The Odyssey Justice and Revenge Quotes

"Penelope – child – wake up and see for yourself,
with your own eyes, all you dreamed of, all your days!
He’s here – Odysseus – he’s come home, at long last!
He’s killed the suitors, swaggering young brutes
who plagued his house, wolfed his cattle down,
rode roughshod over his son!"

– Homer

The Odyssey, Book 23, lines 5-10. Eurycleia makes her way to the queen’s chamber to tell Penelope the goods news of Odysseus’ return. She informs her that the prideful and greedy suitors have met their end at the hands of her husband.

"Father – I am your son – myself, the man you’re seeking,
home after twenty years, on native ground at last!
Hold back your tears, your grief.
Let me tell you the news, but we must hurry –
I’ve cut the suitors down in our own house,
I’ve paid them back their outrage, vicious crimes!"

– Homer

The Odyssey, Book 23, lines 359-364. Odysseus finally stops lying about being a stranger from Sicily and reveals his true identity to his father. He tells Laertes that he has punished the suitors for their crimes.

"My friends, what a mortal blow this man has dealt
to all our island people! Those fighters, many and brave,
he led away in his curved ships – he lost the ships
and he lost the men and back he comes again
to kill the best of our Cephallenian princes.
Quick, after him!
…Or we’ll hang our heads forever,
all disgraced, even by generations down the years,
if we don’t punish the murderers of our brothers and our sons!"

– Homer

The Odyssey, Book 24, lines 471-476, 478-480. Eupithes wants revenge for the killing of his son Antinous by Odysseus. He whips up the supporters of the slaughtered suitors to go after Odysseus. If they don’t punish the murderers of their brothers and sons, they will be held in disgrace and dishonor for generations to come, he warns.

"Do as your heart desires –
but let me tell you how it should be done.
Now that royal Odysseus has taken his revenge,
let both sides seal their pacts that he shall reign for life,
and let us purge their memories of the bloody slaughter
of their brothers and their sons. Let them be friends,
devoted as in the old days. Let peace and wealth
come cresting through the land.

– Homer

The Odyssey, Book 24, lines 531-538. Zeus agrees with Athena after she pleads that there should be pacts of peace between the two sides in the war between Odysseus and the suitors. Since Odysseus has taken his revenge, Zeus says that there should be an end to the bloody slaughter.
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