who keeps her suitors at bay in his long absence and so is eventually rejoined with him. Homer ( Ancient Greek:, Homēros) is a legendary ancient Greek epic Poet, traditionally said to be the author of the epic poems the The Odyssey ( Greek: Ὀδύσσεια or Odússeia) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. grc-Latn Odysseus or la Ulysses ( Greek grc-Latn Odysseus; Latin: la Ulixes or more commonly Ulysses) oʊˈdɪsiəs Her name (which happens to be close to the Greek word for "duck") is usually understood to combine the Greek word for "web" or "woof" (πηνη / pene), and the word for "eye" or "face" (ωψ / ōps), which is most appropriate for a weaver of cunning whose motivation is hard to decipher. ^[1]

Prior to recent readings, her name had been associated with faithfulness,^[2] but the most recent readings offer a more ambiguous interpretation. ^[3]

Role in the Odyssey

Penelope is the wife of the main character, the king of Ithaca, Odysseus (Ulysses in Roman mythology), and daughter of Icarius and his wife Periboea. Ithaca or Ithaka (in Greek, Ιθάκη, Ithaki) is an island in the Ionian Sea, in Greece, with an area of 118 km² grc-Latn Odysseus or la Ulysses ( Greek grc-Latn Odysseus; Latin: la Ulixes or more commonly Ulysses) oʊˈdɪsiəs In Greek mythology, there were two people named Icarius, or Ikários (and another named Icarus) In Greek mythology, nine people shared the name Periboea (Περίβοια She has one son by Odysseus, Telemachus, who was born just before Odysseus was called to fight in the Trojan War. This article is about the figure in greek mythology For the Christian saint see Saint Telemachus, and for the South African cricketer, see Roger In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans after Paris of Troy stole Helen from her She waits twenty years for the final return of her husband,^[4] during which she has a hard time snubbing marriage proposals from several odious suitors (including Agelaus, Amphinomus, Ctessippus, Demoptolemus, Elatus, Euryades, Eurymachus and Peisandros, led by Antinous). Agelaus or Agelaos (Ἀγέλαος is in Greek mythology, the name of various individuals In Greek mythology, Amphinomus, also Amphínomos (literally "grazing all about" was the son of King Nisos and one of the suitors of Penelope In Homer 's Odyssey, Demoptolemus was one of the myriad suitors of the queen of Ithaca. The name Eurymachus, or Eurýmakhos, is attributed to the following individuals Greek mythology Eurymachus, an Ithacan nobleman In Greek mythology, Antinous son of Eupeithes, was one of the two chief suitors of Penelope during the absence of her husband Odysseus, at the Trojan

On Odysseus's return, disguised as an old beggar, he finds that Penelope has remained faithful. She has devised tricks to delay her suitors, one of which is to pretend to be weaving a burial shroud for Odysseus's elderly father Laertes and claiming that she will choose a suitor when she has finished. In Greek mythology, Laërtes (Λαέρτης was the son of Arcesius and Chalcomedusa. Every night for three years, she undoes part of the shroud, until some unfaithful maidens discover her chicanery and reveal it to the suitors.

Odysseus and Penelope by Francesco Primaticcio (1563). Francesco Primaticcio ( April 30, 1504 &ndash 1570 was an Italian Mannerist painter, Architect and sculptor

Because of her efforts to put off remarriage, Penelope is often seen as a symbol of connubial fidelity. Although we are reminded several times of her fidelity, Penelope does begin to become restless (due in part to Athena's meddling) and longs to "display herself to her suitors, fan their hearts, inflame them more" (xviii. ATHENA was an Antimatter research project that took place at the AD Ring at CERN. 183-84). ^[5] She is ambivalent, variously calling out for Artemis to kill her and, apparently, considering marrying one of the suitors. In Greek mythology, Artemis language|Greek] ( Nominative), ( Genitive))] was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the twin sister When the disguised Odysseus returns, she announces in her long interview with the disguised hero that whoever can string Odysseus's rigid bow and shoot an arrow through twelve axe shafts may have her hand. "For the plot of the Odyssey, of course, her decision is the turning point, the move that makes possible the long-predicted triumph of the returning hero". ^[6]

There is debate over the extent to which she is aware that Odysseus is behind the disguise. To Penelope and the suitors' knowledge, Odysseus (were he in fact present) would easily surpass all in any test of masculine skill. Since Odysseus seems to be the only person (perhaps excepting Telemachus) who can actually use the bow, it could merely have been another delaying tactic of Penelope's.

When the contest of the bow begins, none of the suitors are able to string the bow, except of course Odysseus, who wins the contest. Having done so, he proceeds to slaughter the suitors with help from Telemachus, Athena and two servants, Eumaeus the swineherd and Philoetius the cowherd. ATHENA was an Antimatter research project that took place at the AD Ring at CERN. For the Butterfly Genus, see Eumaeus (butterfly. In Greek mythology, Eumaeus, or Eumaios (Εὔμαιος A Swineherd (ˈswaɪnhɜrd is a person who looks after pigs. The term has fallen out of popular use in favour of 'pig farmer' In Greek mythology, Philoetius, was Odysseus ' Cowherd and friend before he left for the Trojan War. A cowboy is an animal Herder who tends Cattle on Ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback and often performs a multitude of Odysseus has now revealed himself in all his glory, and it is standard (in terms of a recognition scene) for all to recognize him and be happy. Penelope, however, cannot believe that her husband has really returned—she fears that it is perhaps some god in disguise as Odysseus, as was the case in the story of Alcmene—and tests him by ordering her servant Euryclea to move the bed in their wedding-chamber. In Greek mythology, Alcmene or Alcmena ( Greek:) was the mother of Heracles In Greek mythology, Euryclea, or Eurýkleia (also known as Antiphata in other traditions was the Wet-nurse of Odysseus. Odysseus protests that this can not be done since he made the bed himself and knows that one of its legs is a living olive tree. The Olive ( Olea europaea) is a Species of small Tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Penelope finally accepts that he truly is her husband, a moment that highlights their homophrosyne (like-mindedness).

In one story of the Epic Cycle, subsequent to Odysseus' death, Penelope marries his son by Circe, Telegonus, with whom she becomes the mother of Italus. The Epic Cycle (Επικός Κύκλος was a collection of Ancient Greek Epic poems that related the story of the Trojan War, which includes the In Greek mythology, Circe ( sərsē; Greek Κίρκη Kírkē, falcon is a Queen Goddess (or sometimes a Nymph In Greek mythology, Telegonus ( Greek: Τηλέγονος English translation: born afar was the youngest son of Circe and Odysseus Italus (or Italos) was a legendary king of the Sicels or Oenotrians, who were among the earliest inhabitants of Italy. Telemachus also marries Circe when Penelope and Telemachus bring Odysseus's body to Aeaea. In Greek mythology, Circe ( sərsē; Greek Κίρκη Kírkē, falcon is a Queen Goddess (or sometimes a Nymph Aeaea (sometimes Aiaia) was a possibly mythological island said to be the home of the sorceress Circe.

Suitors

Penelope's suitors were called Proci by Homer. Courtship is the traditional dating period before engagement and marriage Proci (Μνηστῆρες were the suitors of Penelope in the Odyssey, all of whom were killed by Odysseus, Telemachus Homer ( Ancient Greek:, Homēros) is a legendary ancient Greek epic Poet, traditionally said to be the author of the epic poems the

Notes

Primary sources

• Ovid, Heroides I
• Homer, Odyssey
• Lactantius Placidus, Commentarii in Statii Thebaida

Secondary sources

• Finley, M. I. The World of Odysseus, London. Pelican Books (1962)
• The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood retells the story of Odysseus from the point of view of Penelope. The Penelopiad is a Novella by Margaret Atwood. It was published in 2005 as part of the first set of books in the Canongate Myth Series Margaret Eleanor Atwood, CC (born November 18, 1939) is a Canadian Writer. grc-Latn Odysseus or la Ulysses ( Greek grc-Latn Odysseus; Latin: la Ulixes or more commonly Ulysses) oʊˈdɪsiəs
• Seth L. Schein, ed. (1996). Reading the Odyssey: Selected Interpretive Essays. Princeton University Press. 0-691-04440-6.  
• del Giorgio, J. F. The Oldest Europeans A. J. Place (2006). It underlines Penelope's power and her role in a cataclysmic time.

External links

• Odyssey in English on the Perseus Project
• Penelope Unravelling Her Web - a painting of Penelope by Joseph Wright of Derby (from the Getty Museum)