Eurylochus (mythology)

In Greek mythology, Eurylochus /jəˈrɪləkəs/ (Εὐρύλοχος Eurúlokhos) appears in Homer's Odyssey^[1] as second-in-command of Odysseus' ship during the return to Ithaca after the Trojan War. He was also a relative of Odysseus through marriage. He is portrayed as an unpleasant cowardly individual who undermines Odysseus and stirs up trouble.

Mythology

When the ship stops on Aeaea, home of Circe the goddess-sorceress, daughter of the sun god Helios and the Oceanid nymph Perse, Eurylochus and Odysseus draw lots to lead a group of twenty two men to explore the island. Eurylochus is chosen.^[2] After the crew spots a column of smoke, Eurylochus leads his expedition towards the source. They near a palace surrounded with wild but magically benign animals^[3]. Inside the palace is Circe singing^[4], and (led by Polites) all of Eurylochus' party except for himself rush inside to greet her. Eurylochus suspects her treachery, and when she turns the rest of the expedition into pigs, Eurylochus escapes^[5] and warns Odysseus and the portion of the crew who stayed on the ship, thus enabling Odysseus to attempt a rescue. When Odysseus goes to save his men, Eurylochus refuses to guide him and urges him to escape and leave the men to their fate^[6].

When Odysseus returns from Circe having rescued the men, Eurylochus insults Odysseus^[7]. Odysseus considers killing him^[8] but the crewmen drag them apart. After their reconciliation, Circe advises Odysseus to see the prophet Tiresias for advice to go back home. Tiresias instructs Odysseus not to touch the cattle on the island of her father, the sun god Helios, but Eurylochus convinced the hungry and mutinous crew to kill and eat some of the god's cattle. As a punishment Odysseus' ship is destroyed and all of his crew, including Eurylochus, are killed in a storm sent by Zeus. Only Odysseus survives.

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