What is the name of the cowherd who helps Odysseus against the suitors?

The cowherd who helps Odysseus against the suitors is Philoetius. He remains loyal to Odysseus during the king's twenty-year absence and becomes one of the crucial allies in the final struggle at the palace.

When Odysseus returns disguised as a beggar, Philoetius recognizes the injustice surrounding the household but does not immediately know the stranger's identity. Once Odysseus reveals himself, Philoetius helps secure the palace doors and remove the suitors' weapons, preventing them from escaping or fighting effectively.

Philoetius then joins Odysseus, Telemachus, and the swineherd Eumaeus in the battle. He kills suitors, including Ctesippus in the poem's account, and is rewarded for his faithfulness. Melanthius is the disloyal goatherd who supplies weapons to the suitors, while Eumaeus is the loyal swineherd.