< Odysseus, son of Laertes >

1 Origin

In 1235 BC, Odysseus was born in Ithaca on the Ionian Sea.

Odysseus' father was Laertes.

Laertes was the son of Arcesius (or Arcisius) and Chalcomedusa.

Odysseus' mother was Anticleia (or Anticlia).

Anticleia was the daughter of Autolycus and Amphithea.

2 Family

Odysseus married Penelope and had a son Telemachus.

Penelope was the daughter of Icarius, son of Oebalus, and Polycaste.

Polycaste (or Polyboea), daughter of Lygaeus, is presumed to have been a prisoner of war acquired by Icarius in the Heracles expedition.

Tradition has it that Odysseus had sons with Circe: Telegonus, Antias, Ardeias, and Romus.

However, the genealogy of Circe is completely unknown, and the tradition about Circe seems to be a fiction.

3 Others

3.1 Sisyphus, father of Odysseus

Plutarch, an early 2nd century AD author, tells us that Odysseus' father was Sisyphus, not Laertes.

Plutarch's references seem to have been to the 5th century BC tragic poets Euripides and Sophocles.

Corinth and Athens had been friendly with each other for a long time, but around 459 BC, when the Corinthian colony Megara became an ally of Athens, Corinth and Athens became enemies. This was around the time that Euripides and Sophocles were active in Athens.

The poets of Athens may have tried to discredit the rival Corinth by making Sisyphus, whom Homer tells us was a scoundrel of Corinth, the father of Odysseus.

However, Glaucus, son of Hippolochus, son of Bellerophontes, son of Glaucus, son of Sisyphus, lived during the Trojan War period.

If Odysseus was the son of Sisyphus, Odysseus would have lived three generations before the Trojan War period.

3.2 Odysseus' Visit to Ephyra

Odysseus visits Ilus, son of Mermerus of Ephyra in Thesprotia, in search of poison to apply to his arrows.

This Mermerus was the son of Jason, who led the expedition of the Argonauts, and Meda, daughter of Aeetes.

It is likely that Ilus's poison-making skills were passed down from his grandmother Meda, who was well known for her poison-making skills.

In his later years, Jason moved from Corinth to Scheria (later Corcyra) on the Ionian Sea.

3.3 Trojan War

3.3.1 Odysseus' Participation in the Troy Expedition

Odysseus, one of the major characters in Iliad, does not appear to have participated in the Trojan War as a historical fact.

In 1188 BC, the expedition led by Achilles, son of Peleus, sided with Hector, son of Priam, and was joined by Achaeans who were trading with the Black Sea area.

There is no genealogical connection between Odysseus and Achilles, and it is not known whether Odysseus traded with the Black Sea. Therefore, it cannot be confirmed whether Odysseus ever set foot on the soil of Ilium.

In 1170 BC, the sons of Hector, who had fled to the land of Molossians, led an expedition to recapture Ilium, which had been occupied by the sons of Antenor.

The expedition likely included people from the islands of the Ionian Sea, but Odysseus is not believed to have been on it.

If Odysseus was alive at that time, he would have been about 65 years old.

3.3.2 Narrative with Odysseus as a Major Character

The original author of "Iliad" is presumed to be Demodocus, a poet for hire of Alcinous of Corcyra.

The prototype of "Odyssey" may also have been written by Demodocus.

Odysseus was the father of Telemachus, the husband of Nausicaa, daughter of Alcinous, the employer of Demodocus.

Demodocus was in a position to know many things about Odysseus.