Suitors of Penelope

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Penelope and the Suitors by John William Waterhouse (1912).

The Suitors of Penelope (also known as the Proci) are one of the main subjects of Homer's Odyssey.

Mythology

Penelope's husband Odysseus, king of Ithaca, goes off to fight in the 10-year Trojan War. While most survivors return relatively soon, it takes Odysseus another ten years to return home, and in this time the suitors court Penelope, whom they believe (or hope) has become a widow.

Once Odysseus returns home (whom Athena initially disguises as a beggar so he can plot his revenge in secret), his son Telemachus tells him that there are 108 suitors: 52 from Dulichium, 24 from Same, 20 Achaeans from Zacynthus, and 12 from Ithaca.[1]

Under the pretext of courting Penelope, the suitors proceed to spend their days at Odysseus' house, feasting on the livestock. The suitors provide one of the earliest examples of courting in Ancient Greece (although, as an epic, the accuracy of The Odyssey is debated).[2] After Odysseus returns home, he meets with Penelope in secret where she organizes a contest where the person who can string Odysseus' bow will become his successor. Upon a disguised Odysseus winning the contest, Odysseus sheds his disguise and kills all of the suitors with the help of Telemachus and Philoeteus.

List of Suitors of Penelope

Appearing in the Odyssey

Slaughter of the suitors by Odysseus and Telemachus, Campanian red-figure bell-krater, c. 330 BC, Louvre (CA 7124)

While most of the suitors are not dealt with individually by Homer, some are mentioned by name and play more or less significant roles in the poem. Among the Suitors of Penelope are:

  • Agelaus, son of Damastor. Was killed by Odysseus.[3]
  • Amphimedon, son of Melaneus. Was killed by Telemachus.[4]
  • Amphinomus. Shows courtesy towards the disguised Odysseus, who warns him against staying;[5] the warning goes unheeded, though, and he is killed along with the other suitors, though by Telemachus and not Odysseus.
  • Antinous, son of Eupeithes. One of the leaders of the suitors, he helps instigate the plot to kill Telemachus as he returns from the mainland,[6] and helps spur the fight between Odysseus (as the beggar) and Irus, a notorious beggar.[7]
  • Ctesippus of Same, son of Polytherses. A "ribald fellow" of great wealth who gives Odysseus, disguised as a beggar, a "present" by throwing a heifer's foot at him; Telemachus threatens him in response, and says that he would have killed him if he had not missed.[8] After killing him, the stockman says that his death is a present in return for the one he gave to Odysseus.[9]
  • Demoptolemus, killed by Odysseus.[10]
  • Elatus, killed by Eumaeus.[11]
  • Euryades, killed by Telemachus.[12]
  • Eurydamas. Offered a pair of earrings as a gift to Penelope.[13] Was eventually killed by Odysseus.[14]
  • Eurymachus, son of Polybus. One of the leaders of the suitors, noted for being smooth and deceitful. He blames everything on Antinous after he is killed by Odysseus, saying that the suitors are sorry for what they have done and will repay Odysseus. His pleas do not persuade Odysseus, so he tells the suitors they will have to fight if they wish to live, and he is shot with an arrow while charging Odysseus.[15]
  • Eurynomus, son of Aegyptius. His brother Antiphus accompanied Odysseus to the Trojan War and was devoured by Polyphemus on the way back.[16]
  • Leiocritus, son of Evenor. Was killed by Telemachus.[17]
  • Leiodes, son of Oenops. The sacrificial priest to the suitors, he hated the evil deeds of the suitors and was indignant with the others.[18] While Odysseus is killing the suitors, he begs for mercy, saying that he tried to stop the others and they were paying for not listening to him. Odysseus hears him out but says that as priest, he must have prayed for Odysseus to not come home, so he kills him anyway.[19]
  • Peisander, son of Polyctor. Offered a necklace as a gift to Penelope.[20] Was killed by Philoeteus.[21]
  • Polybus, son of Polyctor and father of Eurymachus.

Appearing in Bibliotheca

An extensive list of Penelope's suitors is given in the Bibliotheca.[22] This source does not appear to fully respect the Homeric tradition, as the numbers are different and not all of the names known from the Odyssey appear in Bibliotheca. Due to the text being damaged, some of the names are repeated several times and the lists for Dulichium and Zacynthus actually contain fewer names than the given figures suggest.

57 suitors from Dulichium

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  1. Amphinomus
  2. Thoas
  3. Demoptolemus
  4. Amphimachus
  5. Euryalus
  6. Paralus
  7. Evenorides
  8. Clytius
  9. Agenor
  10. Eurypylus
  11. Pylaemenes
  12. Acamas
  13. Thersilochus
  14. Hagius
  15. Clymenus
  16. Philodemus
  17. Meneptolemus
  18. Damastor
  19. Bias
  20. Telmius
  21. Polyidus
  22. Astylochus
  23. Schedius
  24. Antigonus
  25. Marpsius
  26. Iphidamas
  27. Argius
  28. Glaucus
  29. Calydoneus
  30. Echion
  31. Lamas
  32. Andraemon
  33. Agerochus
  34. Medon
  35. Agrius
  36. Promus
  37. Ctesius
  38. Acarnan
  39. Cycnus
  40. Pseras
  41. Hellanicus
  42. Periphron
  43. Megasthenes
  44. Thrasymedes
  45. Ormenius
  46. Diopithes
  47. Mecisteus
  48. Antimachus
  49. Ptolemaeus
  50. Lestorides
  51. Nicomachus
  52. Polypoetes
  53. Ceraus

23 from Same

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  1. Agelaus
  2. Peisander
  3. Elatus
  4. Ctesippus
  5. Hippodochus
  6. Eurystratus
  7. Archemolus
  8. Ithacus
  9. Peisenor
  10. Hyperenor
  11. Pheroetes
  12. Antisthenes
  13. Cerberus
  14. Perimedes
  15. Cynnus
  16. Thriasus
  17. Eteoneus
  18. Clytius
  19. Prothous
  20. Lycaethus
  21. Eumelus
  22. Itanus
  23. Lyammus

44 from Zacynthus

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  1. Eurylochus
  2. Laomedes
  3. Molebus
  4. Phrenius
  5. Indius
  6. Minis
  7. Leiocritus
  8. Pronomus
  9. Nisas
  10. Daemon
  11. Archestratus
  12. Hippomachus
  13. Euryalus
  14. Periallus
  15. Evenorides
  16. Clytius
  17. Agenor
  18. Polybus
  19. Polydorus
  20. Thadytius
  21. Stratius
  22. Phrenius
  23. Indius
  24. Daesenor
  25. Laomedon
  26. Laodicus
  27. Halius
  28. Magnes
  29. Oloetrochus
  30. Barthas
  31. Theophron
  32. Nissaeus
  33. Alcarops
  34. Periclymenus
  35. Antenor
  36. Pellas
  37. Celtus
  38. Periphas
  39. Ormenus
  40. Polybus
  41. Andromedes

12 from Ithaca

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  1. Antinous
  2. Pronous
  3. Leiodes
  4. Eurynomus
  5. Amphimachus
  6. Amphialus
  7. Promachus
  8. Amphimedon
  9. Aristratus
  10. Helenus
  11. Dulicheus
  12. Ctesippus

References

  1. Homer. The Odyssey, Book XVI, in The Iliad & The Odyssey. Trans. Samuel Butler. p. 628. ISBN 978-1-4351-1043-4
  2. See The Odyssey's page for more information
  3. The Odyssey, 22. 241, 293
  4. The Odyssey, 22. 284; 24. 103
  5. The Odyssey, Book XVIII
  6. The Odyssey, Book IV
  7. The Odyssey, Book XVIII
  8. The Odyssey, 20. 288 ff
  9. The Odyssey, 22. 286 ff
  10. The Odyssey, 22. 226
  11. The Odyssey, 22. 267
  12. The Odyssey, 22. 267
  13. The Odyssey, 18. 296
  14. The Odyssey, 22. 283
  15. The Odyssey, 22. 79
  16. The Odyssey, 2. 15 - 22
  17. The Odyssey, 2.242; 22.294
  18. The Odyssey, 21. 144
  19. The Odyssey, 22. 310
  20. The Odyssey, 18. 299
  21. The Odyssey, 22. 267
  22. Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca, Epitome of Book 4, 7. 26 - 7. 30