BOOK COUPLES COUNTDOWN | Day 3: Penelope & Odysseus
Day 3 of Book Couples Countdown is here, and our pair for today is classic, in every sense of the word! Mythology, especially that of the ancient Greeks and Romans, is something I’m passionate about. I still hope to someday return to school, earn a doctorate, and teach classical studies at the college level. But we’ll see if that ever happens! For now, I can just continue to obsess over it in my spare time, and by now I hope you’ve realized that a beautiful romance tends to fuel my love for a work like little else! There are many love stories within classical mythology, but Penelope and Odysseus are my favorite by far.
Art by Soni Alcorn-Hender.
After the events of The Iliad, Odysseus becomes lost at sea, and his epic journey home presents a variety of temptations, from immortal life to beautiful women. He declines them all, refusing to accept several offers of a comfortable life. Instead, he continues on in his strenuous attempts to get home. Why? Because he has every intention of returning to his true love, Penelope.
Art by Alan Lee. This is a portion of the cover for The Wanderings of Odysseus by Rosemary Sutcliff.
Penelope, for her part, is remaining entirely faithful. Despite Odysseus’ 20-year absence and her community’s insistence that she can and should remarry, Penelope fends off countless suitors to wait with hope in her heart for her Odysseus. Although she’s had to raise their son, Telemachus, without her husband, and surely imagined what he may have been doing while away from her, she remains confident in his fidelity, love, and loyalty.
Art by Julia Deanne Harrison.
As a champion of Athena, known for his intellect and guile, Odysseus is my favorite Greek hero. He found an ideal match in Penelope, who holds her own in these departments. In a world where the refusal of eligible suitors can be the utmost insult, Penelope uses her cunning to devise a plan that keeps them at bay while maintaining her diplomatic reputation. She tells the suitors she must finish weaving a shroud for the eventual death of Odysseus’ father, Laertes, before she remarries. Then, she unweaves bits of it every evening, thus carrying on the ruse for years.
All of the work pays off when Odysseus returns, and the lovers are reunited. It’s a beautiful story of faith and dedication, and I’ve adored it since the moment I first read it!
Art by Jan Styka.
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Do you have a favorite mythological couple? I’d love to know! Let’s chat in the comments.
