What do the suitors want in the odyssey

The suitors are confused and believe this shooting to be an accident. Odysseus finally reveals himself, and the suitors become terrified. Eurymachus tries to calm Odysseus down, insisting that Antinous was the only bad apple among them, but Odysseus announces that he will spare none of them. Eurymachus then charges Odysseus, but he is cut down by another arrow. Amphinomus is the next to fall, at the spear of Telemachus.

Telemachus gets more shields and swords from the storeroom to arm Eumaeus and Philoetius, but he forgets to lock it on his way out. Melanthius soon reaches the storeroom and gets out fresh arms for the suitors.

A full battle now rages in the palace hall. Volleys of spears are exchanged, and Odysseus and his men kill several suitors while receiving only superficial wounds themselves. Finally, Athena joins the battle, which then ends swiftly. The priest Leodes begs unsuccessfully for mercy. Odysseus has Eurycleia come out. She openly rejoices to see the suitors dead, but Odysseus checks her impropriety. She rounds up the disloyal servant women, who are first made to clear the corpses from the hall and wash the blood from the furniture; they are then sent outside and executed.

Odysseus tells Telemachus to cut them down with a sword, but Telemachus decides to hang them—a more disgraceful death. Last of all, the traitor Melanthius is tortured and killed. After the bloodbath, Odysseus has the house fumigated. The dramatic scene in which Odysseus effortlessly strings the bow is justly famous. Since the bow gives Odysseus a weapon in hand, it also allows for a seamless transition to the fighting of Book Homer tells us that Odysseus received the bow during a diplomatic trip to Messene, long before any of his hardships began, and that it has been seldom used since then.

Through his mastery of the bow, Odysseus comes full circle, once again the king and most powerful man in Ithaca. Athena plays a less prominent role in the battle than earlier books suggest she might. Dulichium is one of the Echinadian Islands at the entrance of the Gulf of Corinth. Same is a city in the island of Cephallenia, which is in the Ionian Sea off the coast of Acarnania.

Zacynthos is a large island opposite the coast of Elis. Ithaca , where Odysseus had his home, is an island between Cephallenia and the Acarnanian coast. Acamas 4. From Dulichium Apd. Acarnan 2. Agelaus 5. From Same. Son of Damastor 3. Killed by Odysseus Apd. Agenor 5. Agenor From Zacynthos Apd.

Agrius 5. Amphialus 2. From Ithaca Apd. Amphimachus 4. Amphimachus 5. Amphimedon 1. Amphimedon 1 , son of Melaneus 2 , was killed by Telemachus Apd. Amphinomus 2. Amphinomus 2 , who came from Dulichium and was the son of Nisus 2 , pleased Penelope above all others and is said to have seduced her.

He was killed by Telemachus. King Nisus 2 of Dulichium was son of Aretias, otherwise unknown Apd. Andraemon 3. Andromedes 2. Antenor 2. Antimachus 3. Antinous 2. Antinous 2 was from Ithaca. Antinous 2 , son of Eupeithes, was shot dead by Odysseus. From Same Apd. Argius 3. Bias 3. Celtus 2. Cerberus 2. Clymenus 3. Clytius 2. Clytius 3. Clytius 4. Ctesippus 2. This is the suitor who hurled a cow's hoof at Odysseus the beggar.

He was the son of Polytherses and was killed by Philoetius Apd. Ctesippus 3. Ctesius 2. Cycnus 5. Damastor 2. From Dulichium. Echion 3. Elatus 4. Killed by Eumaeus 1 Apd. Eteoneus 1. Eumelus 2. Killed by Telemachus Hom. Euryalus 2. Euryalus 3. Eurydamas 4. This is the suitor who gave Penelope a pair of earrings as a gift. He was killed by Odysseus Hom. Eurylochus 2. Eurymachus 2. He consorted with Melantho 1 , a maid in the House of Odysseus who had been brought up by Penelope.

Melantho 1 was daughter of Dolius, the old servant that Penelope had received from her father. Eurymachus 2 , whom Odysseus slew, was the son of Polybus 6 Telemachus believed this suitor to be the best man in Ithaca and the keenest bidder for Penelope 's hand and Odysseus ' rights Hom. Eurynomus 1. From Ithaca. Son of Aegyptius, a rich and wise Elder of Ithaca.

Eurynomus 1 's brother sailed with Odysseus against Troy , but during their return he was devoured by the Cyclops Polyphemus 2 , whom Odysseus blinded Apd. Eurypylus 3. Evenorides 1. Evenorides 2. Glaucus 5. Halius 2. Helenus 2. Hippomachus 2. Hyperenor 3. Indius 1. He and the suitors will do whatever they want. It is for others to adjust to them. In the end, the meeting serves to reveal the suitors to the public, but nothing is done about them. The assembly is an early, somewhat weak example of representative government.

It anticipates the later democracies of Athens and other Greek city-states. Despite ruling by power, kings are not absolute monarchs. Their peers influence and sometimes approve or disapprove of policy. Nor is the crown necessarily hereditary. It is won by strength, wealth, and conquest. Thus Antinous and Eurymachus think they might rule, especially if either can wed Penelope. She, on the other hand, stalls for three reasons: a hope for Odysseus' return, a desire to avoid civil war, and a real concern for her son's safety.

Her marriage would force a showdown for the crown, and Telemachus' position is considerably weaker, at this point, than that of the top suitors. Athena continues to support Telemachus. She inspired the assembly meeting, and she plans his secret departure for Pylos, recognizing that the suitors are becoming dangerous and might attempt to assassinate him.

She disguises herself as Telemachus to gather 20 fine young men and procure a ship. At other times, she appears as Mentor, a trusted counsel whose name inspired our current use of the word. Under the guise of Mentor, she accompanies the prince to Pylos. Pylos a seaport in the southwestern Peloponnesus in southern Greece, capital city of King Nestor. Previous Book 1. Next Book 3.