Odysseus (1230-1160 BC), also known as Ulysses, was the king of Ithaca in Greek mythology. He was the son of Laertes and Anticlea, and he was the strategist of the Greek army during the Trojan War. He was the mastermind of the Trojan Horse strategy, and he won a brilliant victory; however, his hubris led to the gods cursing him with a ten-year voyage home in what came to be known as the "Odyssey".
Biography[]
Odysseus was the son of Laertes and Anticlea, and he became the king of Ithaca in the Ionian Sea. Odysseus later married the Spartan noblewoman Penelope, and they had a son, Telemachus, who was born in 1193 BC. That same year, Odysseus was one of the kings who was called to join the Hellenic army led by King Agamemnon of Mycenae at the start of the Trojan War. Odysseus was known for being a great general and strategist, and when the Greeks landed, Odysseus commanded the siege. During the siege of Troy, Odysseus showed not only his genius, but also a dark side: he blackmailed Prince Palamedes (who had suggested that the Greeks give up the siege) by forging a letter from King Priam of Troy; Palamedes was then stoned to death by Odysseus and Diomedes of Argos.
Odysseus after the fall of Troy
Odysseus masterminded the final assault in 1183 BC with his Trojan Horse strategy, and the Greeks assaulted and captured the city in a nighttime surprise attack. Odysseus also led the sack of the city, but as he returned home, he was cursed by the Greek gods with a ten-year journey in retribution for his hubris; he had arrogantly taken credit for the capture of Troy and bragged about his success to the gods. During his voyage, he fought the cyclops Polyphemus and killed him, but, after Odysseus revealed his name, Polyphemus' father, the god Poseidon, created storms to impede Odysseus' journey. Odysseus had to also fight Scylla and other dangers, such as the temptations of Circe and Calypso (who detained him for one and seven years, respectively), and, when he arrived home in 1173 BC, he found that his wife and son believed him to be dead, and that she had 108 suitors. The goddess Athena disguised Odysseus as an old man so that he could enter the palace, and when the suitors were holding competitions to match up with Odysseus' skills, Odysseus revealed his true form by tying a string to the end of a bow and shooting an arrow through several circles to hit a difficult target. Then, his son Telemachus helped him in killing the suitors, and Odysseus, his wife, and son flourished together for many happy years.
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