Who is the father of Penelope?

Who is the father of Penelope? Icarius is the traditional answer: he is a Spartan king and the father of Penelope, Odysseus's wife. His name is also spelled Ikarios in transliterations from Ancient Greek.

Mythological genealogies give Icarius different parentages. He is described in some accounts as the son of Perieres and Gorgophone, while others make him the son of Oebalus and Bateia. He is often connected with Tyndareus, the Spartan ruler and father of Helen, although the exact family relationships vary by source.

Icarius plays an important role in the story of Penelope's marriage. One tradition says he required her suitors to defeat him in a footrace, and Odysseus won. After the wedding, Icarius tried to persuade Penelope to remain in Sparta. When Odysseus asked her to choose, she silently covered her face with a veil, and Icarius understood that she wished to leave with her husband. The figure of Icarius is sometimes confused with other Spartan kings, especially Tyndareus, but Penelope's father is Icarius.