Greek Mythology: Who is Odysseus?

Odysseus, the mythical king of the island Ithaca , is the basic hero in the epic poem of Homer, Odyssey, and he also plays a decisive role in the other epic of Homer, Heliad. He is widely known for his smartness and inventiveness, and famous for the ten years he spent to return home after the Trojan War. Ithaca was one of the many islands included in the kingdom of Odysseus , between the Ionian Sea and Ancient Greece.

Odysseus was the son of Laertis and Antikleia, spouse of Penelope and father of Telemachus. Little information is provided for the childhood and adolescence of Odysseus. From a slight report in the Odyssey we learn for the hunting of boar at Parnassus Mountain . During this hunting Odysseus got wounded and acquired a scar above the knee. This mark was significant because when he finally returned to Ithaca from the Trojan War, his servant, Eyrykleia, recognized him from this scar.

When Helen was abducted from the Trojan hero, Paris , a fact that caused the Trojan War, the fiancées were called to honour their oath and help Menelaus, brother of Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae at Peloponnesus , to get back Helen. According to Homer, Odysseus knew from an oracle that he would return after 20 years and thus he denied participating in the expedition. In order to be exempted, he pretended he was insane, but his fraud was revealed by Palamidis. Having no option, Odysseus dedicated himself to the success of expedition. According to other historical sources, Agamemnon visited Odysseus in Ithaca and convinced him to participate to the Trojan expedition making him also his commandant. Little before the Trojan War begins Odysseus with Menelaus formed a diplomatic mission aiming to bring Helen back peacefully. While the arguments of Menelaus were sentimental and not persuasive, Odysseus almost convinced the Trojan Senate to allow Helen to return, but he finally failed.

In Heliad, Odysseus is presented as a brave warrior, a prudent king and an extremely smart leader. His opinion on a lot of issues was adopted by the other leaders as Odysseus was highly respected. During the Trojan War, Odysseus was the soothing and unionist force among the Greeks. He tried to reconcile Achilles with Agamemnon after their conflict for Vrisiida, he convinced Agamemnon not to abandon Troy when the king was disappointed from the military defeats and he managed to control Achilles when the latter wanted to attack Troy right after the death of Patroclus.

Odysseus' bravery and his martial dexterity are often praised by Homer in Heliad. With the help of Diomidis, Odysseus managed to enter Troy and steal the palladium, while, in some other instance they went to the camp of Thraces , killed many from them in their sleep and stole the horses of their king. At the funereal competition to honour Patroclus, Odysseus managed to finish first in the running race with the help of goddess Athena. Then, in the funereal competition to honour Achilles, he defeated Aias Telamonios gaining the armour of dead Achilles and causing the suicide of Aias with a sword that Hector had given to him.

The catalytic contribution of Odysseus to the Trojan War was the inspiration of Trojan Horse. This wooden fabrication, sample of strategy intelligence, was manufactured by Ippias according to Odysseus' directions. Odysseus used the Trojan Horse as a means to hide warriors. The Trojans had believed that the Greeks had left the Trojan coasts and had left the Trojan Horse as a gift. So, they led it to the interior of city and they began frantic celebrations for their so-thought victory over the Greeks. However, as soon as the night fell, the Greeks, who were hidden in the interior of the Trojan Horse, came out and managed to occupy the unprotected city relatively easily. This was the end of the Trojan War.

After the end of the Trojan War, Odysseus took the way back home. However, as the Gods were offended by his behavior at Troy (vituperations) they decided to punish him (nemesis) with ten years wandering before he gets to Ithaca . Initially, the punishment was not meant to last for so long, but when Odysseus blinded the Cyclop Polyfimo, Poseidon got infuriated and swore never to allow to Odysseus to return home. The adventures of Odysseus during those years are described in Odyssey.

Sources:

http://www.greek-mythology-gods.com/odysseus.html
http://www.greek-gods.info/greek-heroes/odysseus/