Odysseus – the Trojan Horse and the Odyssey

Odysseus is the cleverest of the Greek heroes – king of Ithaca, the mind behind the Trojan horse and the hero of Homer's "Odyssey", the story of his ten-year journey home. His name has come to mean any long journey full of adventure. Here is who Odysseus was, how he took Troy and what adventures he faced on the way back to Ithaca – and, at the end, coins featuring his story. For the coins the Greeks themselves struck, read about ancient Greek coins.

Who was Odysseus?

Odysseus (Ulysses to the Romans) was king of the small island of Ithaca, son of Laertes, husband of Penelope and father of Telemachus. He was not the strongest of the Greeks – that was Achilles – but he was famous for his cunning, eloquence and ability to escape hopeless situations. He was protected by Athena, goddess of wisdom.

The Trojan War and the Trojan horse

When the Trojan prince Paris carried off Helen, wife of the king of Sparta, the Greeks sailed against Troy. The siege lasted ten years – part of it is told in Homer's "Iliad". The war was ended only by Odysseus's trick: the Greeks built a huge wooden horse, hid warriors inside and pretended to sail away. The Trojans pulled the horse inside their walls as a gift to the gods, and at night the hidden Greeks opened the city gates. Troy fell.

Today a "Trojan horse" is a symbol of deception – it is also the name for malicious software disguised as a harmless file.

The Odyssey – Odysseus's adventures in brief

After the fall of Troy, Odysseus spent another ten years trying to get home. He angered Poseidon, god of the sea, and had to survive a series of trials:

  • The Lotus-eaters – a land where the lotus fruit took away all wish to return home,
  • The Cyclops Polyphemus – Poseidon's son trapped the Greeks in his cave. Odysseus said his name was "Nobody", got the giant drunk and blinded him; when Polyphemus called for help, he shouted that "Nobody" was hurting him. The sailors escaped tied under the bellies of sheep,
  • Aeolus – the keeper of the winds gave Odysseus a bag of winds. With Ithaca already in sight, the crew opened it and the storm blew the ships far out to sea,
  • Circe – the sorceress turned Odysseus's companions into pigs. Protected by a herb from Hermes, Odysseus made her free his men and stayed with her for a year,
  • The journey to Hades – in the land of the dead the seer Tiresias told him the way home,
  • The Sirens – the crew plugged their ears with wax, while Odysseus had himself tied to the mast so he could hear their song without jumping into the sea,
  • Scylla and Charybdis – a monster and a whirlpool on either side of a strait; "between Scylla and Charybdis" still means a choice between two evils,
  • The cattle of Helios – the starving sailors ate the sun god's sacred cows. Zeus sank the ship – only Odysseus survived,
  • Calypso – the nymph kept him on her island for seven years until the gods ordered her to let him go,
  • The Phaeacians – a friendly people to whom Odysseus told his adventures finally carried him home to Ithaca.

Return to Ithaca and Penelope

During Odysseus's twenty-year absence more than a hundred suitors sought Penelope's hand. His faithful wife put them off, promising to choose a husband once she finished weaving a shroud for her father-in-law – she wove by day and unravelled the work at night. Odysseus returned disguised as a beggar; only his old dog Argos recognised him. Penelope announced a contest: she would marry the man who could string Odysseus's bow and shoot an arrow through twelve axes. Only the "beggar" succeeded. Together with Telemachus, Odysseus dealt with the suitors and won back his home.

Homer's Odyssey

The "Odyssey" is – together with the "Iliad" – the oldest great poem of Europe, attributed to Homer and probably composed in the 8th century BC. It has 24 books written in hexameter. The word "odyssey" now means any long, adventurous journey, and the story keeps returning in culture – in 2026 Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey", with Matt Damon as Odysseus, came to cinemas.

Odysseus and the Trojan horse on coins

You will find more coins with heroes in the Greek Mythology category. Read also about the Greek gods and their symbols and the myth of Perseus and Medusa.

Frequently asked questions

Who was Odysseus?

King of Ithaca and one of the Greek leaders at Troy, famous for his cunning. He came up with the Trojan horse.

How long did it take Odysseus to get home?

Ten years – and together with the Trojan War he was away from Ithaca for twenty years.

Who came up with the Trojan horse?

According to myth, Odysseus. The story is told in Homer's "Odyssey" and Virgil's "Aeneid".

What is the difference between the Iliad and the Odyssey?

The "Iliad" tells part of the Trojan War and the wrath of Achilles; the "Odyssey" tells of Odysseus's return to Ithaca after the war.

Summary

Odysseus shows that cunning and perseverance can achieve more than strength. If you would like his story in silver, see the Odysseus – Homer's Odyssey or Trojan Horse 5 oz coin, or contact us – we will help you choose.