"Which best describes the conflict between Odysseus and Menelaus?"

History · Middle School · Tue Nov 03 2020

Answered on

 The conflict between Odysseus and Menelaus isn't a central theme in the well-known Greek epics where these characters appear. In Homer's epics, "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey," Menelaus and Odysseus are portrayed more as allies than adversaries. Menelaus is the King of Sparta, and his wife, Helen, is taken by Paris to Troy, which sparks the Trojan War. Odysseus, the King of Ithaca, is a cunning hero who plays a vital part in the Greek victory against Troy. Both characters take part in the war, but they are not depicted as having significant individual conflict in these stories.

It is important to be aware that there might be adaptations, retellings or specific interpretations of the Greek myths where conflicts could be constructed for dramatic purposes. However, in the primary sources for the lore of these characters, especially the Homeric epics, they share a bond through their participation in the Trojan War and they both suffer long journeys before they are reunited with their wives.