Laertes (mythology)

Laertes ( Greek Λαέρτης Laértēs ) is a figure in Greek mythology . He was king of Ithaca and father of the legendary hero Odysseus .

Laertes was the son of Arkeisios and Chalkomedusa and husband of Antikleia , with whom he had the son Odysseus and the daughter Ktimene . Post-Homeric authors let him take part in the Argonaut trip and in the hunt for the Calydonian boar . Some ancient writers also denied that Laërtes was the father of Odysseus; Rather, he was actually the son of Sisyphus and Antikleia, who was then married to Laërtes when she was already pregnant. The three great Greek tragedy poets liked to use this version of the legend whenever they let the opponents of Odysseus speak.

It is unclear why Laërtes, although he was still healthy, handed over the rule to Odysseus and withdrew to an estate. In any case, Odysseus exercised the government, which he led very benevolently, some time before his participation in the Trojan War . While Antikleia died of grief because of her son's long absence from this war and his subsequent wanderings , the grieving father led a secluded, hard and ascetic life. When Odysseus was finally believed to be missing, Penelope's intrusive suitors were happy in his palace. After his return, the hero killed all suitors and then went to see his elderly father on his estate. After testing Laërtes' disposition with a story of lies, he revealed himself to him, and a touching greeting ensued between father and son. The joyful Laërtes now dressed again according to his dignity and fought, endowed with old strength by Athene , with Odysseus and his son Telemachos as well as loyal servants against members of the powerful families of the slain suitors, throwing Eupeithes , the father of Antinous , with a spear killed. Athena separated the conflicting parties with a cry and restored peace between Odysseus and his subjects.

literature

• Hans von Geisau : Laertes. In: The Little Pauly (KlP). Volume 3, Stuttgart 1969, column 448 f.
• Konrad Seeliger : Laertes . In: Wilhelm Heinrich Roscher (Hrsg.): Detailed lexicon of Greek and Roman mythology . Volume 2.2, Leipzig 1897, Col. 1787 f. ( Digitized version ).

Web links

Commons : Laertes  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Remarks

1. ↑ Homer , Odyssey 15, 363ff .; 16, 118f .; 24, 270; Scholien Q to Homer, Odyssey 16, 118.
2. ↑ Libraries of Apollodor 1, 112; Hyginus Mythographus , Fabulae 173.
3. ↑ Hyginus Mythographus, Fabulae 201; u. a.
4. ↑ Aeschylus , fragment 175; Sophocles , Aias 190; Sophocles, Philoctetes 417 (with Scholia) and 1311; Euripides , Iphigenia in Aulis 524 and 1362; Euripides, The Cyclops 104.
5. ↑ Homer, Odyssey 2:46; 2, 234; 4, 689 f .; 5, 12.
6. ↑ Homer, Odyssey 11, 187-196; 16, 142 ff.
7. ↑ Homer, Odyssey 24, 302 ff.
8. ↑ Homer, Odyssey 24, 321 ff.
9. ↑ Homer, Odyssey 24, 498 ff. And 24, 523 ff.
10. ↑ Homer, Odyssey 24: 529-548.