# Ulysses — Metamorphoses character guide

> Ulysses in Metamorphoses by Ovid.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** the wise Ulysses

**First appearance:** 0127-speeches-of-ajax-and-ulysses

## Snapshot

The cunning Greek whose silver tongue wins Achilles' armor and whose long voyage home becomes a contest of wits against gods and monsters.

## Who they are

Ulysses is the strategist among Greek heroes, the man whose arguments carry as much weight as anyone's spear. In the contest for Achilles' armor he faces Ajax, a brute force against his polished rhetoric, and the debate exposes what each man thinks heroism means. His presence in the Metamorphoses ties the poem's transformations to the Trojan aftermath, where cleverness is the only reliable survival skill.

## In the story

### [Book XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/metamorphoses_se/chapters/book-xii)

Contends with Ajax for Achilles's armor; Laertes' son.

### [Death of Achilles](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/metamorphoses_se/chapters/death-of-achilles)

The other rival claimant to Achilles's armor.

### [Book XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/metamorphoses_se/chapters/book-xiii)

Argues for the arms of Achilles, emphasizing his cunning and strategic contributions over Ajax's strength.

### [Speeches of Ajax and Ulysses](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/metamorphoses_se/chapters/speeches-of-ajax-and-ulysses)

Rivals Ajax for the armor, defending his cunning and strategic contributions to the Greek cause.

### [Death of Ajax](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/metamorphoses_se/chapters/death-of-ajax)

Mentioned as the rival who bested Ajax for the armor, driving Ajax to despair.

### [Story of Polyxena and Hecuba](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/metamorphoses_se/chapters/story-of-polyxena-and-hecuba)

The Greek hero who drags Hecuba aboard the ships and later receives her as a captive.

### [Story of Acis, Polyphemus, and Galatea](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/metamorphoses_se/chapters/story-of-acis-polyphemus-and-galatea)

Mentioned in Telemus's prophecy about blinding Polyphemus.

### [Voyage of Aeneas Continued](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/metamorphoses_se/chapters/voyage-of-aeneas-continued)

Mentioned as having suffered pride and fate near Naples, contrasting with Aeneas's escape.

### [Story of the Sibyl](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/metamorphoses_se/chapters/story-of-the-sibyl)

Mentioned as the wise leader of Macareus, a friend who ends his labors near Cajeta.

### [Adventures of Achaemenides](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/metamorphoses_se/chapters/adventures-of-achaemenides)

Companion of Achaemenides; the Cyclops rages against him for blinding him.

### [Adventures of Macareus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/metamorphoses_se/chapters/adventures-of-macareus)

The wise leader who navigates his crew through perilous encounters, uses the moly to resist Circe's magic, and secures the release of his transformed companions.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/metamorphoses_se/characters/ulysses
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/metamorphoses_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/metamorphoses_se/characters