| “ | Tell me, O muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of Troy.
— Homer, The Odyssey
|
” |
Odysseus, known as Ulysses in Latin, is a major figure in Greek mythology. He is the king of the island of Ithaca and a key participant in the Trojan War, and the main character of Homer's epic poem The Odyssey.
Odysseus's story begins with the courtship of Helen of Sparta, the most beautiful woman in the world. Tyndareus, Helen's father, was hesitant to choose a husband for his daughter out of fear of war from the rejected suitors. Odysseus, as one of the suitors, offered him advice and suggested that Tyndareus ask all the suitors to swear an oath to protect Helen and her future husband.
Years later, Odysseus was called to make good of his oath when Helen was kidnapped by Paris of Troy. Odysseus and the men of Ithaca sailed to Trojan lands with numerous other Greek kings, where they would fight in a war against Troy that would last ten years. In the final year, Odysseus devised a scheme to get inside the impenetrable walls of Troy. He ordered the Greeks to build a giant wooden horse, in which a band of men would hide. The Greeks passed the horse off as a gift of appeasement to the Trojans, who brought it into the city. Odysseus and his men opened the gates and Troy was sacked.
Odysseus then began the journey back to Ithaca, in which he would face even more suffering. He landed on the island of Polyphemus, a cyclops and the son of Poseidon, the sea god, and was captured, but Odysseus escaped by blinding Polyphemus. Polyphemus prayed to his father, who ensured Odysseus's journey would last for ten more years. Upon returning, Odysseus learned that his home had been taken over by the suitors of his wife, who thought him dead. With a few loyal servants and his now-adult son, Odysseus killed the suitors, took back his home, and reunited with his wife. He prepared for war with the families of the suitors, but the goddess Athena restored peace. Odysseus lived the rest of his life in peace.
Battle vs. Robin Hood (by CuchulainSetanta)[]
On an island somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea, Odysseus and his man have landed to gather supplies for their long voyage home. Finishing up, Odysseus monitors his crew as they pack up, when suddenly, an arrow flies over Odysseus' head, striking one of the sailors in the throat. Odysseus looks to see where the arrow came from, seeing Robin Hood on a nearby cliff top. Robin grins and doffs his cap to the warrior-king, as more Merry Men come out of hiding to raid the supplies.
Odysseus heads after Robin, anxious to take out the leader of these strange bandits. Heading into the woods, Odysseus notches his great bow and cautiously searches for Robin. Robin silently appears on a tree limb and takes aim with his longbow, but Odysseus, noticing the lack of animal noise, senses something amiss. He hits the ground just as Robin fires another shot, then fires on Robin, striking him in the leg.
Robin falls out of the tree, painfully pulling the arrow out of his leg. Odysseus hurls a javelin, but Robin rolls out of the way before it hits. Jumping back on his feet, he pulls out his quarterstaff, while Odysseus unveils his axe. Charging, Odysseus is hit in the chin by the staff, but recovers in time to block another blow. Odysseus swings again, cleaving the quarterstaff in two.
Angered, Robin tackles the warrior-king and draws his dagger, prepared to finish off Odysseus. He tries to stab Odysseus in the head, but he moves aside before it hits. Odysseus regains his bearings and shoves the outlaw off, drawing his sword in the process. Robin also draws his sword, and the two clash once again. However, with his shorter blade, Odysseus manages to make it through Robin's defenses, stabbing him through the heart.
Making his way back to his men, Odysseus finds they too have triumphed over the Merry Men. Taking stock of his losses, Odysseus sets out once more.
Winner: Odysseus
Expert's Opinion []
Like in the previous mythology match, Hercules vs. Cuchulain, the deciding factor seemed to be that, while Robin Hood is used to fighting more mundane opponents, Odysseus is able to hold his own against monsters and other fantastic threats, even defing the gods them selves and geting away with it. meaning he had more experience.
To see the original battle, weapons, and votes, click here.
Battle vs. Jason (by MovieStuff65) []
Prologue
"Praise to the gods, for my son's safe return!"
Odysseus raised a hearty glass to his father's toast, who remained at the other end of the table. With him was his beloved wife, Penelope, and his loyal son Telemachus. Most times, celebrations were preceded with grand parades and games to test a man's mettle and worth. This, however, was a private party; only close family and friends had known about this.
One such friend was Jason the Argonaut, who sat beside his old comrade Laertes. Despite his days adventuring the known world as an Argonaut had long since past, the man was still fit and could best any man half his age. Jason nodded in agreement.
"Aye- it was but the gods' grace and your son's own wit that let him survive the many tests that had been set before him." Jason remarked.
"Finally meeting the famous Penelope, though, I can see why he'd fought so hard to return!"
Penelope smiled at the compliment, but Odysseus raised his eyebrow suspiciously.
"And what exactly does that mean, Jason?" He asked, his voice dangerously low and threatening in tone.
Jason did not catch the subliminal message, however, and continued. "She is a vision of loveliness, Odysseus- I've rarely seen any woman in all of Greece to rival her beauty!"
Laertes sensed Odysseus' growing temper, and attempted to defuse the mounting tension. "Consider it nothing, son. Jason here was just complimenting your wife."
Odysseus, knowing he could not openly attack his father's old friend due to such a small offense, begrudgingly let out a half-hearted chuckle as he relaxed slightly.
"I suppose he was, father. I suppose..."
"Jason..."
Onboard the Argo, Jason awoke drowsily. It had been years since he'd heard her voice. He thought that his service to the gods was over now, and he could relax as a king would.
"Jason..." The voice of Hera whispered once more. As he slowly looked around his cabin, he saw the silhouette of a man.
"JASON."
Her sudden outburst within his head filled him with alertness and energy, and Jason sprang out of bed as the assailant's dagger fell where he once slept. Very much awake now, Jason quickly tackled the man and wrapped his arm around his neck.
After a brief struggle, Jason snapped the man's neck with a tight jerk.
"Awaken, crew of the Argo!"
Jason hastily put on his armor, before grabbing his shield and Hera's Brooch. Prepared for combat, Jason raised his shield and kicking down the cabin door. Outside, he saw two of his men suddenly awaken as well, but the rest of his crew was mercilessly slaughtered by three more men.
He quickly recognized their leader; Odysseus, his bow drawn and face a mask of rage. He released the arrow, and Jason reacted immediately by raising his shield for protection. By now, his men were armed as well, and the two heroes locked eyes for a split moment.
Above them, watching from Mount Olympus, Athena and Hera watched in nervous excitement as their chosen champions prepared to battle for glory and legacy.
Battle
Odysseus: 
Jason: 
Jason was the first to break the gaze, swiftly marching forward. One of his Argonauts joined him, Gladius in hand, while the other prepared his composite bow. Odysseus let loose several arrows, but all simply clanged against the bronze Aspis.
"You'll have to try better than that, boy!" Jason taunted, quickly jabbing at the nearest of Odysseus' soldiers with Hera's Brooch.
Odysseus snarled with disgust as he quickly hid behind the masthead of the Argo as a sailor let loose several arrows at him. Drawing his Xiphos, he quickly rolled out of his cover and behind several barrels that had held cargo. He nodded at his guard, who hefted a mighty Mycanean battle axe and charged toward the archer.
Jason and his comrade, meanwhile, had gained little ground. The Argonaut and a guard were locked in a deadly sword clash. Jason managed to parry another stab, before thrusting himself. The guard's scale shield easily twisted the weak spear, causing him to lose balance.
Before Odysseus' guard could land a finishing blow, he jerked suddenly as an arrow landed directly into his throat. Grasping it's shaft, he fell onto one knee for a brief moment, and slumped forward dead.
The sailor quickly helped him to his feet, before both were interrupted by a scream. Looking in it's direction, both looked in shock as Odysseus' soldier assaulted him. Chopping downward, Jason's crewman weakly blocked with his bow, the wood snapping. The flow of his chops continued, one cleaning chopping into his ribs. The axe sunk with a sickening crunch as it broke past the armor and into his side.
Jason, furious, hefted the Brooch in hand. "Aim slightly to your left, my champion."Hera whispered, and Jason made a slight adjustment to his aim. Just as the axemen unlodged his weapon from the deceased sailor, Hera's Brooch flew cleanly through his own chest. The godly weapon pierced him, and he fell forward with a thud.
"Strike now, Odysseus." Athena encouraged the temporarily forgotten King.
Odysseus roared, sprinting forward and ramming into the last sailor. As he charged, he grabbed the surprised and stunned victim and slashed his short sword across their neck. Odysseus then flung the corpse to the side and over the boat, where it sunk deep into Poseidon's domain.
Jason hastily drew his Gladius as Odysseus grabbed a shield. "You honestly thought you could disrespect me?! In my own house, in front of my own wife?" Odysseus roared, furiously lashing out.
"You fool! You are racked with hubris, and your sound judgement is clouded by your pride and anger!" Jason said, blocking and countering with a slash. The two heroes continued their contest, neither giving in or slowing down.
"Be careful, Jason. Your foe is smart, and has the virgin goddess of wisdom aiding him."
Athena scoffed at the queen of the gods, who continued to give minor bits of advice. Within a second, Athena dashed to the deck of the Argo, and titled Jason a small bit with an act invisible to the mortal eye. She quickly returned to Olympus, a shocked and stunned Hera waiting for her.
The Argonaut stumbled, allowing Odysseus to make a devastating slice to his hamstring.
"Haha! You have fallen, and now are at my mercy!" Odysseus boldly bragged as Jason feebly attempted to stand. This attempt ended only in Jason falling to his face once more, left unable to stand.
"Unfortunately, there is none for you!"
As Odysseus aimed his Xiphos at Jason, the fallen hero muttered one last curse.
"Damn you, Odysseus! People will hear about this, and they will demand blood!"
The king, understanding, nodded sadistically. Athena summoned a gust of wind, carrying the Mycanean battle axe and having it land in front of Odysseus. As he chopped at the Argo's mast, he looked at his defeated foe. In a matter of minutes, Odysseus has chopped the mast almost completely.
He then dragged Jason in it's shadow, and moved to the other side. With a devastating kick, Odysseus toppled the mast, sending it downward and landing on Jason, crushing and killing the last Argonaut.
WINNER: Odysseus
Expert's Opinion[]
People thought that Jason, despite his own impressive feats, couldn't handle Odysseus. The king of Ithaca was able to outthink, outfight, and outmaneuver the Argonaut, making him an all-around better warrior. Add the fact that Athena was far more willing to directly intervene in the fight than Hera ever would, and Odysseus easily defeated Jason in this battle of classic heroes.
To see the original battle, weapons, and votes, click here.
Battle vs. Aeneas (by Laquearius)[]
A crack of thunder rang out across the open water and up through the hills and forests of the island that had given shelter to Odysseus and his crew as the increasingly violent waves of the Ionian sea ravaged the rocky coastline. The wayward Ithacans would not dare to attempt passage across the sea with Poseidon in such a rage, lest they risk their ships being torn asunder by the Earthshaker’s power. Once the ships had been safely beached far away from the pull of the rough tides, Odysseus called for a muster of the captains, accompanied by Philoetius, his freedman and the second-in-command of his own ship. There he instructed them to form hunting parties to seek out whatever food the island had to offer, whether it be game, fish, or even birds. Odysseus knew the painful realities of hunger better than most, and he did not wish to take the chance that his men would be subjected to such agony before they returned to Ithaca.
Secondly, Odysseus told them he would be setting off on his own to find a tranquil spot to pray, and Philoetius would take temporary command in his place. It had been many years since his debt to Poseidon had been paid in full, and he wished to know what had occurred to invoke his wrath once more. Odysseus’s many encounters with deadly creatures on the uncharted islands of the Mediterranean had made him wise to the dangers he risked by venturing into the wilderness alone, so he armed himself well before departing from the camp. He took a stout sword, a curved bow crafted of yew and horn, and a long, ashen spear. He wore full armor, including a helm of boar’s tusks and a shield in the figure-eight style. Lastly, he took a jug of wine to pour libations with. The flask was decorated with a scene of Poseidon slaying Polybotes during the Gigantomachy, making it fitting for the occasion.
Odysseus stopped to scan the landscape as he completed his hike up the hillside: there was a forest ahead of him, above which a towering mesa was visible. Under normal circumstances, the mesa would be a fine site for prayer, but the looming thunderstorms made it a poor choice. He followed the treeline but kept his distance to avoid any potential ambushes from whatever beasts lurked within the dense forest. In time, a new sound became audible amidst the wind in the trees and the distant rolling thunder: the clanking of bronze armor. Without a moment of hesitation, Odysseus dashed across the field and took cover in the underbrush that surrounded the bases of the trees, making hardly any noise as he moved. Unlike the approaching stranger, Odysseus was well-versed in the arts of stealth. It was a risky decision, but it was far better than waiting in the open, visible and vulnerable to whoever was approaching.
As the clanking grew louder and a figure emerged from the other side of the hill, Odysseus knew he had made the right decision. Even from such a distance, the Trojan armor that the stranger wore was unmistakable. It had been nearly two decades since the sack of Troy, in which the Greeks had all but annihilated the people of Priam. The surprising matter was not that there were survivors - certainly, a lucky few would have been able to escape the burning of their city - but the fact that one of them was here, on an island in Greek waters, the territory of their mortal enemies. As Odysseus pondered this mystery, the face of the stranger came into view, and the Ithacan king’s worries worsened. He would have recognized the man’s face anywhere.
It was Aeneas, son of Anchises and prince of Troy. He had witnessed Aeneas’s performances on the battlefield of Troy many times during the war, although he had never faced the prince himself. Among the Trojans, he had ranked Aeneas’s prowess in battle only behind his second cousin Hector and Sarpedon, a son of Zeus. He was also a natural-born leader, and would certainly be capable of gaining foreign support if he desired to, perhaps, make war against the weakened Greeks. It was too much of a risk to allow the Trojan prince to live. Odysseus drew his bow from the gorytos that hung from his belt and knocked an arrow.
The arrow never reached its target. Instead, it was struck out of the air by what appeared to be no less than the hand of a god. It broke into two pieces and the remains were carried away by the wind. Aeneas heard the sound and turned to face the forest, eyes darting from side to side, desperately searching for the source of the attack, to no avail; Odysseus had already vanished into the thicket. As he raised his shield, Aeneas felt the warm touch of a hand caress his shoulder, palpable even through his thick bronze armor.
“You have an enemy here, my son,” spoke the voice of Aphrodite, the Olympian goddess of love. “He is Odysseus, the wiliest of all Greeks. You must be on your guard, lest you be defeated through trickery.”
“I understand. Thank you, mother,” the prince responded. “I will be careful.”
Aeneas lowered his spear and pursued his unseen enemy into the forest. Moving through the thick underbrush was difficult, and Aeneas often had to stop and hack away with the blade of his spear at a tangle of roots, bushes, and fallen branches that halted his progress. Meanwhile, Odysseus made much quicker progress through the intervention of his own patroness: Athena, goddess of strategy. The fastest and most efficient path was revealed before him, distinguishing itself with a subtle glow that hinted at the proper direction to take. The gods were not the sort to easily forgive and forget - Odysseus knew that better than anyone. Even decades after the destruction of Troy, the resentment between the Olympians who had taken opposing sides was still very much alive, and it was no surprise that Athena had stepped in to help her own champion against her rival’s. For once, Odysseus welcomed the gods’ unforgiving nature.
Satisfied with the distance he had put between his opponent and himself, Odysseus took cover behind a tree and set down his spear before equipping his bow once more. He knocked another arrow, pulled the string taut, and spun around the tree, expecting to take his target by surprise with an arrow to the face or legs. Instead of the sight of his enemy, Odysseus was greeted by a thick cloud of mist that was slowly flooding the forest, obscuring everything behind it. He hesitated and slackened his bowstring, but a spontaneous burst of confidence in the back of his mind led him to take aim once more. Trusting in what he thought was a sign from Athena, he loosed his arrow into the haze. A sudden shriek of pain from beyond the impenetrable mist confirmed that his arrow had found his target.
Aeneas staggered to one knee, dropping his spear; the burning pain flowing through his right arm made it nearly impossible to maintain a grip. The arrow loosed by his enemy had not only found its mark from the other side of the mist, but it had struck him in the underarm, one of the few unarmored spots on his upper body. The shot was so unlikely yet so precise that not even his divine protectress anticipated it.
Confident that he would now have the advantage in a struggle at close quarters, Odysseus put one of his legendary schemes into play. Three more arrows, one after another, flew into the mist at the wounded Aeneas, but this time the demigod was ready. He raised his shield up with his good arm, harmlessly deflecting the arrows away. Aeneas kept his gaze focused on the direction the attacks had come from, expecting to see another barrage of projectiles, or perhaps the attacker himself, coming after him, but nothing happened. Aeneas struggled back to his feet and glanced around as the fog finally began to disperse. He turned around just in time to see Odysseus’s spear flying straight at him. The spear struck him square in the middle of the chest, knocking him off of his feet. The bronze breastplate he wore, forged by Hephaestus’s skillful hand, protected him from the spear’s point, but there was still great power in Odysseus’s arm.
Odysseus, sword in hand, rushed forward at his downed foe, prepared to strike a quick and fatal blow. Aeneas managed to stand up again, but barely, and his spear was too far away for him to reach before Odysseus attacked. Instead, he drew his own sword, ready to fight with all his strength. As Odysseus came nearer, the warmth of Aphrodite surrounded him and the searing pain in his body faded away.
Aeneas reacted far faster than Odysseus anticipated, blocking his strike with skill and power as if his previous wounds had never occurred at all. Odysseus adapted his style quickly, perfectly capable of performing in a drawn-out swordfight rather than a quick execution like he had hoped for, but this was an opponent like he had never seen before. He gave his all, but Aeneas was too fast and too strong, and the Ithacan was barely managing to stay alive. Odysseus’s strength wavered as the battle carried on, the Trojan never seemed to tire in the slightest. Finally, Odysseus’s fatigue overtook him and he failed a critical parry. Aeneas’s sword entered his right shoulder, piercing through his armor with a powerful thrust.
Odysseus stumbled backward, growling in pain. Aeneas rushed after him and struck him in the chest with the rim of his shield, knocking him onto the ground. The Trojan approached his fallen enemy, with his sword pointed at his throat. Odysseus, his breathing labored and his body soaked with sweat, stared his opponent in the eye. No sign from Athena came now, but the Ithacan king wasn’t out of tricks yet. In one quick motion, Odysseus drew a hidden dagger from behind his scabbard and thrust it at the Trojan. Aeneas was too quick. He dropped his sword and caught Odysseus’s wrist, squeezing it until the pain forced him to drop his weapon.
“Enough, Odysseus!” Aeneas shouted. He snatched up the dagger and tossed it away into the underbrush. “There has been more than enough bloodshed between Trojans and Greeks to last an eternity. I will not be the one to perpetuate this cycle of madness.” Aeneas offered his hand. Odysseus hesitated for a moment, but he took it, and the Trojan helped the Greek to his feet. Aeneas took up both their spears and handed Odysseus his.
“Come. We should hurry and find our own men and inform them of our truce before they find each other.”
Odysseus slowly turned and headed off in the opposite direction, his pride shattered, but thankful to be alive.
Winner: Aeneas
Expert's Opinion[]
The result of this battle came down to equipment, where Odysseus was sorely lacking. For all of the Ithacan king’s smarts, he simply wasn’t prepared to fight against someone like Aeneas, who was equipped with god-forged weaponry and armor, and had the help of a goddess who was much more willing to get involved in the fight.
To see the original battle, weapons, and votes, click here.Battles here were deemed to be unfair or otherwise not in accordance with wiki standards, and have been removed from the statuses of the warriors and displayed below.
Battle vs. Gilgamesh (by MilenHD)[]
The Battle starts as Odysseus and some of his crew member's boat,landed at abounded island.Odysseus jumped from the boat and spoke:
"My man,I think this is not Ithaca.Ithaca is not that rocky"
And he replied with:
"Farewell,we are going to make a camp to rest this night,the sea is dangerous in the dark night"
And Odysseus heard a sound and went to see what's going on,after some steps he climb a small rovk and saw two big and dark haired humans-Those were Enkidu and Gilgamesh.With no time to waste Odysseus pulled his bow and aimed at Gilgamesh,but after he released the string Enkidu jumped to save Gilgamesh,but he was pinned in the neck by the arrow.Seeing that Enkidu died,Gilgamesh turned and threw a javelin against the Ithacan king,missing him by few inches.Than Gilgamesh rushed at Odysseus with his spear.
Seeing the charging Gilgamesh,Odysseus threw his own javelin,missing Gilgamesh.Than his fired some arrows only piercing Gilgamesh's cow hide shield,but not hurting the Sumerian king.Than Gilgamesh striked Odysseus,but Ody blocked with his shield the blow and he pulled his battle axe and swung it several time at Gilgamesh,only making a horrible hole in gilgamesh's copper helmet.The Sumerian king stabbed his opponent with his spear in the leg,only to get his spear cutted in half,same as his cow-hide shield.But Gilgamesh pulled his mace and his stoke the shield denting it so hard,that even Odysseus arm was broken.Seeing that he is dealing with an super-human,Odysseus tried to take the mace by cutting the handle but,he wounded Gil's right arm making him to lose the mace.
Gilgamesh got really tired from the axe,and pulled his khopesh in his left arm,and began swinging it at Odysseus and he hooked Ody's axe,right from his arms.Beign shock by this weapon Odysseus had no chance except to pull xiphos,and both began dueling,with Odysseus more carefull because of his smaller blade.After having a brutal back and forth fight,Gilgamesh sliced Odysseus's leg,than he grabbed him by the neck,only to get stabbed in the stomach by Odysseus xiphos.The Sumerian king grab his wound,giving Odysseus a chance to kill him.
Then Odysseus charged and sliced Gilamesh's throat,killing him instantly.Seeing he is killed Odysseus roared in victory and raised his xiphos,and took Gil's khopesh as trophy.
Expert's Opinion[]
While Gilgamesh was physically stronger and was better melee fighter,Odysseus better tactics and ranged combat,and better armor won this battle in the "Bronze Age version of Brains vs Brawns".
To see the original battle, weapons, and votes, click here.