Odysseus (Ulysses)

The hero of the story Left home to go fight in the battle of Troy Angered the Sea God Neptune by

poking the eye out of the King of Cyclops, Polyphemus, who is the son of Neptune and will now not allow Odysseus to continue his voyage back to Ithaca, his home.

Minerva (Athena)

Daughter of Jove, or Zeus, who is the goddess of wisdom

She communicates to Odysseus and Telemachus throughout Odysseus’ quest to help them out and eventually lead Odysseus back home

She has to console with Jove on the subject if whether Odysseus deserves to return home

When visiting Telemachus, she disguises herself as Mentes, chief of the Taphians

Neptune (Poseidon)

The son of Jove, he is the god of Water

He becomes infuriated when Odysseus pokes his son, Polyphemus, in the eye

He is the main force that is not allowing Odysseus to return home because he is the one who controls the sea and that is the only way he can get home.

Calypso

She is a sea nymph who lives alone on an island where time moves different from the regular world

Odysseus is said to be stranded here at the start of the story because Calypso tries to make him forget about his home and his family

Calypso falls in love with Odysseus

Penelope

The wife of Odysseus who remains in Ithaca

She is unaware if Odysseus is alive or dead

She is currently being horded with tons of suitors who disrupt Ithaca

Telemachus

Son of Odysseus He was born while Odysseus went off

to war in Troy He has to suffer with the cruelty of the

suitors that come to marry his mother He receives messages from Minerva

pertaining to his father and asks of him to search around Greece for him

Jove (Zeus)

The son of Saturn, or Cronos, who is the king of all the gods and also the father of the other ones.

He watches over Odysseus’s progress and tries to look at his success of getting home, but has to deal with Neptune, who is infuriated with Odysseus.

He allows Minerva to go talk to Telemachus and inform him

Aegyptius

A man at the council who has four sons (one who was killed) and is “a man bent double with age”.

His son Antiphus went with Odysseus to Ilius but was eaten by the Cyclops

His third son, Eurynomus is one of the suitors to Penelope.

Icarius

The father of Penelope The suitors are too afraid to go to

Icarius to ask Penelope’s hand in marriage and to provide marriage gifts

Penelope might have to move back with her father if Telemachus gives into Antinous’ demands

Antionous

The chief suitor to Penelope At the council that Telemachus calls, he

blames Penelope for tricking all the suitors by promising to finish a pall for the hero Laertes and then make her decision.

Suggests to Telemachus to send Penelope back to her father and marry her father’s choice

Halitherses

The best prophet and reader of omens among the Council of Ithaca.

He states that Odysseus will return to Ithaca soon enough

He also states to let the suitors do as they please for now

Eurymachus

Son of Polybus He strongly disagrees with the prophet

Halitherses and is almost sure that Odysseus is dead

Believes that it would be wise to have Telemachus make Penelope go back to her father

Another suitor to Penelope

Ino

A sea Nereid who was once a human girl but was granted powers to become a Nereid by Poseidon

She helps Odysseus on his journey to the Phaiakians by allowing him to use a veil that does not allow him to drown

Alkinoos

King of the Phaiakians Son of Nausithoos Brother to Rhexnor Father to Nausikaa He takes in Odysseus as a guest and

listens to the journey Odysseus went through and finally offers him a trip back to Ithaca by boat.

Arete

The wife of Alkinoos Daugther of Rhexnor Mother to Nausikaa She asks Odysseus where he gets the

tunic he received from Nausikaa since she can see it was one of her own works

Nausikaa

The daughter of Alkinoos and Arete She finds Odysseus in the wilderness

and decides to help him whereas her maids become afraid.

She has her maids clean the grime off of Odysseus and also suit him up with a Phaiakian tunic.

Mercury (Hermes)

The God of messengers Son of Jove (Zeus) Has a magical rod which can put

people to sleep or awaken them Helps Odysseus as he travels to

Kirke’s palace by feeding him a magical herb to block out Kirke’s magic

Antiphates

The head of the Laistrigones Eats a crew member of Odysseus

before Odysseus and his crew can even try and negotiate with them.

When Odysseus runs away, he tells his Laistrigonian giants to throw boulders at his ships.

Kirke

A witch who lives on Aiaia At first she turns Odysseus’ crew

members to swine but then when Odysseus takes her to bed, she turns them back

Warns Odysseus of the Scylla and Charbydis

Hyperion

The Sun God Warns Jove that if he does not punish

Odysseus’ crew for eating his cattle, he will shine his sun only in Hades and not in the Heavens

Aeolus

God/King of Winds Ruler on Aiolia Island Offers Odysseus a bag of winds to

return to Ithaca but Odysseus’ crew open bag and return to Aiolia.

Says Odysseus’ journey is cursed by the Gods and refuses to help a second time

Akhilleus

A comrade of Odysseus A great hero of Troy who fought Hector

and was victorious Died by a stray arrow hitting him in his

heel Talks to Odysseus in the Underworld

and asks about his son, Neopolatemos.

Aias

A comrade of Odysseus at Troy Is angry with Odysseus when seeing

him in Hades for receiving the arms of Akhilleus from Helen at Troy

At first thought to have been killed by Poseidon but was found out he cursed the gods.

Agamemnon

A comrade of Odysseus and a General Father to Orestes He returned home to his homeland to

only found to be betrayed by his wife Klynamestra and her suitor Aigisthos

He warns Odysseus in Hades of how to be careful how he returns to Ithaca and to beware of suitors.