ULYSSES Ulysses, Mixes. Olixes, Athcn., hoot., Corinth. Gk. '0Accrar6t, Olyssrus, 'Wrrretic, Olyttcus, general Gk. '0Occatt5r, Odys seus, probably of Illyrian origin, influenced by popular connection with initlaatallat, odyssestImi, to be hated). A legendary Greek hero. Accord ing to the oldest legend. the Homeric, he was the son of Laertes, Prince of Ithaca. and of Antieleia. 'laughter of Antolyens. According to a later account, his father was the crafty Sisyphus; whence he is sometimes called, by way of reproach, Sisyphides. Ile married Penelope (q.v.), by whom he became the father of Telemachus. When the PX pedition against Troy was resolved on. Agamemnon and Menelaus prevailed on Ulysses. though with difficulty. to take part in it. Later traditions represent him as feigning madness—an artifice which failed through the skill of Palamedes. Once enlisted. Ulysses devoted himself to the success of the ex pedition; With Nestor's. aid he secured the help of Achilles, and with Menelaus lie undertook a fruitless embassy to Troy to demand the return of Helen and her treasures. When the Greek fleet. assembled at Antis. Ulysses brought twelve ships. In the narrative of the Iliad Ulysses plays an important pail. In prudence and in genuity of resource he is the foremost of the Hellenic while in courage he is inferior to none. His later trait. of trickery is seen in the episode of Dolon, but in the Homeric poems he is generally represented as a model of the older. as Achilles is of the younger, hero. After the fall of Troy, the Homeric narrative of his long wandering on his return to Ithaca is con tained in the Odyssey. Setting sail for home, his ships were driven by a storm on the coast of Thrace, where he plundered the land of the Ci cones, but lost a number of his crew. Having re embarked, a north wind blew them to the coun try of the Lotophagi (the `Lotus-eaters'), on the coasts of Libya, where some of the com panions of Ulysses ate of the wondrous fruit, and wished to rest. forever. But their leader compelled them to leave the land, and, sailing north again, they touched at the 'island of goats.' where Ulysses left all his ships but one. Thence he proceeded to the 'land of the Cy elopes.' where occurred the adventure in the cave of Polyphemus (q.v.). With his reunited fleet he now visited the island of .Eolus, ruler of the winds, who gave him a favoring breeze, and the unfavorable winds tied in a skin. This
his companions. in search of treasure, opened, and at once they were swept back to the island, from which they were now sternly excluded. They then reached the land of the Lastrygonians, a race of cannibals, who destroyed all the ships but one. Escaping with his solitary ship. he next landed on the island of _Ewa, inhabited by the sorceress Circe (q.v.). After a year's so journ he was sent by Circe to the Kingdom of Hades, to inquire about his return froth the blind seer Tiresias. Tiresias disclosed to Ulysses the fact of the implacable enmity of Poseidon. whose son. Polyphemus. he had blinded, but encouraged him at the same time with the assurance that he would 3-et reach Ithaca in safety, if he would not meddle with the herds of Helios (the sun-god) in Thrinacia.
lie passed in safety the perilous island of the Sirens (q.v.). but in sailing between Scylla and Charybdis the monster that inhabited the first of these rocks devoured six of Ulysses's com panions. De next came to Thrinacia, where his crew insisted on landing. and while storm-bound killed, in spite of their oath, some of the cattle of Helios while Ulysses was asleep. When they had sailed away, a fierce storm arose, and Zeus sent forth a flash of lightning that destroyed the ship. Every one on board was drowned except Ulysses himself. who, clinging to the mast, was finally washed ashore on the island of Ogygia, the abode of the nymph Calypso, with whom he lived for eight. years. The nymph offered him immortality if he would remain. but his love for Penelope and longing for his home were too deep, and at the entreaty of his special guardian. Athena, Zeus sent Hermes to command his re lease. Sailing eastward in a skiff of his own building, lie was seen by the implacable Poseidon, who roused against him a terrible storm, which wrecked his ship and from which he barely es caped with his life by the aid of Leucothea to the land of the Phmeaeians. Naked and worn by fatigue, he fell asleep, but w•as awakened by the sport of Nausieaa. daughter of the King, Al cinous, and her maidens. She received him kind ly, and brought him to the city. Entering the palace under Athena's protection, he was enter tained by the King. who promised him safe con voy to his home. On the magic Plneacian ship he fell asleep. and was landed, with the rich presents of the Phwacians, while still uncon scious.