Book 25: Penelope Tells Her Story
I have been through a lot these past 20 years or so. I spent years not knowing if my husband would come back home after going off to Troy. Odysseus' house plagued with suitors, all hoping to win my hand in marriage. They stayed at our house devouring all of our goods, our food, our animals, and our wine. I refused to marry them with the hope that my dear husband would come back and destroy all of the suitors, free us from their greedy ways. I longed to see my husband for he had been gone for around twenty years. I was lonely all those years and another women in my position might have remarried already, but I stayed faithful to him and the gods brought him back home and gave him and Telemachus the power to kill the suitors.
As long as Odysseus was away, I thought I should take power within the palace until he comes back or Telemachus becomes a suitable heir. I did this by not marrying one of the suitors; therefore none of those greedy, selfish men would come into power as king of Ithaca. While the suitors were busy trying to court me and using up all of our resources, I came up with a scheme to trick them; I would weave and tell them that as soon as I finish weaving I would choose one of them to marry, but every night I would unravel what I had woven and I would never finish weaving. The suitors soon discovered what I was trying to do and forced me to finish weaving. I remained faithful; faithful as the bond that a mother has between herself and her children, nurturing them through their childhood, taking care of them, and never abandoning them. After Athena inspired me, I decided once and for all to finally choose a suitor to marry. I held a contest in which the person who could string Odysseus' bow and shoot and arrow the most gracefully through axes wins my hand in marriage. I still truly didn't want to marry one of the suitors and I knew that no one, but Odysseus is strong enough to string his bow. None of the suitors could do it, but a beggar, who happened to be Odysseus (unbeknownst to me), managed not only to string the bow, but also to shoot through all of the axes. I went to my room and wept for my husband, for even if I were to marry this man I would still keep the memories of Odysseus alive. Later a nurse told me that my husband was downstairs and the suitors were dead. I did not believe that this was true. After further persuasion, I finally came downstairs to find Telemachus with the person claiming to be Odysseus standing around the slain bodies of the suitors. I still did not believe that this was Odysseus. There was no way that he could have finally come home after being gone for so long. It must have been, the goddess Athena who came down and disguised her self as an old beggar and helped Telemachus kill all of the suitors. Only after Odysseus revealed to me a secret only known by the two of us, did I finally believe.
I was joyous that my long lost husband was finally home. I was also surprised by how much my son, Telemachus, had matured. He went from a young boy wishing for his father to a grown man, helping his dad destroy the suitors. I was happier than anyone could possibly imagine. I spent a lot of time crying and weeping for my lost husband and here he was hugging and crying with me, for we were finally together again. He praised me for my faithfulness and brought me happiness when I looked at him. I thought of how long he was gone and it only made me happier. I love him so very much. We went to bed and he told me his story of all that had happened to him on his way back to Ithaca. I finally went to sleep. The next morning Odysseus told me there were still some things to do and that he was going to visit his father, Laertes. I was told to gather the maids and stay in my chamber because soon people will know about the death of the suitors. Again, I was saddened that he left, but I knew he would soon come back to me after visiting his father.
Athena stopped Odysseus from fighting and prevented a war from happening. She brought peace down to Ithaca. Zeus and the gods value a wives' faithfulness and because of this Odysseus came back to me. I have learned a lot from this journey. Athena has given me the gift of wisdom and by following what she tells me I will please the gods. I learned to not be so doubtful and to be faithful. The journey is finally over.
I have been through a lot these past 20 years or so. I spent years not knowing if my husband would come back home after going off to Troy. Odysseus' house plagued with suitors, all hoping to win my hand in marriage. They stayed at our house devouring all of our goods, our food, our animals, and our wine. I refused to marry them with the hope that my dear husband would come back and destroy all of the suitors, free us from their greedy ways. I longed to see my husband for he had been gone for around twenty years. I was lonely all those years and another women in my position might have remarried already, but I stayed faithful to him and the gods brought him back home and gave him and Telemachus the power to kill the suitors.
As long as Odysseus was away, I thought I should take power within the palace until he comes back or Telemachus becomes a suitable heir. I did this by not marrying one of the suitors; therefore none of those greedy, selfish men would come into power as king of Ithaca. While the suitors were busy trying to court me and using up all of our resources, I came up with a scheme to trick them; I would weave and tell them that as soon as I finish weaving I would choose one of them to marry, but every night I would unravel what I had woven and I would never finish weaving. The suitors soon discovered what I was trying to do and forced me to finish weaving. I remained faithful; faithful as the bond that a mother has between herself and her children, nurturing them through their childhood, taking care of them, and never abandoning them. After Athena inspired me, I decided once and for all to finally choose a suitor to marry. I held a contest in which the person who could string Odysseus' bow and shoot and arrow the most gracefully through axes wins my hand in marriage. I still truly didn't want to marry one of the suitors and I knew that no one, but Odysseus is strong enough to string his bow. None of the suitors could do it, but a beggar, who happened to be Odysseus (unbeknownst to me), managed not only to string the bow, but also to shoot through all of the axes. I went to my room and wept for my husband, for even if I were to marry this man I would still keep the memories of Odysseus alive. Later a nurse told me that my husband was downstairs and the suitors were dead. I did not believe that this was true. After further persuasion, I finally came downstairs to find Telemachus with the person claiming to be Odysseus standing around the slain bodies of the suitors. I still did not believe that this was Odysseus. There was no way that he could have finally come home after being gone for so long. It must have been, the goddess Athena who came down and disguised her self as an old beggar and helped Telemachus kill all of the suitors. Only after Odysseus revealed to me a secret only known by the two of us, did I finally believe.
I was joyous that my long lost husband was finally home. I was also surprised by how much my son, Telemachus, had matured. He went from a young boy wishing for his father to a grown man, helping his dad destroy the suitors. I was happier than anyone could possibly imagine. I spent a lot of time crying and weeping for my lost husband and here he was hugging and crying with me, for we were finally together again. He praised me for my faithfulness and brought me happiness when I looked at him. I thought of how long he was gone and it only made me happier. I love him so very much. We went to bed and he told me his story of all that had happened to him on his way back to Ithaca. I finally went to sleep. The next morning Odysseus told me there were still some things to do and that he was going to visit his father, Laertes. I was told to gather the maids and stay in my chamber because soon people will know about the death of the suitors. Again, I was saddened that he left, but I knew he would soon come back to me after visiting his father.
Athena stopped Odysseus from fighting and prevented a war from happening. She brought peace down to Ithaca. Zeus and the gods value a wives' faithfulness and because of this Odysseus came back to me. I have learned a lot from this journey. Athena has given me the gift of wisdom and by following what she tells me I will please the gods. I learned to not be so doubtful and to be faithful. The journey is finally over.