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Character analysis · Telemachus's nurse

Euryclea

in The Odyssey by Homer

Euryclea is the elderly nurse in Ulysses's household, first introduced as a slave bought by Laertes for twenty oxen and treated with great respect. She cared for Ulysses as a child and later for Telemachus, showing a particular affection for him that surpasses that of any other woman in the household. Euryclea is a dependable keeper of the storeroom and oversees the female servants. Her most memorable moment comes in Book XIX when she recognizes Ulysses by the scar on his leg while washing his feet—a secret she is sworn to keep. After the suitors are killed, she tells Ulysses which women have misbehaved, assists with purifying the hall, and then hurries upstairs to inform Penelope that her husband has returned. Euryclea is defined by her unwavering loyalty, practical abilities, and straightforward emotional honesty, which she insists is unbreakable: "I will hold my tongue like a stone or a piece of iron."

About this character

Role
Telemachus's nurse
Form
Novel
Author
Homer
First published
c. 800 BCE

The person01–03

01·Who they are

Who is Euryclea?

Euryclea is introduced in Book I as an elderly woman, the daughter of Ops, who was purchased by Laertes to manage his household. She acts as the chief housekeeper, overseeing the storeroom around the clock, supervising the female servants, and guiding Telemachus to his room. Her role is distinct: Laertes shows her a level of respect typically reserved for a wife, even though she remains a slave. Her identity is closely tied to her service and loyalty to the family over three generations.

02·Arc & motivation

What is Euryclea's arc and motivation?

Euryclea's main driving force is her steadfast loyalty to the house of Ulysses. In Book II, she weeps and pleads with Telemachus not to leave, yet she swears the oath he requests and keeps it faithfully. In Book XIX, her loyalty is put to the test: when she recognizes Ulysses by his scar, she feels joy at their reunion but also fear of revealing who he is. Ulysses grips her throat to ensure her silence, and she promises to remain completely loyal. After the suitors are killed in Book XXII, she assists Ulysses in administering justice by identifying the disloyal women, fetching sulphur for purification, and encouraging him to change into clean clothes. In Book XXIII, she tells Penelope the news, using the scar as evidence when Penelope remains doubtful.

03·Key moments

What are Euryclea's key moments?

  • Book I: Euryclea helps Telemachus to his room, folds his shirt, and secures the door — a quiet representation of intimate domestic care.
  • Book II: She cries over Telemachus's decision to sail, provides him with wine and barley meal, and takes the oath of silence he requires.
  • Book XIX: While washing the disguised Ulysses's feet, she sees the scar, drops his foot in shock, and is silenced by Ulysses's grip on her throat. She vows to keep quiet "like a stone or a piece of iron" and offers to identify the disloyal women.
  • Book XXI: Eumaeus calls her aside and instructs her to lock up the women; she complies without hesitation.
  • Book XXII: She steps out to find Ulysses standing over the bodies "like a lion," begins to cry out in joy, is restrained by Ulysses, and then names the twelve disloyal women before being sent to fetch Penelope.
  • Book XXIII: She rushes upstairs laughing, her aged knees surprisingly nimble with joy, and brings the news to Penelope, ultimately using the scar as proof and offering her own life as assurance.

The cast04–05

04·Relationships

What are Euryclea's most important relationships?

With Telemachus, Euryclea shares a maternal and protective connection; she nursed him as a baby, and her sorrow over his departure and joy at his return are deeply felt. With Ulysses, their relationship spans his entire life: she welcomed him as a newborn on Autolycus's knees, nursed him, and decades later recognizes him by a childhood wound. The scene in Book XIX is emotionally charged for both, but Ulysses's threat to kill her if she reveals his identity shows that even this bond is secondary to his plans. With Penelope, Euryclea acts as a trusted senior servant, but keeps secrets from her mistress on Telemachus's orders — a tension that arises in Book IV when Penelope discovers the voyage.

05·Connected characters

How is Euryclea connected to the other characters?

Telemachus

Euryclea nursed Telemachus as a baby and loves him more than any other woman in the house; she weeps at his planned voyage, obeys his household orders, and is the first to greet him on his return from Pylos.

Odysseus

She nursed Odysseus at birth, recognises him by his scar in Book XIX, is sworn to secrecy under threat of death, and loyally serves him through the slaughter of the suitors and the purification of the hall.

Penelope

Euryclea serves Penelope as chief of the household women, keeps Telemachus's departure secret on his orders, and is the one who wakes Penelope to announce Ulysses's return.

Laertes

Laertes bought Euryclea when she was young, paid twenty oxen for her, and showed her as much respect as his own wife, though he did not take her to his bed.

Study06–07

06·Questions

Questions readers ask about Euryclea

Who is Euryclea and what is her position in the household?

She is an elderly woman whom Laertes purchased for the price of twenty oxen when she was younger. She cared for Odysseus as a baby and later for Telemachus, and now she serves as the loyal head housekeeper, overseeing the storeroom "both night and day" and managing all the other women in the household.

How does Euryclea recognise Odysseus in Book XIX?

While washing the feet of the disguised Odysseus, she feels a scar on his leg and instantly recognizes it as the wound a wild boar inflicted on him on Mt. Parnassus during a hunt with Autolycus and his sons when Odysseus was young. In shock, she drops his foot, spilling the basin.

What does Odysseus do when Euryclea recognises him, and how does she respond?

Odysseus grabs her by the throat with one hand and pulls her close with the other, warning her that he won't spare her when he punishes the disloyal women if she exposes who he is. Euryclea promises to keep quiet "like a stone or a piece of iron" and instead offers to provide him with a list of the women who have misbehaved.

What role does Euryclea play after the slaughter of the suitors?

She exits the locked women's room at Telemachus's call, points out the twelve misbehaving women to Odysseus, is asked to bring sulphur and fire to cleanse the hall, suggests that Odysseus change into clean clothes, and then heads upstairs to inform Penelope about his return.

How does Euryclea convince the sceptical Penelope that the returned man really is Odysseus?

When Penelope expresses her doubts, Euryclea brings up the scar she noticed while washing him, mentioning that Odysseus had silenced her back then. She tells Penelope that she would accept the cruelest death Penelope can imagine if she is lying to her.

Why does Euryclea keep Telemachus's voyage secret from Penelope in Book II?

Telemachus made her swear a solemn oath not to tell Penelope for ten or twelve days, unless Penelope heard of it herself and asked, as he wanted to protect his mother from spoiling her beauty with tears. Euryclea reveals this to Penelope in Book IV when she is directly confronted.

07·Essay angles

Use this in your essay

Tool · Essay angles

  • Euryclea as the embodiment of household loyalty

    explore how her obedience to various family members (Laertes, Ulysses, Telemachus, Penelope) both supports and complicates the notion of faithful service.

  • The scar recognition scene as a turning point in the epic

    analyze what Euryclea's immediate recognition — in contrast to Penelope's lingering doubt — reveals about different types of knowledge and intimacy.

  • Gender and power in the household

    while Euryclea supervises the female servants and reports on their behavior, she herself is a slave; consider how the text portrays her authority and its limits.

  • Silence as loyalty

    Euryclea is commanded to silence twice (in Books II and XIX); investigate what these moments reveal about the cost of loyalty for those without power.

  • Euryclea and Penelope as contrasting reactions to Ulysses's return

    Euryclea's immediate, joyful certainty versus Penelope's cautious disbelief — what do these responses suggest about their relationships with Ulysses?

The Odyssey

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