X

We detected that you're visiting our site from the UK. Would you like to visit the ChaCha UK website?

Odysseus

Odysseus

Odysseus, the hero of Homer's poem 'The Odyssey', was known for his strength, bravery and most of all, his wisdom. Odysseus was the son of Laertes and the king of Ithaca.

News from Around the Web

Previous Next

Top Questions Asked on ChaCha.com for Odysseus

In the Last:
Day | Week | Month

  1. What is odysseus trying to do in the book odyssey?

    Odysseus is trying to return home from Troy in "The Odyssey"....

  2. How does odysseus survive the dangers posed by the sirens, scylla, and charybdis?

    To survive the dangers posed by the Sirents, Odysseus covers ...

  3. Why does Odysseus want to test his wife and servants before he reveals himself?

    Odysseus has been away from home over twenty years. When he f...

  4. What does Athena do for Odysseus in The Odyssey?

    Athena saves Odysseus from Calypso when he is stranded on the...

  5. What planning does Odysseus do before he battles?

    Odysseus plans his attack by gaining allies (2 of his servant...

  1. What is odysseus trying to do in the book odyssey?

    Odysseus is trying to return home from Troy in "The Odyssey"....

  2. Which heroic qualities will Odysseus need to rely upon as he continues his journey based on Tiresias Prediction?

    Based on Tiresais' predictions, Odysseus will need great cour...

  3. How does odysseus survive the dangers posed by the sirens, scylla, and charybdis?

    To survive the dangers posed by the Sirents, Odysseus covers ...

  4. Which positive and negative traits does odysseus demonstrate in his adventure with the cyclops?

    Odysseus has flaws and negative character traits like the res...

  5. What does Odysseus tell Telemachusus and his son must learn on their own?

    He tells them they must find their own way to Athens. ChaCha on!

  1. What comforting news does Odysseus relate to Achilles in book 11?

    The Achaeans sail from the land of the Cyclopes to the home o...

  2. What Homeric simile in lines 1031-1033 describes the feelings of Odysseus and his son as they embrace after 20 years in the Odysseus?

    When the pair had thus laid their plans they parted, and the ...

  3. How does Odysseus set a course in book Eight?

    One of the young athletes taunts Odysseus for not participati...

  4. What happens when Odysseus reaches the Island of the Sun God, Helios?

    Odysseus's entire crew dies, and some friendly people (the Ph...

  5. What is a quote between Odysseus and Athena in The Odyssey?

    At the opening of the book, Athena begs her father Zeus to al...

Top Questions Asked on ChaCha Mobile for Odysseus

In the Last:
Day | Week | Month

  1. What is odysseus trying to do in the book odyssey?

    Odysseus is trying to return home from Troy in "The Odyssey"....

  2. What good qualities does Odysseus have?

    Odysseus (called Ulysses in Latin) was the son of Laertes and...

  3. What favor does Elpenor ask of Odysseus in The Odyssey?

    "The spirits clustered round the blood. first elpenor spoke, ...

  4. What two gifts did Aeolus give Odysseus in the Odyssey?

    The two gifts Aeolus gave Odysseus in the Odyssey were the fa...

  5. How does penelope test odysseus to find out if its really him?

    In The Odyssey, once Odysseus reveals himself, Penelope canno...

  1. What is odysseus trying to do in the book odyssey?

    Odysseus is trying to return home from Troy in "The Odyssey"....

  2. What good qualities does Odysseus have?

    Odysseus (called Ulysses in Latin) was the son of Laertes and...

  3. What had Odysseus received from Maron at Ismarus before meeting with the cyclops?

    He went to the land of the Ciconians in Thrace where he pilla...

  4. What does Odysseus think of the way the cyclopes live?

    Odysseus's first impression of the cyclopes was that they wer...

  5. What prophecy of Teiresias and Circe does Odysseus withhold from his men in the Odyssey?

    Teiresias warned Odysseus to not slay the cattle of the Sun G...

  1. What happens after Odysseus men eat the lotus plant?

    When Odysseus & his men eat the lotus plant, it makes them fo...

  2. What are the character traits of Odysseus?

    Odysseus has the defining character traits of a Homeric leade...

  3. How does odysseus' mom die?

    When Odysseus was in the underworld, he finds his mother, Ant...

  4. How does Scylla kill six of Odysseus's?

    Scylla snatched 6 of Odysseus' best men as they passed, one f...

  5. What are some character traits Odysseus showed in the Odyssey?

    Odysseus is renowned for his brain as well as his muscle. He ...

About Odysseus

Odysseus was the son of Laertes and the king of Ithaca. He was known for his strength, bravery and most of all, his wisdom. He is featured as the hero is Homer’s poem The Odyssey’. Odysseus is most recognized for his role in the Trojan War.
Odysseus was one of the suitors of Helen of Troy but lost her hand to Menelaus. Menelaus had the other suitors swear to defend his marriage to Helen.

When Helen was taken by Paris and taken to Troy Odysseus and the other suitors stepped up to aid in the rescue. Odysseus didn’t want to go to war so he pretended to have gone mad by plowing his fields with salt rather than grain. Palemedes proved his bluff by placing his infant son in front of Odysseus’ moving plow. Odysseus swerved to avoid killing the child, proving to Palamedes he was not mad.

Odysseus went to fight the Trojan War. He fought valiantly in battle and became one of the king’s most trusted advisors on the battlefront. He brilliantly came up with the Trojan Horse. His men pretended to retreat from the battle and leave behind a gift of a large wooden horse. Inside the horse were Greek soldiers, including Odysseus himself. When night fell Odysseus and his men opened crept out of the wooden horse to open the gates of the city.

The Greek army swarmed into the city and destroyed it, ending the Trojan War.
When attempting to sail home after the Trojan War Odysseus and his ships were driven off course by storms. While attempting to get back on course and back to his rightful place as King of Ithaca Odysseus met with many dangerous adventures. He was captured by Cyclops and escaped by blinding him with a stake. When Poseidon learned of Odysseus blinding his son, he gave Odysseus a bag of winds pretending it would get him home safely.

Little did Odysseus know but the bag contained all but the west winds; the one that would carry him home. When the bag was opened they were nearing Ithaca and the winds drove them nearly back to where they had begun. Odysseus was also almost eaten by Laestrygones, attacked by the monster Scylla, almost swallowed by a whirlpool and seduced by a sea nymph called Calypso before finally returning home after a ten year journey.

Related Images

See all images »

Recent Odysseus Questions

PREV 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ... NEXT
4,179 Answers
Advertisement
›
›
›
›
Odysseus