Penelope

Family: Greek mythology · Role: woman whose suitors competed in a race · First appears: Book 3 · Chapter 12

At Apheta, Odysseus won the race Icarius had proposed for Penelope’s suitors. After outrunning the suitors, he installed a statue of Athene as Celeuthea; Icarius then gave Penelope in marriage to Odysseus and tried to persuade him to live at Lacedæmon. Penelope chose to leave for Ithaca with Odysseus, and Icarius let her go.

After Odysseus returned from Troy, Penelope bore him a son, Ptoliporthes. A later account says Odysseus discovered she had encouraged the suitors and sent her away; she departed for Lacedæmon, later migrated to Mantinea, and died there. Among the suitors’ gifts, Eurymachus gave her a necklace.

Relationship record

Life events

• Odysseus won Icarius’s race for Penelope’s suitors.(Book 3 · Chapter 12 · 📍 Apheta)
  • With: Icarius Odysseus
  • “They say that Icarius proposed a race for the suitors of Penelope, and that Odysseus won the prize is clear, and they started they say at the road called Apheta.”
• Odysseus installed Athene’s statue as Celeuthea after outrunning Penelope’s suitors.(Book 3 · Chapter 12 · 📍 temple of Athene)
  • With: Odysseus Athene
  • “And opposite the public Hall of the Bidiæi is the temple of Athene, and Odysseus is said to have put there the statue of the goddess, and called it Celeuthea, when he outran the suitors of Penelope.”
• Icarius gave Penelope in marriage to Odysseus.(Book 3 · Chapter 20)
  • With: Icarius Odysseus
  • “When Icarius gave Penelope in marriage to Odysseus, he endeavoured to persuade Odysseus to live at Lacedæmon”
• Penelope chose to leave with Odysseus, and Icarius allowed her departure.(Book 3 · Chapter 20 · 📍 Lacedæmon)
  • With: Odysseus Icarius
  • “And she they say made no answer, but, as she veiled her face at this proposal, Icarius perceived that she wished to go off with Odysseus, and let her go”
• Penelope bore Ptoliporthes, a son, to Odysseus.(Book 8 · Chapter 12)
  • With: Ptoliporthes Odysseus
  • “For in it she is represented as having borne a son Ptoliporthes to Odysseus after his return from Troy.”
• Odysseus sent Penelope away after discovering her encouragement of the suitors.(Book 8 · Chapter 12 · 📍 Lacedæmon)
  • With: Odysseus
  • “she was detected by Odysseus in having encouraged the suitors to the house, and therefore sent away by him, and that she forthwith departed to Lacedæmon”
• Penelope migrated to Mantinea and died there.(Book 8 · Chapter 12 · 📍 Mantinea)
  • “and afterwards migrated to Mantinea, and there died.”
• Eurymachus gave Penelope a golden necklace among the suitors’ gifts.(Book 9 · Chapter 41)
  • With: Eurymachus
  • “And among the gifts which Penelope received from the suitors he has represented Eurymachus giving her a necklace.”

Book 3 · Chapter 12

• courtship with Odysseus “They say that Icarius proposed a race for the suitors of Penelope, and that Odysseus won the prize is clear, and they started they say at the road called Apheta.”
• admirer: Odysseus “They say that Icarius proposed a race for the suitors of Penelope, and that Odysseus won the prize is clear”

Book 3 · Chapter 20

• parent: Icarius “When Icarius gave Penelope in marriage to Odysseus, he endeavoured to persuade Odysseus to live at Lacedæmon, but failing in that he begged his daughter to remain with him,”
• married with Odysseus “When Icarius gave Penelope in marriage to Odysseus, he endeavoured to persuade Odysseus to live at Lacedæmon, but failing in that he begged his daughter to remain with him,”

Book 8 · Chapter 12

• child: Ptoliporthes “For in it she is represented as having borne a son Ptoliporthes to Odysseus after his return from Troy.”
• with Odysseus (Odysseus sent Penelope away.) “But the tradition of the Mantineans about her is that she was detected by Odysseus in having encouraged the suitors to the house, and therefore sent away by him,”

Book 9 · Chapter 41

• with Eurymachus (Eurymachus gives Penelope a necklace.) “Eurymachus giving her a necklace.”

Book 10 · Chapter 30

• with Homer (interaction) “Homer says, in a speech of Penelope, that their parents died through the wrath of the gods”

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Extracted from the original text of Pausanias' Description of Greece. Made with Rho MD.