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What warning does Agamemnon give Odysseus about returning home?
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Odyssey: A Reader’s Guide to Homer’s Epic
Engraving of Homer by Hieronymus Wierix, 16th century; in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
When Odysseus meets the spirit of Agamemnon in the underworld, Agamemnon warns him to act cautiously upon his return home to Ithaca. Specifically, Agamemnon cautions Odysseus against trusting women, even his own wife, Penelope.12
This warning is rooted in Agamemnon's own tragic experience: he returned home from the Trojan War only to be murdered by his wife, Clytemnestra, and her lover, Aegisthus. Agamemnon’s advice serves as a stark contrast to the homecoming Odysseus eventually achieves, as it highlights the necessity for Odysseus to exercise extreme vigilance to reclaim his identity, restore order to his household, and reunite with his family safely.321