Eurymachus in The Odyssey: Meet the Deceitful Suitor
Eurymachus in The Odyssey plays an essential role as one of the mortal antagonists in the play. Eurymachus, an Ithacan noble who Penelope’s father backs, is seemingly innocent and charming in Penelope’s eyes. But behind the façade is a dishonest, deceitful man whose main agenda is to seize the throne of Ithaca. But to fully grasp the extent of his character, we must go over the events of The Odyssey, the events happening in Ithaca in particular.
Who Is Eurymachus in The Odyssey?
The Odyssey happens right after The Iliad. Towards the end of the Trojan War, the men who participated in this battle are sent home to revel in their victory. As so, Odysseus gathers his men onto ships and sets sail towards their home. The journey poses a problem as their lives are put on the line several times.
Despite gaining the gods’ favors for winning the war, they immediately lose it and are suddenly faced with their wrath and ire. It starts on the island of the Ciccones, where our hero and his men garner the gods’ disapproval. They raided the town and destroyed the peaceful village, all while feasting till daybreak. But the island solidifies their tumultuous journey and turns it from rocky to completely arduous on the island of the Cyclops, Sicily.
Here they blind Polyphemus, Poseidon’s son, and boast about the feat. Polyphemus prays to his father to exact revenge in his stead, and Poseidon follows suit. Poseidon, known as the god of vengeance, finds Odysseus disrespectful, mocking him by injuring his son. As such, Poseidon sends them deathly waves and storms to veer them off into dangerous waters, sending sea monsters after them and even causes them to become stranded on hazardous islands.
Remarriage of The Queen
In Ithaca, Penelope, Odysseus’ wife, and Telemachus, Odysseus’ son, face a problem of their own: the suitors. The throne of Ithaca has been vacant for quite some time, and Odysseus is presumed to be dead. Due to these unforeseen circumstances, Penelope’s father urges her to remarry before it’s too late. He supports the marriage between Penelope and Eurymachus, an Ithacan noble, for their ties run deep into the family tree. Penelope refuses but decides to entertain the various suitors fighting for her hand. She wants to wait for Odysseus, but the land’s politics get in the way. As such, she decides to weave a mourning web and promises to marry once done. But after each day, she unravels her weave to avoid marriage.
Penelope’s Suitors
Not long after, suitors from all across the land arrive in Ithaca, fighting for Penelope’s hand in marriage. The suitors, hundreds in number, are headed by two Ithacan nobles Antinous and Eurymachus. Antinous takes the aggressive approach as he shows all his cards on hand, displaying his arrogance and disrespect in the face of Telemachus and his home. Eurymachus, on the other hand, takes a more gentle approach, choosing to hide his cards as he soothes and charms Penelope into thinking he is a friend.
Eurymachus’ deceitful and manipulative nature is displayed in the way he talks and charms the ladies all around. Despite going after Penelope, he seduces her maid and gains information about the Ithacan Queen. His charisma and guile give him some influence over the other suitors, and as such, he is the hidden man controlling Antinous, becoming the brain of the suitors.
Odysseus’ Return
After escaping the island of Calypso, Odysseus sails the seas to travel home only to be sent a storm by Poseidon. Odysseus’ ship sinks as he is engulfed by the waves and is washed ashore on the island of Scheria, land of the Phaeacians. There he meets Nausicaa, the daughter of King Alcinous and the princess of the Phaeacians. After hearing his story, she brings him to the castle and advises him to charm her parents to be awarded safe passage home.
Odysseus meets the King and Queen during the feast and immediately grabs their attention. He recounts his eventful journey at sea, using his political skills to gain their interest and bewilderment. He tells them of his encounter with the Scylla and Charybdis, the island of the lotus-eaters, and many more. The king and queen of the seafaring Phaeacians are immersed in his tale as his eloquence takes over them. The king immediately offers his men and a ship to escort the young Ithacan king home.
Odysseus returns to Ithaca and disguises himself as a beggar to avoid the suitors’ eyes. He heads towards his trusted friend’s cottage and is immediately offered a place to stay, warm food, and clothes. A few moments later, Telemachus arrives, and Odysseus reveals his identity; together, the three plot to take over the throne and win over Penelope’s hand.
The Massacre of the Suitors
Penelope announces a competition to the suitors; whoever could wield her husband’s bow and shoot it will be the man she marries next. One by one, the suitors step up to the podium and fail until the beggar wields the bow and shoots the targets.
The beggar then reveals his identity and aims the bow to the haughtiest suitor of all, Antinous. Odysseus shoots the Antinous in the neck and watches as he bleeds to death. He then points his bow to Eurymachus, who begs for his life, blaming all their schemes on Antinous. Odysseus has heard none of it as he shoots Eurymachus and kills him in an instant.
Telemachus and Eumaeus, Odysseus’ dear friend, then help the Ithacan king massacre the suitors that dared to disrespect their home. The suitors’ family rebels but are thwarted as Athene intervenes and enables peace within the land.
Role of Eurymachus in The Odyssey
Eurymachus in Greek mythology, is the son of Polybus and is an Ithacan nobleman. He is one of the two leading suitors vying for Penelope’s hand and shows neither respect or regards to the house of Odysseus. He disregards the Greek custom of Xenia as he thinks of himself as the next king, charming Penelope while having the support of the Queen’s father.
The Ithacan noble claims that Odysseus befriended him in his childhood and told Penelope that Telemachus was his dearest friend’s son. He promises to protect Telemachus, despite wanting him dead, to gain the trust and affection of the Ithacan Queen. His role is to antagonize Odysseus’ family as he schemes and plots for the throne.
Eurymachus is an arrogant, disrespectful suitor who consumes the food and drinks their wine without regard to Telemachus. He spearheads the plan to kill Telemachus after the young prince warns the suitors of his father’s return. The suitors disregard the prince’s warning and instead plan to have him assassinated. Eurymachus’ plan to kill Telemachus fails, and he is murdered after trying to appeal his case to Odysseus.
Conclusion
Now that we’ve talked about Eurymachus, who he is in the Odyssey and his role in the Greek epic, let’s go over the critical points of this article:
As Odysseus is away from Ithaca, his family faces peril of their own: Penelope’s suitors- Penelope’s father tries to force the Ithacan Queen to remarry before it’s too late and supports Eurymachus as his daughter’s next groom.
- Penelope promises to marry a man from her suitors after she finishes weaving her mourning web but unweaves it every night to delay her second marriage.
- Eurymachus charms Penelope with his deceitful nature, promising to protect her son, Telemachus, and giving her the impression of a young man with no ill intentions.
- At first, Penelope falls for his actions but is wary of the lack of action from Eurymachus’ words.
- Telemachus warns the suitors of his father’s return and, in doing so, gains the suitors’ ire. They plot to assassinate him in retaliation.
- Odysseus disguises himself as a beggar as he returns to Ithaca and reveals his identity to Eumaeus and Telemachus; together, they plot the massacre of the suitors.
- Penelope holds a competition for her hand in marriage: whoever can wile Odysseus’ bow and shoot it across the room may have her hand in marriage and the throne of Ithaca.
- A beggar steps up and completes the mission; he shoots the bow and points it to Antinous, revealing his identity in the process.
- He shoots Antinous in the neck and points the bow to Eurymachus, who begs for his life, blaming Antinous for all their schemes and disrespect. His pleas are left to deaf ears as Odysseus is not satisfied by anything other than his revenge.
In conclusion, Eurymachus plays one of Odysseus’ mortal antagonists who shows the deceitful nature of those with hidden agendas. The worst of all, suitors, for their manipulative nature, influences the suitors in their tryst against Odysseus and his son.
He is the hidden brain behind the assassination attempt against Telemachus but uses Antinous as his puppet as he hides his intention behind his smile and charm. He tries to seduce Penelope’s maid to gain information about the Ithacan Queen, but all his efforts are for naught as Odysseus returns to reclaim his rightful place on the throne. And there you have it! Eurymachus, who he is and his role in The Odyssey.
