The suitors of Penelope

Penelope

In Homer's Odyssey, Penelope is the faithful wife of Odysseus, who keeps her suitors at bay in his long absence and is eventually reunited with him....

, also known as the Proci, are one of the main subjects of Homer

Homer

In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...

's Odyssey

Odyssey

The Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon, and is the second—the Iliad being the first—extant work of Western literature...

. Penelope's husband, Odysseus

Odysseus

Odysseus or Ulysses was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. Odysseus also plays a key role in Homer's Iliad and other works in the Epic Cycle....

, king of Ithaca

Ithaca

Ithaca or Ithaka is an island located in the Ionian Sea, in Greece, with an area of and a little more than three thousand inhabitants. It is also a separate regional unit of the Ionian Islands region, and the only municipality of the regional unit. It lies off the northeast coast of Kefalonia and...

, goes off to fight in the 10-year Trojan war

Trojan War

In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, the king of Sparta. The war is among the most important events in Greek mythology and was narrated in many works of Greek literature, including the Iliad...

. While most survivors return relatively soon, it takes Odysseus another ten years to return home, and in this time the suitors court Penelope, whom they believe (or hope) has become a widow. Once Odysseus returns home (whom Athene initially disguises as a beggar so he can plot his revenge in secret), his son Telemachus

Telemachus

Telemachus is a figure in Greek mythology, the son of Odysseus and Penelope, and a central character in Homer's Odyssey. The first four books in particular focus on Telemachus' journeys in search of news about his father, who has been away at war...

 tells him that there are 108 suitors: 52 from Dulichium

Dulichium

Dulichium, Dolicha, or Doliche was a place noted by numerous ancient writers that was either a city on, or an island off, the Ionian Sea coast of Acarnania, Greece....

, 24 from Same

Same (Ancient Greece)

Same is an Ancient Greek name of a Homeric and unidentified island in the Ionian Sea, near Ithaca and Cephalonia. In Homer's Iliad, book II, in the Catalogue of Ships, Same is described as part of Odysseus's kingdom...

, 20 Achaeans from Zacynthus

Zakynthos

Zakynthos , also Zante, the other form often used in English and in Italian , is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the third largest of the Ionian Islands. It is also a separate regional unit of the Ionian Islands region, and the only municipality of the regional unit. It covers an area of ...

, and 12 from Ithaca. Under the pretext of courting Penelope, the suitors proceed to spend their days at Odysseus house, and feasting on the livestock. The suitors provide one of the earliest examples of courting in Ancient Greece (although, as an epic

Epic poetry

An epic is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation. Oral poetry may qualify as an epic, and Albert Lord and Milman Parry have argued that classical epics were fundamentally an oral poetic form...

, the accuracy of The Odyssey is debated).. After Odysseus returns home, he kills all of the suitors.

List of suitors appearing in the Odyssey

While most of the suitors are not dealt with individually by Homer, some are mentioned by name and play more or less significant roles in the poem.

• Agelaus
  Agelaus
  Agelaus or Agelaos is, in Greek mythology, the name of various individuals.#Agelaus, or Agelaos, son of Damastor was a suitor of Penelope, killed by Odysseus....
  
  , son of Damastor. Was killed by Odysseus.
• Amphimedon
  Amphimedon
  In Homer's Odyssey, Amphimedon was the son of Melaneus and one of the suitors of Penelope. While retreating from Odysseus's party during the final stages of the battle in the latter's hall, he gave a glancing blow to the carapace of Telemachus, to whom he fell shortly afterwards...
  
  , son of Melaneus
  Melaneus
  In Greek mythology, Melaneus was a son of Apollo. He was the founder of Oechalia , variously located in Thessaly, Messenia or Euboea....
  
  . Was killed by Telemachus.
• Amphinomus
  Amphinomus
  In Greek mythology, Amphinomus, also Amphínomos , was the son of King Nisos and one of the suitors of Penelope that was killed by Telemachus. Amphinomus was considered the best-behaved of the suitors. Despite Odysseus's warning, he was compelled by Athena to stay, as he had been a suitor...
  
  . Shows courtesy towards the disguised Odysseus, who warns him against staying; the warning goes unheeded, though, and he is killed along with the other suitors, though by Telemachus and not Odysseus.
• Antinous
  Antinous son of Eupeithes
  In Greek mythology, Antinous , son of Eupeithes, is most known for his role in Homer’s Odyssey. One of two prominent suitors vying for Penelope’s hand in marriage, the other being Eurymachus, Antinous is presented as a violent, mean-spirited character who willfully defiles Odysseus’ home while the...
  
  , son of Eupeithes
  Eupeithes
  In Greek mythology, Eupeithês was the father of Antinous, the leader of the suitors of Penelope. After his son's death at the hands of Odysseus, Eupeithes tried to revolt against his rule. He was killed by Odysseus' father, Laertes. Apparently, he had forgotten the favor Odysseus had done for...
  
  . One of the leaders of the suitors, he helps instigate the plot to kill Telemachus
  Telemachus
  Telemachus is a figure in Greek mythology, the son of Odysseus and Penelope, and a central character in Homer's Odyssey. The first four books in particular focus on Telemachus' journeys in search of news about his father, who has been away at war...
  
   as he returns from the mainland, and helps spur the fight between Odysseus (as the beggar) and Irus
  Irus
  Irus was a nickname given to Arnaeus the beggar, due to his willingness to run messages for the suitors . He was a beggar in Ithaca who sees Odysseus encroaching on his territory so he becomes aggressive and begins to insult him...
  
  , a notorious beggar.
• Ctesippus of Same, son of Polytherses. A "ribald fellow" of great wealth who gives Odysseus, disguised as a beggar, a "present" by throwing a heifer's foot at him; Telemachus threatens him in response, and says that he would have killed him if he had not missed. After killing him, the stockman says that his death is a present in return for the one he gave to Odysseus.
• Demoptolemus
  Demoptolemus
  In Homer's Odyssey, Demoptolemus was one of the myriad suitors of the queen of Ithaca. He met his end by the spear of Odysseus in the final stages of the battle in the hall of the latter's palace....
  
  , killed by Odysseus.
• Elatus
  Elatus
  There were eight figures named Elatus or Élatos in Greek mythology.* Elatus, a Lapith chieftain, was the father, by Hippeia, of:**Ischys who was beloved by Coronis...
  
  , killed by Eumaeus
  Eumaeus
  In Greek mythology, Eumaeus was Odysseus's swineherd and friend before he left for the Trojan War. His father, Ktesios son of Ormenos, was king of an island called Syria. When he was a young child a Phoenician sailor seduced his nurse, a slave, who agreed to bring the child among other treasures...
  
  .
• Euryades, killed by Telemachus.
• Eurydamas. Offered a pair of earrings as a gift to Penelope. Was eventually killed by Odysseus.
• Eurymachus
  Eurymachus
  The name Eurymachus, Evrimahos, or Eurýmakhos , is attributed to the following individuals:-Greek mythology:*In Homer’s Odyssey, Eurymachus, son of Polybus, is an Ithacan nobleman and one of the two leading suitors of Penelope, the other being Antinous...
  
  , son of Polybus. One of the leaders of the suitors, noted for being smooth and decietful. He blames everything on Antinous after he is killed by Odysseus, saying that the suitors are sorry for what they have done and will repay Odysseus. His pleas do not persuade Odysseus, so he tells the suitors they will have to fight if they wish to live, and he is shot with an arrow while charging Odysseus.
• Eurynomus, son of Aegyptius. His brother Antiphus accompanied Odysseus to the Trojan War and was devoured by Polyphemus on the way back.
• Leiocritus, son of Evenor. Was killed by Telemachus.
• Leiodes, son of Oenops. The sacrificial priest to the suitors, he hated the evil deeds of the suitors and was indignant with the others. While Odysseus is killing the suitors, he begs for mercy, saying that he tried to stop the others and they were paying for not listening to him. Odysseus hears him out but says that as priest, he must have prayed for Odysseus to not come home, so he kills him anyway.
• Peisander, son of Polyctor. Offered a necklace as a gift to Penelope. Was killed by Philoetius.
• Polybus
  Polybus (Odyssey)
  In Ancient Greek epic tradition recounted in Homer's Odyssey, Polybus was the father of a suitor, Eurymachus, who was killed by Odysseus once he returned from his 7-year journey during the Trojan War. Polybus himself was one of the suitors of Penelope, the wife of Odysseus. Polybus was actually...
  
  , son of Polyctor and father of Eurymachus.

List of suitors in Bibliotheca

An extensive list of Penelope's suitors is given in Pseudo-Apollodorus

Apollodorus

Apollodorus of Athens son of Asclepiades, was a Greek scholar and grammarian. He was a pupil of Diogenes of Babylon, Panaetius the Stoic, and the grammarian Aristarchus of Samothrace...

' Bibliotheca. This source does not appear to fully respect the Homeric tradition, as the numbers are different and not all of the names known from the Odyssey do appear in Bibliotheca. Some of the names are repeated several times; the lists for Dulichium and Zacynthus actually contain fewer names than is stated at the beginning of each of them.

• 57 suitors from Dulichium

1. Amphinomus
2. Thoas
3. Demoptolemus
4. Amphimachus
5. Euryalus
6. Paralus
7. Evenorides
8. Clytius
9. Agenor
10. Eurypylus
11. Pylaemenes
12. Acamas
13. Thersilochus
14. Hagius
15. Clymenus
16. Philodemus
17. Meneptolemus
18. Damastor
19. Bias
20. Telmius
21. Polyidus
22. Astylochus
23. Schedius
24. Antigonus
25. Marpsius
26. Iphidamas
27. Argius
28. Glaucus
29. Calydoneus
30. Echion
31. Lamas
32. Andraemon
33. Agerochus
34. Medon
35. Agrius
36. Promus
37. Ctesius
38. Acarnan
39. Cycnus
40. Pseras
41. Hellanicus
42. Periphron
43. Megasthenes
44. Thrasymedes
45. Ormenius
46. Diopithes
47. Mecisteus
48. Antimachus
49. Ptolemaeus
50. Lestorides
51. Nicomachus
52. Polypoetes
53. Ceraus
    • 23 from Same
54. Agelaus
55. Peisander
56. Elatus
57. Ctesippus
58. Hippodochus
59. Eurystratus
60. Archemolus
61. Ithacus
62. Peisenor
63. Hyperenor
64. Pheroetes
65. Antisthenes
66. Cerberus
67. Perimedes
68. Cynnus
69. Thriasus
70. Eteoneus
71. Clytius
72. Prothous
73. Lycaethus
74. Eumelus
75. Itanus
76. Lyammus
    • 44 from Zacynthus
77. Eurylochus
78. Laomedes
79. Molebus
80. Phrenius
81. Indius
82. Minis
83. Leiocritus
84. Pronomus
85. Nisas
86. Daemon
87. Archestratus
88. Hippomachus
89. Euryalus
90. Periallus
91. Evenorides
92. Clytius
93. Agenor
94. Polybus
95. Polydorus
96. Thadytius
97. Stratius
98. Phrenius
99. Indius
100. Daesenor
101. Laomedon
102. Laodicus
103. Halius
104. Magnes
105. Oloetrochus
106. Barthas
107. Theophron
108. Nissaeus
109. Alcarops
110. Periclymenus
111. Antenor
112. Pellas
113. Celtus
114. Periphas
115. Ormenus
116. Polybus
117. Andromedes
     • 12 from Ithaca
118. Antinous
119. Pronous
120. Leiodes
121. Eurynomus
122. Amphimachus
123. Amphialus
124. Promachus
125. Amphimedon
126. Aristratus
127. Helenus
128. Dulicheus
129. Ctesippus