Odysseus and Agamemnon are heroes who fought side by side to conquer the city of Troy during the Trojan War. In Homer's Odyssey, why is Agamemnon massacred when he arrives home while Odysseus returns to find his loved ones still waiting for him? The reasons for the different fate of the heroes are the nature of their homecoming and the loyalty of their wives. The difference in the approach of Agamemnon and Odysseus to their homeland is the reason for their different fates. Agamemnon, king of Argos, returns from Troy after a safe journey. Once he lands on the shores of his homeland, his false sense of security makes him unaware of the possible danger that lurks in his own home. His naivety leads him to directly approach his home to show his people that he has returned. Since his subjects were no longer loyal to him, his exposure leads to his death. Their disloyalty is revealed when Aegisthus, the man plotting to kill Agamemnon, gathers the city's best soldiers to ambush the king. Agamemnon meets Aegisthus, who organizes a banquet during which the king and his companions are mercilessly massacred. Because he fails to appreciate the danger that exists in his homeland, Agamemnon meets his end soon after his return. Ulysses approaches his homeland differently; thus meeting a different destiny. When Odysseus lands in Ithaca, he is aware of the possibility of danger, which makes him skeptical and cautious. His attitude is the result of the things he had encountered on his journey, such as monsters and the ghost of Agamemnon. Monsters, such as Polyphemus and the Laestrygonians, surprise Odysseus when they eat his men instead of being good guests. The ghost of Agamemnon influences Odysseus' mentality by informing him of his unfortunate end....... middle of paper......t, prays to Artemis that he may die and escape his new marriage. Penelope's prayer reveals that she would rather die than remarry because she understands that she will never love anyone more than Odysseus. Her refusal is different from that of Clytemnestra, who cheats on her husband by having a lover. Penelope remains faithful to her husband and is ecstatic when she realizes that he has returned from his twenty-year absence. Agamemnon and Odysseus meet different ends after their return home from Troy. Their outcomes are influenced by the choices they make once they arrive home and by the devotion their wives have for them. Odysseus' long journey home serves to teach him lessons, something that Agamemnon did not have the chance to have when he meets his tragic end. Works Cited Homer. The Odyssey (translated by EVRieu). London, England: Penguin Classics, 2003.