Penelope is a character in Homer's Odyssey. She was the queen of Ithaca and was the daughter of Spartan king IcariusĀ and naiad Periboea. Her name is traditionally associated with marital fidelity, as she is known for her fidelity to Odysseus, to whom she is married, despite having many suitors while he was absent. In one source, Penelope's original name was Arnacia or Arnaea.