Nausicaa

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This article discusses the Greek mythological character Nausicaa. See Nausicaa (disambiguation) for other usages.

Odysseus and Nausicaä - by Charles Gleyre

In ancient Greek literature, Nausicaa (often rendered Nausicaä; Greek: Ναυσικάα^[1]), a daughter of King Alcinous (Alkínoös) of the Phaeacians and Queen Arete, appears in Homer's Odyssey (Odysseía). The maiden Nausicaa finds the shipwrecked Odysseus on the shore of Scheria (modern Corfu) and brings him to her mother. Homer gives a fine literary account of love never expressed: while she is presented as a potential love interest to Odysseus – she says to her friend that she would like her husband to be like him, and her father tells Odysseus he would let Odysseus marry her – nothing really results between the pair.

A substantial portion of the Odyssey consists of Odysseus recounting his adventures to Alcinous and his guests. Alcinous then generously provides Odysseus with the ships that finally bring him home to Ithaca.

Nausicaa is young and very pretty; Odysseus says that she resembles a goddess, particularly Artemis. Nausicaa is known to have several brothers.