InGreek mythology,Polites (Ancient Greek:Πολίτης), the friend ofOdysseus, was a minor character in theepics byHomer.
Polites was a member of Odysseus's crew.[1] Odysseus refers to him as his dearest friend, though he is only mentioned twice. It is unclear whether he was killed byScylla or by the lightning bolt thatZeus hurled at Odysseus's ship.
Polites features more prominently in some versions of the folk tale known asThe Hero of Temesa, which recounts the tale of one of Odysseus's crew (in some sources unnamed, but in others, including in the retelling byStrabo,[2] identified as Polites) who was killed on the island ofTemesa and returned as a vengeful ghost. Various sources give different accounts of the death—some say he was stoned after raping a woman, others simply claim he was murdered by the locals—but in all versions, the ghost threatened the populace and extracted a high tribute in exchange for a more peaceful coexistence until he was defeated by a visitor to the island, sometimes identified as Euthymus of Locri, aboxer andOlympic victor.[3] Because the ghost is sometimes described as wearing a wolfskin, scholar David Ogden speculates that "we are probably dealing with a monster that is mixanthropic: partly human and partly animal, a wolf-man..." and thus an early classical example of awerewolf story.[4]
Polites appears as a character ofEpic: The Musical, asung-through adaptation ofThe Odyssey created by musician Jorge Rivera-Herrans. Steven Dookie provides the voice of Polites.[5][6] Polites is portrayed as a significant member of Odysseus' fleet. His main role is the song "Open Arms," where he advocates for showingempathy andmercy in their encounter with theLotus-Eaters.[7] He stands as a foil for Odysseus' other close friend,Eurylochus, who takes a more cynical and cautious approach.[8] When they follow the Lotus-Eaters' directions to find food in the cave of the CyclopsPolyphemus, Polites is the first man killed.[9] Afterwards, Odysseus holds on to the ideas of mercy that Polites promoted, which agitates his relationship with the goddessAthena.[10] However, Odysseus manages to retain Polites's teachings, and Athena comes to accept them by the end of Act 2.
