LAERTES (legendary king of Ithaca)

In his youth, Laertes was among the nobles of Greece who assembled to sail on the Argo.¹⁶ He captured the continental city of Nericus and claimed to have taken the inhabitants of Crocyleia and the rugged Aegilips.^7,17,18 He and the Cephallenians occupied Acarnania, a territory he held as their chief.^19,18 He also mentioned taking cities listed in the Catalogue during his time as a leader.¹⁸

Later, he resided alone in a well-tilled farm outside the town, which he had reclaimed through immense personal effort.^14,20 His wealth was evident in his house, the fair fields surrounding it, and the lean-to for his slaves.^4,20 He spent his time tending to his vineyard, having previously overseen agricultural labor on his property.^14,21 An old Sicel woman served as his caretaker, looking after him, preparing his meals, and putting a good cloak on him.^14,20 He had purchased the slave woman Euryclea when she was very young, paying the value of twenty oxen for her services.²² He treated her with the same respect he showed his own wife, avoiding sleeping with her because he feared his wife would be resentful.²²

The death of his wife caused him great grief and accelerated his aging.²³ He was deeply distressed by the prolonged absence of his son, having neglected proper eating and drinking since Odysseus left.^23,21 He sat weeping and losing flesh from his bones, overcome by a dark cloud of sorrow.^21,12 He poured dust from the ground over his head while groaning heavily.¹² He prayed to heaven to depart peacefully in his own house.^23,24

Odysseus embraced and kissed Laertes after revealing who he was.¹² Athena made Laertes taller and stouter than before, and he appeared to look like an immortal to his son.²⁵ Though currently unfit for arms and unable to defend his rights against enemies, Laertes claimed he would have fought and killed many suitors if he were still strong.^26,7 He put on his armor to join the battle, though he had long since discarded his old, dry-rotted shield because its straps had become unsewn.^13,27 He sallied forth with the group, Odysseus leading the way, to defend his family against the suitors who sought to exterminate their lineage.^13,28 Rejoicing at the news of his descendants' bravery, he expressed delight upon hearing of their valor.²⁹ He offered the thigh bones of many oxen at the altar of Zeus.³⁰