Ulysses in The Iliad

Who is Ulysses?

Ulysses (Odysseus) appears as a calm, resourceful leader and persuasive speaker whose priority is holding the Achaean army together. In Book 2 Minerva finds him and he rallies the routed host, silencing dissent and invoking tradition and duty to steady the men for battle. In Book 9 he is one of the three envoys—alongside Phoenix and Ajax—sent to Achilles to offer Agamemnon's gifts and restore him to the fight; he argues urgently for Achilles to return but fails when Achilles refuses reconciliation. In Book 19, after Patroclus' death, Ulysses plays a practical role in the public reconciliation: he persuades the men to eat, ensures Agamemnon swears an oath that he never touched Briseis, and helps restore order so Achilles can resume fighting. Across these scenes Ulysses acts as mediator, rhetorician, and organizer, repeatedly prioritizing the collective needs of the army and using tact and force of personality to manage crises.

Personality

Persuasive

In Book 2 Minerva assists him and he rallies the host and silences Thersites with the sceptre to stop a rout.

Pragmatic

In Book 19 he persuades the men to eat and secures Agamemnon's oath to restore honor before battle proceeds.

Loyal to the army

He joins the embassy in Book 9 to plead with Achilles despite risking personal rebuke in an attempt to save the fleet.

Patient

In Book 9 he listens to Achilles at length and endures refusal rather than escalating the dispute.

Commanding

In Book 2 he physically silences Thersites, restoring order during a panicked attempt to haul the ships away.

Character arc

Ulysses' role is consistent across his appearances: he begins as the steadying voice who counters panic (Book 2), moves to the role of diplomatic envoy attempting reconciliation (Book 9), and ends as the practical organizer who helps restore communal order after Patroclus' death (Book 19). He does not undergo a dramatic internal transformation; instead his arc is functional and cumulative—repeated demonstrations of rhetorical skill, tactical judgment, and devotion to the army's cohesion. When faced with the rout in Book 2 he exerts authority to keep the expedition intact; when confronted with Achilles' principled refusal in Book 9 he employs argument and plea, and when reconciliation finally arrives in Book 19 he turns to ceremony and procedure to formalize peace and resume action. His steadiness and refusal to abandon the communal project mark him as a pillar of leadership rather than a character who changes through the narrative.

Relationships

• Achilles Ulysses is an emissary and persuasive interlocutor who pleads with Achilles to return to the fight but accepts Achilles' refusal in Book 9.
• Nestor He works alongside Nestor as a senior counselor—Nestor stirs the leaders and Ulysses helps translate counsel into public action.
• Agamemnon Ulysses enforces order and later ensures Agamemnon swears the necessary oath during the reconciliation in Book 19.
• Ajax the Greater He accompanies Ajax as a fellow envoy in Book 9, sharing the task of pleading with Achilles.
• Phoenix He travels with Phoenix on the embassy to Achilles, complementing Phoenix's emotional appeal with his own arguments.
• Patroclus He interacts with the household scene around Achilles and Patroclus in Book 9 and helps manage the army after Patroclus' death in Book 19.

Why Ulysses matters

Ulysses embodies civic-minded leadership and rhetorical craft in the poem: he represents the communal interest that seeks to restrain individual pride for the common good. His interventions—quelling panic, undertaking delicate diplomacy, and enforcing ceremonial oaths—highlight themes of honor, persuasion, and the practical work of leadership. Where Achilles insists on personal justice and rage, Ulysses exemplifies the persuasive, procedural labor required to sustain a large enterprise like the Achaean expedition.

Chapters with Ulysses

• Book 1
• Book 2
• Book 3
• Book 9
• Book 19

More The Iliad characters

• HectorMajor character
• AchillesProtagonist
• AgamemnonMajor character
• ApolloMajor character
• MenelausMajor character
• ZeusMajor character
• NestorMajor character
• PatroclusMajor character