Who is the leader of Penelope's suitors?

Antinous is commonly identified as the leader of Penelope's suitors. He is the most aggressive and openly disrespectful of the men occupying Odysseus's palace while Odysseus is presumed dead. Antinous helps drive the suitors' campaign to marry Penelope and takes the lead in plotting against Telemachus.

His behavior makes him a central symbol of the suitors' abuse of hospitality, or xenia. He consumes Odysseus's food and wine, insults the household, and throws a stool at Odysseus while the returning king is disguised as a beggar. He also helps arrange an ambush intended to kill Telemachus after the young prince returns from seeking news of his father.

Antinous is the first suitor killed when Odysseus reveals himself. During a feast, Odysseus shoots him in the throat with an arrow. Eurymachus, another prominent suitor, then tries to shift blame for the group's wrongdoing onto Antinous. Because Eurymachus is also described as influential, some summaries call both men leaders, but Antinous is the standard single-answer choice for this question.