Ulysses

The Roman name for the Greek hero, Odysseus.

The son of Laertes and Antikleia (Anticleia); the husband of Penelope and the father of Telemakhos (Telemachus).

Odysseus was one of the most significant heroes of the Trojan War and his exploits can only be appreciated by reading The Iliad and The Odyssey.

When Agamemnon and Menelaos (Menelaus) asked Odysseus to join them in the siege of Troy, he gathered an army and sailed with them; during his ten years at Troy, Odysseus was a fearless leader and a skillful strategist; he was characterized as “resourceful” and “crafty” but his unfailing devotion to the Immortals, especially Athene (Athena), garnered him the intelligence and strength to survive the perils of the battlefield and withstand the treachery of the Trojans and the Immortals.

The Odyssey is the story of Odysseus’ voyage home after the fall of Troy; after killing Poseidon’s son, Polyphemos (Polyphemus), Odysseus and his crew endured all types of deadly ordeals; when Odysseus did not return for ten years, a group of suitors gathered in the hopes of marrying Penelope; when Odysseus arrived home he had to confront the suitors in order to regain his home and property; with the assistance of the goddess Athene, his son Telemakhos, his father Laertes and a few devoted servants Odysseus fought and killed the suitors.