Eumaeus is a character in Homer's Odyssey, the loyal swineherd of Odysseus on Ithaca. Born a prince on Syrie, he was kidnapped by Phoenician traders and sold into slavery on Ithaca, where Laertes bought him and Odysseus' house reared him. He is widely regarded as the moral exemplar of faithful service in the poem: he welcomes the disguised Odysseus, refuses the suitors' corruption, and fights beside his master when the wooers fall.
Adapted from Wikipedia, "Eumaeus" · CC BY-SA 4.0
I.Origin and role
Eumaeus tells Odysseus — whom he does not yet recognize — that he was born on Syrie, stolen by Phoenicians, and purchased on Ithaca by Laertes. Odysseus gave him charge of the swine, and he built his steading at the edge of the wild country.
When Athena brings the disguised king to the hut, Eumaeus offers the best food, speaks honestly of his longing for Odysseus' return, and later guides Telemachus home from Pylos. He is present when father and son reveal themselves to each other.
II.The mnesterophonia
During the slaughter of the suitors Eumaeus and the cowherd Philoetius lock the outer gates. After the battle, when the families of the dead suitors rally against Odysseus' house, Eumaeus and Philoetius arm at Laertes' side.