Laertes participated in the Argonautic Expedition, helping Jason retrieve the Golden Fleece from the far-away land of Colchis, and he also helped in the hunt of the Calydonian Boar. He was the king of the Cephallenians, and his rule extended over the island of Ithaca and its surrounding ones.

Was Laertes a King in the Odyssey?

​In Greek mythology, Laertes is famous for being the father of the Greek hero Odysseus, though, Laertes, in his own right was a king and hero of some renown.

Who was Laertes in the Odyssey?

Laertes, the old father of Odysseus, is a somewhat forgotten character. He is mostly considered to be of minor importance to the plot of the Odyssey, and his reunion with his son in the twenty-fourth book is often seen as a more or less dispensable addendum to the real climax, the recognition scene with Penelope.