Penelope
It's no great secret that I have an undying passion for Greek Literature. I love Mythology in all of its forms. So, today I will write about one of the greatest women in the history of Greek literature. Today we will talk about the Great Penelope.
What makes Penelope so Great? There are so many women springing from Greek Literature, why would I choose her?
Before I answer that, let me tell you a little bit about this woman. Penelope is the wife of Odysseus, the great hero of the Trojan War. It was Odysseus who developed the plan for the Trojan Horse. It was Odysseus wh tricked the Trojans into opening their gates to the invading Greek army. It was Odysseus who ended the Trojan War.
But, I digress. This post is about Penelope, not her husband. Everyone knows the Trojan war lasted ten years. Penelope was a young, beautiful Queen at the beginning of the war. The day the Greeks came for Odysseus and forced him to go to Troy, she gave birth to her first, and only, child, Telemachus. From the moment of his birth Telemachus was used as a weapon against his father. You see, Odysseus was known for his guile and intelligence. This young King did not want to leave his wife and newborn child so he decided he would pretend to be crazy. Odysseus hooked up his plow and moved to his fields. He claimed to be sowing wheat, but he was casting salt into the ground. The Kings of Greece all gathered around Odysseus and tried to tell him they needed to join them in battle. Odysseus ignored the Kings and blissfully walked his fields throwing sterilizing salt into the fertile soil. One King realized Odysseus could be trying to fool them into thinking he was crazy. He decided to test Odysseus. So I want you to imagine this moment: The Kings went into the chambers where young Penelope had just given birth and took the infant from her arms. These Kings placed the newborn Prince in the path of Odysseus' plow. If Odysseus was really insane, he would drive over his son. If he was pretending he would go around the babe. Could you imagine the absolute horror and sense of powerlessness young Penelope was feeling at that moment. She had to watch these men test her husband with her young son. Fortunately, Odysseus was wise enough to avoid his son and he was conscripted into the war.
Penelope, like many of the Greek Queens of the islands, was left to tend her husband's lands for the ten years he was gone. She had the charge of raising a good Greek Warrior without the influence of a father. Eventually, the war ended and the Greeks began their voyage home.
All of the Greek Kings had their struggles getting home. Each one had done something to offend the Gods during the course of the Trojan War and they had to perform some task to prove they were worthy to go home and rule their lands. Most of the Kings were able to make it home within a few months of the end of the war. Only Odysseus was left to wander the seas for an additional ten years. The story of Odysseus has been told many times, so I will not relay his adventures here. After all, this story is about Penelope.
Faithful Penelope. The Queen of the Ithacans was left to care for the kingdom for an additional ten years. She was left alone to tend to the lands, command the servants and to raise a son. This would have been fine, if it wasn't for the suitors. You see, a few years went by and when Odysseus didn't return home many people assumed he was dead. The Kings of all the surrounding islands realized there was a beautiful,young Queen just one island over just pining for a husband. These Kings sent their sons, if they did not go themselves, to vie for the Queen's hand in marriage.
Penelope did not believe her husband was dead. In fact, she was very angry at this brash, young suitors to call uninvited to her shores. Her greatest desire was to send them all on their way, maybe with a few of Apollo's bow shots at their heels. The only problem with doing this was it was bad manners to send your guests away. If she chased them off her shores the Kings would then have an excuse to attack her kingdom and force her to marry one of them. So, Penelope did the only thing she could. She took a clue from her sly husband and tricked the suitors.
Penelope told the suitors she had one more task to complete in the name of her husband before she would be free to marry. Her husband's father, Laertes, was getting old. She was afraid he was going to die soon and it was her responsibility to ensure he was properly buried in a shroud fit for a King. Penelope set up her huge loom in the main chamber and made a big show of weaving the massive blanket tined to wrap the body of the King. She wouldn't let anyone help her; it was her job and her job alone. What the suitors didn't know was Penelope would sneak in at night and unweave the work she had done during the day. For three years she deceived the suitors. In the fourth year Penelope was betrayed. Her maids, the women who were supposed to care for her and help her in her tasks, were slinking off to spend their nights in the beds of the suitors. These women caught her in her deception and carried the tale to the suitors. This betrayal forced Penelope to finish the shroud.
Penelope wasn't finished, though. The day she finished the shroud she had
another challenge for the men who dreamed of ruling Ithaca. Penelope pulled a long bow from the mantle and presented it to the suitors. She
announced that the man who could string the bow and shoot an arrow through twelve axe handles could take Odysseus' place at his throne, and in his bed. The funny thing about this challenge was she neglected to tell the men the bow was created for Odysseus, cut to his height, balanced
for his weight and strength, oh, and the bow was made specifically made for him by the Goddess Athena. By taking this bow down she was telling all of these men, all of these contenders, or pretenders, to the throne that they were not worthy to take her husband's place as King of Ithaca.
Finally, we learn Odysseus did make it home. He returned, disguised as a beggar, in time to participate in the contest. Odysseus not only strung the bow and shot the arrow through the axe handles, but he did it sitting down. At first the suitors were stunned. They couldn't believe this
upstart beggar had bested them. But Odysseus had another surprise in store for these men who had invaded his home and tried to steal his Queen. Odysseus turned his skill with the bow and the sword on the suitors and, with the help of his now grown son and two faithful servants, cut down every one of the suitors where they stood.
Penelope had one more test for her husband. As he stood before her,
waiting for her to respond, she silently stared at the stranger standing in the midst of the carnage. When Odysseus became frustrated with her lack of welcome, he called for a bed to be made up in a chamber separate from his cold-hearted wife. This was the opening Penelope was waiting for. Calling to her maid, she ordered her to remove the bed from her chambers
and make it up with the finest linens in the house. This was too much for Odysseus. How dare anyone move HIS bed? This is the bed he made with his own hands. The base of a bed was an Olive tree he had cut and planed with his own hands and inlaid with gold, silver and ivory. He laid the foundation, a web work of red-dyed ox hide and soft linens.
No one, not even a God could pry this bed from its deep-rooted
home. This was the only sign Penelope needed. Her faithfulness had paid
off. Her husband was finally home. Odysseus was able to take his place as
rightful King of Ithaca because faithful Penelope had kept his land in
trust. Is there any reason to doubt why I love Penelope?
