Eurylochus

Eurylochus was a companion of Odysseus in Greek mythology and one of the most important members of his crew in Homer’s Odyssey. He was a kinsman of Odysseus by marriage and took part in the long journey home from the Trojan War. Unlike many of the unnamed sailors, Eurylochus is given a clear voice in the poem. He questions Odysseus, warns the crew of danger, and later gives advice that leads to disaster.

 

Eurylochus is best known for two major episodes in the Odyssey. On Aeaea, he is the only man in his scouting party who avoids Circe’s magic and returns to warn Odysseus. Later, on the island of Thrinacia, he persuades the starving crew to kill the sacred cattle of Helios, an act that brings divine punishment and destroys the last of Odysseus’ men.

 

Who Was Eurylochus?

Family and Background

Eurylochus was one of the Greek warriors who sailed home with Odysseus after the fall of Troy. Homer presents him as a close companion and a kinsman of Odysseus by marriage. This connection makes their conflict more personal, because Eurylochus is not a distant sailor but a man tied to Odysseus’ own household.

 

Companion of Odysseus

During the voyage home, Eurylochus often appears as a spokesman for the crew. He is not the king, but he has enough influence for the other men to listen to him. His role shows the strain between Odysseus’ command and the fears of the exhausted sailors.

 

A Cautious but Flawed Figure

Eurylochus is not a simple villain. At times, his caution saves him and helps warn the others. At other times, his fear and hunger push him toward choices that bring ruin. This makes him one of the more human figures in the Odyssey: suspicious, practical, persuasive, and sometimes dangerously wrong.

 

Eurylochus in the Odyssey

The Voyage After Troy

After the Trojan War, Odysseus and his men began the journey back to Ithaca. Their return was delayed by storms, monsters, hostile peoples, and the anger of the gods. Eurylochus survived many early dangers and remained with Odysseus after the fleet was almost destroyed by the Laestrygonians.

 

The Island of Aeaea

After escaping the Laestrygonians, Odysseus and his remaining men reached Aeaea, the island of Circe. Odysseus divided his men into groups, and Eurylochus led one party inland to search for signs of life. The men found Circe’s house and heard her singing inside.

 

Eurylochus and Circe

When Circe invited the men into her home, Eurylochus suspected danger and stayed outside. His fear proved correct. The other men entered, drank Circe’s enchanted wine, and were turned into swine. Eurylochus escaped the trap and ran back to the ship to tell Odysseus what had happened.

 

Warning Odysseus

Eurylochus warned Odysseus not to go to Circe’s house. He feared that Odysseus would be trapped like the others. Odysseus went anyway and, with the help of Hermes, forced Circe to restore his men. When Odysseus later told the remaining sailors to return with him to Circe’s house, Eurylochus again tried to hold them back. He reminded them of the Cyclops and blamed Odysseus’ recklessness for the deaths of their companions.

 

This speech almost caused open conflict between the two men. Odysseus considered killing Eurylochus, but the crew stopped him. In the end, Eurylochus followed the others to Circe’s house, afraid of Odysseus’ anger.

 

Eurylochus and the Journey Home

Leaving Circe

Odysseus and his crew stayed with Circe for a year. When it was time to leave, Circe warned Odysseus about the dangers ahead. These included the Sirens, Scylla, Charybdis, and the island of Helios. Eurylochus remained among the surviving crew during this dangerous part of the voyage.

 

The Sirens

When the ship passed the Sirens, Odysseus had his men block their ears with wax while he himself was tied to the mast so that he could hear the song safely. Eurylochus and Perimedes helped bind Odysseus more tightly when he begged to be released. In this scene, Eurylochus obeys orders and helps protect Odysseus from his own desire.

 

Scylla and Charybdis

The crew then had to pass between Scylla and Charybdis. Six men were taken by Scylla, and the survivors were left shaken and afraid. Soon afterward, they reached Thrinacia, the island where Helios kept his sacred cattle and sheep.

 

Eurylochus and the Cattle of Helios

The Warning About Thrinacia

Both Tiresias and Circe had warned Odysseus that the cattle of Helios must not be harmed. Odysseus told his men to avoid the island, but Eurylochus argued against sailing on through the night. He said that the men were exhausted and needed rest. The crew agreed with him, and Odysseus was forced to let them land, but only after they swore not to touch the sacred animals.

 

Hunger on the Island

Bad winds kept the ship trapped on Thrinacia for a month. At first, the men ate the food Circe had given them. When the supplies ran out, hunger broke their resolve. Odysseus went away from the crew to pray, and the gods sent sleep upon him.

 

Eurylochus’ Fatal Advice

While Odysseus slept, Eurylochus spoke to the starving crew. He argued that all forms of death were terrible, but dying slowly of hunger was the worst. He urged the men to kill the best cattle of Helios and sacrifice them to the gods, promising that if they ever returned to Ithaca, they would build a rich temple to Helios.

 

The crew accepted his advice. They killed the sacred cattle, even though they had sworn not to do so. This act brought the wrath of Helios, who demanded punishment from Zeus.

 

The Death of Eurylochus

Zeus Destroys the Ship

After the crew left Thrinacia, Zeus struck their ship with a thunderbolt. The vessel was shattered, and all of Odysseus’ men were killed. Eurylochus died with the rest of the crew, although Homer does not pause to describe his individual death.

 

Odysseus as the Sole Survivor

Only Odysseus survived the wreck. He drifted alone until he reached Ogygia, the island of Calypso. The death of Eurylochus and the rest of the crew marked the final collapse of Odysseus’ company and left the hero to continue the journey by himself.

 

Eurylochus’ Role and Symbolism

The Voice of the Crew

Eurylochus often represents the fears and needs of Odysseus’ men. He speaks when the crew is tired, hungry, or afraid. His words show that the journey home is not only a heroic adventure but also a test of ordinary men who are pushed beyond their limits.

 

Caution and Disobedience

In the episode with Circe, Eurylochus’ caution saves him. On Thrinacia, however, his practical thinking becomes dangerous. He sees hunger as the immediate problem and ignores the divine warning. His story shows that caution can be wise in one moment and destructive in another.

 

A Challenge to Odysseus’ Leadership

Eurylochus also reveals the limits of Odysseus’ command. Odysseus is clever and brave, but his men do not always trust him. Eurylochus gives that distrust a voice. Through him, the Odyssey shows the tension between a leader’s long-term plan and the desperate needs of the people who follow him.

 

Misconceptions and Lesser-Known Facts

Eurylochus Was Not the Same as Eurycleia

Eurylochus should not be confused with Eurycleia, the old nurse of Odysseus who recognizes him by the scar on his leg. Their names sound similar, but they are completely different figures in the Odyssey.

 

He Was Not Only a Coward

Eurylochus is sometimes remembered only as fearful, but his role is more complex. His suspicion of Circe saves him from being transformed, and his warnings are not always foolish. His failure comes when fear and hunger lead him to ignore a clear divine command.

 

He Did Not Act Alone on Thrinacia

Eurylochus gave the fatal advice to kill the cattle of Helios, but the rest of the crew agreed with him. The disaster was shared by all the surviving men except Odysseus, who had warned them and was asleep when the cattle were slaughtered.

 

Unraveling Eurylochus: The Troubled Voice of Odysseus’ Crew

Eurylochus is one of the clearest examples of how the Odyssey presents leadership from more than one side. Odysseus sees the larger path home, but Eurylochus speaks for men who are frightened, tired, and hungry. His doubts often sound reasonable, even when they lead to danger.

 

His story ends in ruin because he chooses short-term survival over obedience to the gods. Still, Eurylochus remains more than a disobedient sailor. He is a reminder that heroic journeys are filled with human weakness, fear, and hard choices, and that even a wise leader can struggle to hold his men together.

 

Eurylochus Sources

Eurylochus appears mainly in Homer’s “Odyssey,” especially Book 10, where he leads the scouting party to Circe’s house, and Book 12, where he argues for landing on Thrinacia and later urges the crew to kill the cattle of Helios. He is also mentioned during the Sirens episode, where he helps bind Odysseus more tightly to the mast.

 

See Also: Odysseus, Circe, Helios, Hermes, Tiresias, Scylla, Charybdis, Aeaea, Thrinacia, Ogygia