SageRose
Well-Known Member
I'm going to give the symbolic meanings of the names of Penelope's suitors from Odyssey. As I've mentioned in another post, the greek mythology is usually the narration of real events but told in such a way that it looks like a fantasy story. It was meant to be that way so that people could be encouraged to be hopeful and for further idealization of specific characters. It is also believed that the myth of the gods, was also people's way of idealizing heroes and heroines of that era and placing them in their minds as 'otherwordly beings', in order to hope to their help,etc..
Each mythological tale had one main purpose. It contained lots of symbolisms, just like the Bible, that are meant to give specific meanings and messages for those who are willing to study them. Odyssey also contains a lot of symbolic messages and some of those are well hidden in the names of the suitors. Those meanings could be explained only in Greek though because the other languages have simply taken the names without knowing what each of them means. Most names in the ancient and modern Greek language though have a meaning. Before explaining their names I'll remind everyone that Odysseus, or otherwise known as Ulysses (I think ?), went back to Ithaca with the purpose of re-claiming everything he had lost. His purpose was not to compete with anyone but to simply succeed in regaining what he had lost or what others had stolen from him. What he had lost was a) His homeland, b) His wife, c) His entire family which was symbolized by his son and d) His kingdom and properties which he had faught for many years to acquire. In modern terms, all these symbolize people's agony and fight to preserve and defend their countries/lands, their families, their hard gained earns and their dignity. Now let's see his opponents and what they symbolize both then and in modern terms (since those messages were all time true and are relatable today as well):
1) Antinoos. In Greek it's Αντίνοος, which literally means the one who is against mindfulness and mindful thinking. Νους= mind in Greek. Αντι=anti. So Antinoos is the one who symbolizes those who try to enslave people;'s minds and make them incapable of free critical judgment and thinking. This opponent is symbolized as Odysseu's major and biggest opponent exactly because the enslavement of the mind and soul is the biggest danger against humanity. If one can control people's minds and can corrupt people's souls, he has basically made them his slaves forever without even having to make war on anything.
2)Euremahos/ Ευρύμαχος= The name means the one who fights by using all sorts of means and weapons and is therefore dangerous and sneaky because he has no limitations as to what he uses in his fights against his opponents and no honor or ethics.
3) Amfinomos/ Αμφίνομος= It means the one who changes the law or uses double meanings for it whenever it suits his interests, so he can exploit it and use it against his opponent-also no sense of honor or ethics.
4) Agelaos/ Αγέλαος= The one who 'pulls/controls' the public/people. He is the one who, we could say, uses manipulation tactics and brainwashing to make people believe in his lies and he is the one works the best along with Antinoos, to control and enslave the minds of the people.
Homer was very direct about his messages that are all time classic. He was talking about the enemies of people and societies. He was giving messages against those who wish to mentally enslave people and use them as their pawns for their games, whether that be the wars, the financial exploitations or anything else. Each suitor represents an enemy of the people and Odyssey, the 'king' represents the common fighter who fights for a decent life for himself, his family and his land.
Each mythological tale had one main purpose. It contained lots of symbolisms, just like the Bible, that are meant to give specific meanings and messages for those who are willing to study them. Odyssey also contains a lot of symbolic messages and some of those are well hidden in the names of the suitors. Those meanings could be explained only in Greek though because the other languages have simply taken the names without knowing what each of them means. Most names in the ancient and modern Greek language though have a meaning. Before explaining their names I'll remind everyone that Odysseus, or otherwise known as Ulysses (I think ?), went back to Ithaca with the purpose of re-claiming everything he had lost. His purpose was not to compete with anyone but to simply succeed in regaining what he had lost or what others had stolen from him. What he had lost was a) His homeland, b) His wife, c) His entire family which was symbolized by his son and d) His kingdom and properties which he had faught for many years to acquire. In modern terms, all these symbolize people's agony and fight to preserve and defend their countries/lands, their families, their hard gained earns and their dignity. Now let's see his opponents and what they symbolize both then and in modern terms (since those messages were all time true and are relatable today as well):
1) Antinoos. In Greek it's Αντίνοος, which literally means the one who is against mindfulness and mindful thinking. Νους= mind in Greek. Αντι=anti. So Antinoos is the one who symbolizes those who try to enslave people;'s minds and make them incapable of free critical judgment and thinking. This opponent is symbolized as Odysseu's major and biggest opponent exactly because the enslavement of the mind and soul is the biggest danger against humanity. If one can control people's minds and can corrupt people's souls, he has basically made them his slaves forever without even having to make war on anything.
2)Euremahos/ Ευρύμαχος= The name means the one who fights by using all sorts of means and weapons and is therefore dangerous and sneaky because he has no limitations as to what he uses in his fights against his opponents and no honor or ethics.
3) Amfinomos/ Αμφίνομος= It means the one who changes the law or uses double meanings for it whenever it suits his interests, so he can exploit it and use it against his opponent-also no sense of honor or ethics.
4) Agelaos/ Αγέλαος= The one who 'pulls/controls' the public/people. He is the one who, we could say, uses manipulation tactics and brainwashing to make people believe in his lies and he is the one works the best along with Antinoos, to control and enslave the minds of the people.
Homer was very direct about his messages that are all time classic. He was talking about the enemies of people and societies. He was giving messages against those who wish to mentally enslave people and use them as their pawns for their games, whether that be the wars, the financial exploitations or anything else. Each suitor represents an enemy of the people and Odyssey, the 'king' represents the common fighter who fights for a decent life for himself, his family and his land.
