Eurylochus (Companion of Odysseus)
Eurylochos ( Greek Εὐρύλοχος ) was the husband of Odysseus ' sister Ktimene, a brother-in-law and companion of Odysseus on his wanderings. He was the helmsman of the ship on which Odysseus traveled and on the island of Aiaia he was the only one who escaped Kirkes magic, with which Kirke turned his companions, who had been sent out by Odysseus as a scouting party, into pigs. Having become cautious through earlier experiences on the journey, for example with the Laistrygons , Eurylochus did not enter the palace of the church, but observed from outside what was going on there. So he could warn Odysseus about the beautiful demigoddess.
He later accompanied Odysseus to Hades , where they sought the advice of the dead seer Teiresias regarding their journey home.
When Odysseus and his companions were stuck on the island of Thrinakia for a month because of unfavorable winds and the food supplies were exhausted, Eurylochus persuaded his companions, contrary to Odysseus' express instructions, to slaughter the cattle of Helios grazing on the island . Odysseus had withdrawn to pray and fell asleep so that he could not intervene. When Helios noticed the deed of Odysseus' companions, he turned to Zeus , who let the ship get into a storm on the high seas and shattered it with lightning. Eurylochos and all of his companions were killed. Only Odysseus was the only one who could save himself.
literature
- Hans von Geisau : Eurylochos 1. In: The Little Pauly (KlP). Volume 2, Stuttgart 1967, column 453.
- Friedrich Adolf Voigt : Eurylochos 1 . In: Wilhelm Heinrich Roscher (Hrsg.): Detailed lexicon of Greek and Roman mythology . Volume 1,1, Leipzig 1886, column 1424 ( digitized version ).
Web links
- On the island of Kirke
- Greek and Roman gods and legendary figures, letter E.
- Eurylochus in Homer's Odyssey