Contest of the Bow
Penelope sets a contest with Odysseus' bow that decides the palace's fate.
Overview
Penelope announces the bow contest: whoever can string Odysseus' old bow and shoot through twelve axeheads will become her new husband. The Suitors fail in turn, even after warming and greasing the bow. Odysseus, disguised as a beggar, asks to try and receives it through the cooperation of Eumaeus and Telemachus. He examines the weapon, strings it as easily as a musician tunes a lyre, and sends an arrow through the row of axes. His next arrow is directed at Antinous, turning a marriage contest immediately into the reckoning in the hall. The bow is both a technical test and an object remembered intimately by its owner.
Relationships
- Odysseuswins
Only the disguised Odysseus can string his own bow.
- Penelopesets contest
Penelope announces that the bow will decide her marriage.
- The Suitorscompete in
The suitors try one by one, but none can string the bow.
- Return to Ithacaleads to contest
Hidden in the palace, Odysseus waits for the bow contest to reveal himself.
- Odysseusreveals
Stringing the bow reveals the stranger as Ithaca's king.
Story appearances
- The Odyssey HomecomingTest that reveals identity and reclaims the palace
Only Odysseus can string the old bow, turning the contest into the reckoning with the Suitors.
Ancient sources
MythWeave distinguishes ancient-source evidence from later adaptations and modern interpretation.