In Greek mythology, Eumaeus, or Eumaios, was Odysseus' swineherd and friend before he left for the Trojan War. 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. ... 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. ... In a draw in a mountainous region, a shepherd guides a flock of about 20 sheep amidst scrub and olive trees. ... The fall of Troy by Johann Georg Trautmann (1713–1769) From the collections of the granddukes of Baden, Karlsruhe The Trojan War was waged, according to legend, against the city of Troy in Asia Minor, by the armies of the Achaeans (Mycenaean Greeks), after Paris of Troy stole Helen from...

In the Odyssey, Eumaeus is the first person Odysseus meets after his return to Ithaca. Although he doesn't recognize his old master in disguise, Eumaeus still treats him well, giving him food and shelter. Eumaeus also welcomes Odysseus' son Telemachus when he returns from his voyage to Pylos and Sparta and Telemachus also does not recognize his father at first. During Odysseus' absence Eumaeus had acted as a father to Telemachus. 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. ... Localization of Ithaca The big island in the center is Kefalonia. ... 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. ... Pylos (Greek Πύλος), formerly Navarino, is the name of a bay and a town on the west coast of the Peloponnese, in the district of Messenia in southern Greece. ... Sparta (Doric: Spártā, Attic: Spártē) is a city in southern Greece. ...

Despite being a swineherd, Eumaeus was fairly wealthy and could afford to buy his own slave. However, the suitors of Penelope had abused him, taking his best pigs for their own feasts and leaving him with only piglets to eat. Later, when Eumaeus finally recognizes Odysseus, he helps Odysseus kill the suitors. Slave redirects here. ... Penelope represented as a statue in the Vatican, Rome For other uses, see Penelope (disambiguation). ...

Interestingly, Eumaeus is the only character in the Odyssey whom the narrator addresses in the second person, as δι Ευμαιη, "you, Eumaeus." He is also frequently called the "noble swineherd" and "prince of swineherds" - perhaps, according to some academics, because Homer feels a real affinity for this character. Homer (Greek: , ) was an early Greek poet and aoidos (rhapsode) traditionally credited with the composition of the Iliad and the Odyssey. ...

Modern

In Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe, the swineherd Gurth is referred to as "this second Eumaeus" after he and the jester discuss the unjust confiscation of livestock meat by Norman barons. For other uses, see Ivanhoe (disambiguation). ...

The folk metal group The Lord Weird Slough Feg has a song about Eumaeus on their 2005 album Atavism. Folk metal is a diverse collection of music, encompassing a wide variety of different styles and approaches. ... The Lord Weird Slough Feg are a folk metal band that formed in Pennsylvania in the early 1990s and is currently based in the San Francisco Bay Area. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...