Who is Eumaeus in The Odyssey?

He is Odysseus’s loyal swineherd, the servant in charge of the royal pigs. He shelters the disguised Odysseus and later helps him defeat the suitors.

Why is Eumaeus so important?

He shows the kindness to strangers that the poem prizes, and his loyalty proves that some people in Ithaca never stopped believing in Odysseus.

Was Eumaeus always a servant?

No. He tells Odysseus he was born the son of a king on the island of Syra and was stolen away as a child and sold to Laertes.

From The Odyssey

Eumaeus

Faithful swineherd • Kind and loyal

Odysseus’s loyal swineherd, a humble farmer who welcomes every stranger with a warm fire, good food and a generous heart.

Who is Eumaeus?

Eumaeus is the faithful swineherd who looks after Odysseus’s pigs on a farm in the hills of Ithaca. He is kind to strangers, loyal to his missing master and the first person the disguised Odysseus visits when he comes home.

Eumaeus is a character in The Odyssey, the ancient Greek poem by Homer, retold for ages 6–9 by Sean Lee.

What is Eumaeus like?

kind
loyal
humble

Eumaeus’s story

Eumaeus was born a prince, the son of a king on a faraway island, but as a small child he was carried off by a servant and sold to Odysseus’s father, Laertes. He grew up in the royal household and became the trusted keeper of the family’s pigs.

When the disguised Odysseus arrives, Eumaeus welcomes him warmly, feeds him and gives him a place to sleep, saying that all strangers and beggars are sent by Zeus. He grumbles about the greedy suitors and grieves for his master, whom he believes is dead. He is overjoyed when Telemachus comes back safely from his voyage.

Eumaeus takes the beggar to the palace, and before the contest of the bow Odysseus reveals himself to him. Eumaeus carries the bow to his master even though the suitors shout at him, and he fights beside Odysseus and Telemachus to win back the palace.

“It would not be right for me to insult him, for all strangers and beggars are from Jove.”

Eumaeus, welcoming the disguised Odysseus to his hut, in Samuel Butler’s translation, which calls Zeus by his Latin name, Jove. From the original ancient Greek poem by Homer.

A moment to remember

When a ragged stranger arrives at his gate, Eumaeus shoos away his barking hounds, sets out roast pork and wine, and says he only wishes his master Odysseus were there.

Odysseus: master he serves faithfully
Telemachus: young prince he loves like a son
Penelope: queen he serves
Antinous: suitor who scorns him

Talk about it

Eumaeus shared his food with a stranger who had nothing. How can you share with someone who needs help?

Questions about Eumaeus

Who is Eumaeus in The Odyssey?: He is Odysseus’s loyal swineherd, the servant in charge of the royal pigs. He shelters the disguised Odysseus and later helps him defeat the suitors.
Why is Eumaeus so important?: He shows the kindness to strangers that the poem prizes, and his loyalty proves that some people in Ithaca never stopped believing in Odysseus.
Was Eumaeus always a servant?: No. He tells Odysseus he was born the son of a king on the island of Syra and was stolen away as a child and sold to Laertes.