Odysseus & Penelope:The Greatest love story of all-time (4 of 4)

Truly one of the greatest love stories of all time, if not the greatest can be found in Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey. Odysseus, then the Prince of Ithaca is known for his wit and bravery. He travels to Sparta in hopes of courting and marrying the beautiful and virtuous Princess Penelope, the daughter of Icarius. 

On arrival, he realizes the impossibility of his mission. He could not compete with Penelope’s other suitors by way of wealth, and influence. Recognizing an emerging predicament with Helen of Troy, the most beautiful woman of all, he poses a solution to Penelope’s uncle Tyrandeus, who is Helen’s adopted father.The predicament was that given the powerful admirers Helen had, the family feared a war would erupt if she picked any of the suitors. Odysseus’ solution was to have every suitor take an oath to defend Troy, if anyone violated Helen’s choice. In turn, Helen of Ithaca’s father would help Odysseus win the hand of Penelope. This act was known as The Oath of Tyndareus.

And so it was that Odysseus won the hand of Princess Penelope. Their love story was different than the others in Greek mythology as they were genuinely thought of as equals. Penelope matched her husband’s intellect and moral strength.

When Helen was abducted by Paris of Troy, the oath of Tyrandeus was activated and Odysseus had to go to war. He tried feigning insanity by plowing salt into his fields yoked by a donkey and ox. Suffice to say, it did not work. The war lasted 10 years, and was effectively ended by Odysseus' genius. 

He came up with the idea of hollowing out a gargantuan metal Trojan horse. In turn, the soldiers hid in the hollow, while others left leaving signs of surrender. The Trojans thought as is custom in Greek culture that the Trojan horse was a gift of victory left by the defeated party.

Of course, it was not, as the departed soldiers turned back in the night and lay-in-wait till the horse was inside Troy’s city gates.

The war lasted 10 years, but Odysseus had angered the Sea God Poseidon by blinding his son Polyphemus,a Cyclop. This caused a ripple effect that reached Athena-The Goddess of Wisdom and War. Fearing that her uncle Poseidon would be angered, if she helped Odysseus find his way back to Ithaca, she delayed help until the very end when Hermes confronted her. Poseidon sent storms and horrific tempests to Odysseus as he navigated towards home making it difficult to reach his destination.

While all these unfortunate circumstances were impeding Odysseus his wife and son were ruling Ithaca. Penelope, still quite beautiful, stirred the soul of many a suitor clamoring for her hand under the assumption that Odysseus was dead. She kept them at bay with a touch of genius. Queen Penelope was knitting and said she would choose a suitor once she finished her piece. However, every night she would unwind her knit and start over again. The suitors were also planning on killing her son Telemachus as they saw him as a threat to the throne. 

Meanwhile, Telemachus was off trying to find his father Odysseus as both he and Penelope were convinced that Odysseus was still alive. 

Odysseus also faced countless temptations, some nearly insurmountable.

Here’s a quick list:

Temptress	What She Offered	Odysseus’s Response
Circe (Aeaea)	Comfort, luxury, immortality if he stayed; safety for his men	Stayed for about a year but left to continue journey home; protected his men and listened to her advice
Calypso (Ogygia)	Immortality, eternal youth, marriage	Refused to stay; longed for Penelope and Ithaca, eventually left when Zeus ordered it
Sirens (magical creatures)	Knowledge, irresistible pleasure through their song	Listened tied to the mast, resisted temptation; ensured his crew was safe by blocking their ears
Naïve or minor temptresses (nymphs, princesses)	Comfort, love, companionship	Odysseus politely refused or avoided temptation, keeping his focus on home and Penelope

Circe, who had initially turned some of his men into pigs, was forced by Odysseus to restore their original forms. After the encounter, Circe became a wise host to Odysseus, and allowed him, and his men to recuperate before continuing on. On Circe’s advice, he contacted the prophet Tiresias in the Underworld who gave him a roadmap of sorts on how to return safely. Unfortunately, the remaining men did not heed the advice and did not make it back. Odysseus was the lone survivor.

Athena’s advice in the end also helped Odysseus to complete his safe return by turning him into a beggar. At the time, his palace was overrun by Penelope’s suitors, which would kill him on the spot, if detected.

As a beggar, he was beaten, and mistreated by Penelope’s suitors. She took pity on him and brought him into her private chambers so that the servants could mend his wounds. Something interesting happened. His old hunting dog Argus was now weak, flea-ridden and laying discarded on a dung heap. It is believed the dog refused to die until his owner returned. Argus came into the room, lay his head on Odysseus' lap and died. At that moment it is believed that Penelope suspected the beggar was Odysseus.

As the suitors pressed, she finally gave them a challenge. The first man that could string Odysseus' old bow, and shoot an arrow through the 12 ox heads would be the new king as her husband was always able to do so. 

None of the men were able to string the bow. She asked the beggar to try, and the men scoffed, and jeered. The beggar was not only able to string the bow, he also shot an arrow through all 12 ox heads. In the end, Athena appears and restores Odysseus' appearance. Now there was no doubt who he was. Odysseus then proceeds to kill every suitor. 

A remarkable story for sure with many lessons centered on trust, loyalty and perseverance. There are several reasons why Odysseus and Penelope’s love story is considered one of the greatest love stories of all time, but I feel their unwavering trust and persevering patience were at the core of their epic romance. Coupled with their enduring love, the fusion is a potent combination that underscores one of the truly greatest love stories of all time!

A new big screen adaptation is coming our way in 2026. Some epic actors in this effort. Check out the trailer.

I’ve included some additional resources below in case you want to read the book or watch the movie as it is considered the greatest epic poem of all time by many.

The Odyssey-Read online

The Odyssey Movie

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