Laertes: The Overlooked Hero of Homer's Odyssey

Laertes, father of Odysseus, is a central yet often overlooked figure in Homer's Odyssey. His grief over Odysseus's absence is a recurring theme: his wife Anticlea dies from sorrow, and Laertes retreats to a farm, sleeping by slaves in winter and on vineyard ground in summer. In Book XXIV, Odysseus visits Laertes's farm but initially conceals his identity. After claiming to have met Odysseus five years prior, Laertes pours dirt on his head in grief, prompting Odysseus to reveal himself. Reunited, Laertes is bathed and granted vigor by Athena. In the final battle against the suitors' families, Laertes hurls a spear that kills Eupeithes, father of Antinous. Athena and Zeus intervene to stop the slaughter. Scholars Nadia Sels and Gregory Nagy note Laertes represents a different kind of hero—one who lives to see his children grow—and his recognition is tied to heroic ancestry. Laertes symbolizes the past reborn, complementing Odysseus (present) and Telemachus (future).