Antinous
The boldest and most arrogant of the men courting Penelope, Antinous treats Odysseus' palace as already his own — and, on learning of Telemachus' voyage, plots to kill him before he can return.
Antinous in the Odyssey
Antinous, son of Eupeithes, is the most arrogant and violent of Penelope's suitors and their unofficial leader. It is he who exposes the trick of the shroud in the Ithacan assembly and openly mocks Telemachus.
When Telemachus leaves for Pylos, Antinous organizes an ambush to kill him on his way back. He insults and strikes the beggar who is Odysseus in disguise, and his arrogance makes him the first suitor to die.
Key moments
- Book 4
He sets a ship in wait between Ithaca and Samos to ambush Telemachus.
- Book 17
He hurls a footstool at the disguised Odysseus, who is begging in his own hall.
- Book 22
He is raising a golden cup to drink when Odysseus' first arrow strikes him in the throat.
Relationship to Odysseus
He counts on Odysseus never coming home, and his open contempt for Telemachus — culminating in a planned ambush at sea — will make him the first suitor to fall when Odysseus finally does return.
Where this figure enters the journey
While Telemachus searches abroad, Antinous and the suitors drain his household's wealth and plot an ambush for his return.
Open the map locationIthaca