Odysseus

Also known as: Laertes' seed / Laertes' son · Family: The Greeks · Role: warrior · First appears: Book I · Part 6

In the third book, Odysseus killed Proteus in battle; when Alcon wounded him, he ignored the injury and killed his attacker. In the fifth, he and Ajax son of Telamon each claimed Achilles’ arms. The sons of Troy awarded them to Odysseus, defeating Ajax, and Odysseus later said he had brought Achilles as a battle-helper.

In the sixth book, after Calchas urged the Achaeans to fetch Achilles’ son from Scyros, Odysseus sailed with Diomedes to bring Neoptolemus to the Greek host. He offered him Achilles’ arms if he came to Troy. When Neoptolemus arrived, Odysseus and the others drove Eurypylus son of Telephus and his men from the Argive wall; Odysseus also gave Diomedes battle-gear taken from Socus.

At Lemnos, Odysseus and Diomedes found Philoctetes, whose anger toward them melted away, and brought him and his bow back to the Greek host. Later, Odysseus entered the wooden horse with the Greek heroes; at Troy, he and Epeius opened it, and Odysseus led the warriors down into the city. The Argives spared Antenor because he had once sheltered Odysseus and Menelaus, but Odysseus dragged Hecuba to his ship as a captive. He survived the sea tempest and sailed home.