Eurykléia, une vie, un nom

Abstract

Eurykleia is a well known homeric caracter, whose fame is part of her name (she is the one who received a large kleos). Eurykleia was bought, as a very young girl, by Laerte, Odysseus’s father. She was not made the king’s concubine, instead she went in charge of the children’s education, first Odysseus, then Telemachos. She spent her entire life in the palace working as a slave but being also in charge of the thalamos, the palace’s treasure. Her fame comes from the loyalty she showed to the royal family in Ithaca until Odysseus’ s return and the help she gave to the king when he had to fight against the suitors. Her ability to resist constrasts with the weakness ot Anticleia, Laerte’s wife, who died, killed by the sorrow, before Ulysse went back. Eurykleia/ Anticleia, two women whose names were forged in the same way, and who received from the epic poetry a certain number of features which echo and contrast each other.

Keywords

• Kleos
• polygamy
• wet nurse
• women bought partner