You know me. You knew I'd have to look it up.
I share the results because so much MATH is involved!



the more complex bow of Odysseus’ time indeed takes a great deal of force to string and to shoot an arrow with.

Unlike the simpler, C-shaped ancient bow, which has no potential energy at all when initially strung and straight, the more complex bow of Odysseus’ time (and through 2,000 years ago, which we can see from extant remains) requires significant energy to be strained from a backward to a forward curve.

From there, even more stored energy is added as the archer draws back the string.

While Odysseus was, of course, one of the most well-known Greek he-men, there is indeed a limit to human strength when stringing a bow, as Penelope knew. The human body allows one to draw one’s arm back about 60 cm (6.29 inches) and the maximum force a strong man can withstand while holding a bowstring is about 350 Newton, according to Schmidt.

Therefore, he states, the available muscular energy is 0.6m*350 N, which is equal to 210 joules of energy. For comparison, an ordinary punch (not from a professional boxer) is equal to 37.5 joules.

The energy stored in the C-shaped, primitive bow is equal to 105 Joules, according to Schmidt; the energy in Odysseus’ bow was an astounding 170 joules.

More here (even though I also hyperlinked the image! Yay me!)
https://greekreporter.com/2022/05/03/how-does-odysseus-bow-fare-against-modern-versions-of-the-weapon/