Arnaeus (Irus)

Homer provides no mythic origin for Arnaeus. In the Odyssey he is presented as a resident mendicant of Ithaca and a regular beggar in the social milieu of Odysseus' household; the poem treats him as a human social figure rather than as a divine or supernatural progeny.

Primary Homeric translations describe Arnaeus as a common tramp or beggar who frequents the city and the suitors' hall. He is characterized by surly manners and low social status; the narrative contrast that exposes Odysseus' hidden strength (aided by Athena in the poem) creates a momentary physical juxtaposition, but Homer does not provide a detailed canonical description of Arnaeus' size or features beyond his role as a mendicant.

Arnaeus displays ordinary human behaviors: begging around Ithaca, accepting commissions from the suitors (running messages), insulting other beggars, and being willing to fight for food or status. In the fight with Odysseus he is struck hard (his jaw is crushed in some translations), quickly defeated, dragged out, and left to sit outside to scare pigs and dogs. No supernatural powers are attributed to him in the cited sources.