Uncle Tyndareous is Penelope’s uncle, Helen’s father, and King Icarius’s brother. He and Icarius share the throne of Sparta. Tyndareous is characterized as mean, selfish, and conniving. Penelope believes that Tyndareous helped Odysseus cheat in the running competition for her hand in marriage so that Odysseus would take Penelope away to Ithaca and Tyndareous’s children could inherit the Spartan throne.