In Greek mythology, Anticlea, (Ἀντίκλεια), was the daughter of Autolycus and Amphithea, and mother of Odysseus or Ulysses by Laërtes (though some say by Sisyphus). She is also the granddaughter of the trickster god Hermes (who was the father of her father, Autolycus). The bust of Zeus found at Otricoli (Sala Rotonda, Museo Pio-Clementino, Vatican) Greek mythology is the telling of stories created by the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world and their own cult and ritual practices. ... In Greek mythology, Autolycus (Greek - Lone Wolf) was the son of Chione and Hermes. ... Amphithea is the name of four women in Greek mythology 1. ... Head of Odysseus from a Greek 2nd century BC marble group representing Odysseus blinding Polyphemus, found at the villa of Tiberius at Sperlonga Odysseus or Ulysses (Greek Odysseys; Latin: Ulixes or, less commonly, Ulysses), pronounced /oʊˈdɪs. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Sisyphus (Greek Σίσυφος; transliteration: Sísuphos; IPA: ), in Greek mythology, was a sinner punished in the underworld by being set to roll a huge rock up a hill throughout eternity. ... The trickster figure Renart the Fox as depicted in an 1869 childrens book by Michel Rodange. ... Hermes bearing the infant Dionysus, by Praxiteles, found at the Heraion, Olympia, 1877 Hermes (IPA: , Greek IPA: ), in Greek mythology, is the Olympian god of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of orators and wit, of literature and poets, of athletics, of weights and...

Anticlea in the Odyssey

In Book XI of the Odyssey, Odysseus makes a trip to the underworld, seeking the advice of the dead prophet Teiresias. Here, he encounters many spirits, including that of his mother, Anticlea. Initially, he rebuffs her, since he is waiting for the prophet to approach. After speaking with Teiresias, however, Odysseus allows his mother to come near and lets her speak. She asks him why he is in the underworld while alive, and he tells her about his various troubles and futile attempts to get home. Then he asks her how she died, and enqires about his family remaining at home. She tells him that she died of grief, longing for him as he was at war. Anticlea also says that Laërtes (Odysseus' father) "grieves continually" for Odysseus, and lives in a hovel in the countryside, sleeping on the floor and constantly clad in rags. Anticlea further describes the condition of Odysseus' wife (Penelope) and son (Telemachus); Penelope has not yet remarried, but is overwhelmed with sadness and longing for her husband, while Telemachus acts as magistrate for Odysseus' properties. Odysseus attempts to embrace his mother three times, but discovers that she is incorporeal and his arms simply pass through her. She explains that this is how all ghosts are, and he expresses great sorrow. Beginning of the Odyssey The Odyssey (Greek Οδύσσεια (Odússeia) ) is one of the two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to the Ionian poet Homer. ... In Greek mythology, Tiresias was a blind prophet, the son of the shepherd Everes and the nymph Chariclo. ... Penelope represented as a statue in the Vatican, Rome For other uses, see Penelope (disambiguation). ... Telemachus and Mentor Telemachus departing from Nestor, painting by Henry Howard (1769–1847) Telemachus (also transliterated as Telemachos or Telémakhos; literally, far-away fighter) is a figure in Greek mythology, the son of Odysseus and Penelope. ...

Anticlea and Sisyphus

According to some later sources, Odysseus was the child of Anticlea by Sisyphus, not Laërtes. In this version of the story, Autolycus, an infamous trickster, stole Sisyphus' cattle. At some point, Sisyphus recognized his cattle while on a visit to Autolycus, and subsequently seduced (or, in some versions, raped) Anticlea, Autolycus' daughter. Odysseus was the result of this union, which took place before Anticlea's marriage to Laërtes.

External Links

• Encyclopaedia Britannica on Autolycus and the disputed parentage of Odysseus
• Odysseus as the child of Sisyphus and Anticlea

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Odyssey/Book XI

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