Odysseus

The image above represents a replica of the horse made by the Greeks during the war against Troy. It was Odysseus' idea to hide soldiers inside the horse. The horse was offered to the Troyans as a religious gift so that the citizens of Troy could not refuse it. With the horse, the Greeks soldiers could enter the city and win the war. The replica depicted above is conserved in Turkey. Click on image for full size (68K JPEG) Image courtesy of Corel Corporation.

During his journey he had many incredible adventures, but his renowned intelligence helped him to survive the numerous difficulties, although his crew wasn't so lucky. After ten years of wandering, he finally reached his home.

During his long absence, many of his enemies tried to convince his wife Penelope to get married again. When Odysseus arrived, he disguised himself as a beggar. Only his old dog recognized him. Until that moment, Penelope remained faithful.

She had not seen her husband since the beginning of the war of Troy, twenty years before. After so many years, she was presumed to be a widow. Pressured by her suitors, she declared that she would marry only the man who could bend an extremely hard bow that belonged to Odysseus. All suitors attempted this, but only Odysseus succeeded.

Because of Odysseus' long journey to reach his home, a NASA space mission has been named after his better known Roman name: The Ulysses mission.