The Odyssey-Book Fourteen

Book Fourteen

Odysseus is back in Ithica disguised as a weary, old man. He goes and stays with the swineherder, Eumaeus. Odysseus is disguised because he doesn't want the suitors to attack him, and also because he wants to know how loyal his people have been while he's been away. Eumaeus begins fill Odysseus in on how faithful Penelope has been and how the suitors are constantly diminishing his goods, eating all the meat. Odysseus listens intently to Eumaeus and knows that he is a loyal and trustworthy man, always praising him (Odysseus) and watching over his goods. Eumaeus feeds Odysseus and gives him clothes to keep him warm. Eumaeus says that Odysseus is most likely dead, and Odysseus disagrees saying that he is probably alive and coming home soon. Eumaeus says that he no longer believes this because so many suitors have come to Penelope and asked for gifts in exchange for news of her Odysseus. But all news is a scam, and Penelope is beginning to lose faith that the real Odysseus will ever return home. Odysseus, when asked about how he came to arrive in Ithica, makes up a story about how he fought at Troy with Odysseus and later went to Egypt, but only to end up poor. However, it was during his trip to Egypt that he claims he heard news that Odysseus was still alive.

The Odyssey-Book Eleven

Book Eleven

Odysseus arrives at the River of Oceans and performs a sacrificial ceremony as he was instructed to do by Circe. Odysseus performs this ritual by digging a hole, and in that hole he first pours milk and honey then wine and water. Over this he then pours white barley meal. He then promises the dead that when he returns to Ithica he will sacrifice a female cow, laden with many gifts. He also promises Tiresias the best black ram that he has. Souls begin to appear and speak to him. A few of the souls that appear include Elpenor, who wants Odysseus to go back to Circe's island and bury him properly. He then learns from Tiresias that Poseidon is punishing he and his men for blinding his son, the Cyclops Polyphemus' eye. Next, Odysseus is told that he will return home only to see his wife, son, and to get rid of the suitors, but then he must travel to another island to please Poseidon. Odysseus is warned to not touch "the flocks of the sun" when he arrives in Thrinacia because if he does, he will go through many more hardships and face challenges that will eliminate all of his remaining men. Odysseus then speaks to his mother, Anticleia, who first fills him in on the happenings in Ithica since he's been away, and then tells him how she died of grief waiting for his return to Ithica. Odysseus speaks to many other heroes and famous men as well. When in Hades, Odysseus meets many different souls. Achilles, who inquires inquires after his son. Ajax who refuses to speak to Odysseus on acount of the incident when Ajax lost a competition/contest against Odysseus, this which led Ajax to kill himself. Many spirits begin to ask him many questions, and Odysseus is frightened by this. He runs back to his ship and sails away at once.

The Odyssey-Book Ten

Book Ten

Odysseus continues to tell his story. After the whole Cyclops episode, Odysseus and his men sail to yet another island. Here they meet Aeolus who rules the winds. He gives them great hospitality, and then sends them on their way home to Ithica with a bag full of all the wind types incase Odysseus would be in need of it. Odysseus’ ship leaves for Ithica and when Ithica finally comes into view, sleep overtakes Odysseus. His men are certain that Aeolus gave Odysseus gold and riches in the bag. Since Odysseus is sleeping, the crew opens up the bad and lets all the wind out at once which forms a great storm that blows their ship back to Aeolus. Odysseus is disheartened and asks help from Aeolus again, but Aeolus is convinced the gods are against Odysseus and therefore, will not help him any further and sends him on his way abruptly. Odysseus and his men then sail to the land of the giants who make an immediate dinner out of the men Odysseus sent to check out the place. Odysseus and his men try to leave the place immediately, but are attacked by giants, and the only ship that survives the attack is Odysseus’ ship. After that, Odysseus’ one ship arrives at the land of the witch-goddess Circe. Odysseus sends scouts to check the island out, but they drink a drugged drink that Circe gave to them, and they begin to turn into pigs. Odysseus hearing of this happening by Eurylochus, (who knew his fellow men were walking into a trap and went back to the ship instead of joining them in Circe’s house) decides to go try and get his men back. Eurylochus is against going back, and Odysseus tells him that if he doesn’t want to go along, then he can stay and guard the ship. Eurylochus ends up going along instead of staying behind alone. On the way to Circe, Odysseus meets Hermes who informs him of all the dangers that lie ahead in Circe’s house and what he must do to save himself and his men. He tells Odysseus that he must eat this special herb called “moly” before drinking Circe’s drugged drink, and that will keep him from turning into a pig. Then when she tries to stab him with her sword, he is to jump at her as if to attack and take her by surprise. Odysseus does all of these things, and Circe is surprised that her drugged drink didn’t work on Odysseus. She swears a might oath not to harm Odysseus and sets his men free. They return to their human form, younger and more handsome than ever. Odysseus then beds with Circe and stays with her for a year. After a year has passed, Odysseus’ men want to go home to Ithica and persuade Odysseus to leave as well. They all leave the next morning, and leave behind Elpenor who was passed out on Circe’s roof and fell to the ground the morning of their departure, breaking his neck. Odysseus tells his men of the specific pathway they must take in order to get home. They are to go to Hades and Persephone and see Tiresias of Thebes.

The Odyssey-Book Nine

Book Nine

Odysseus is now telling his tale of trials that he encounters on his journey home post Troy. Odysseus and his crew of men go to Ismarus and steal the cities goods, but linger too long there, and the people of Ismarus attack them, killing six of Odysseus’ men per ship. Zeus, now not in favor of Odysseus, sends a storm that brings them to the land of the lotus-eaters. Odysseus’ men go out to check it out, and the men that reside on the island are friendly and offer Odysseus’ men fruit. The fruit is addictive, and the crew men don’t want to go back to the ship but instead stay and consume more fruit. Odysseus has to drag them back to the ship and lock them up to keep them there. Odysseus and his crew then sail to the island of the Cyclops. Odysseus decides he wants to test the hospitality of the Cyclops Polyphemus. He and some of his crew men go to the Cyclops’ cave. The Cyclops has a lot of milk and chese and raises goats to extract it from. When the Cyclops returns back to the cave to find Odysseus and his men there, he seems friendly, but almost immediately after this impression, he snatches up two of Odysseus’ men and eats them. Then he keeps Odysseus and the remaining men prisoners for his future meals. The next night, the Cyclops eats two more men. Odysseus decides that something must be done about this. He devises a plan in which he gets the Cyclops drunk then blinds its one eye, while it sleeps, with a large, wooden pole. The Cyclops shouts out in pain, but claims to not be hurt and that “nobody’s killing him” when the other Cyclopes come to see what his shouting was for. Now blinded, the Cyclops cannot see Odysseus and his remaining men hide themselves underneath some of the Cyclops’ goats. When the goats leave the cave, the men escape, hidden underneath them all the while. The Cyclops is suspicious of one slower-moving goat that Odysseus happens to be hidden under, but he lets that suspicion go. Then Odysseus and his men escape, with the goats as well, back to their ship and to the safer lands that are distanced from the Cyclops’ cave. However, Odysseus gets cocky and when within shouting distance of the Cyclops, he calls out his real name. (Previously, he had told the Cyclops his name was “no one.”) He now reveals his real name is Odysseus. This greatly angers Polyphemus, not only to learn of Odysseus’ real name, but also that he and his men had escaped his cave. The Cyclops then begins hurling large stones at Odysseus’ ships and swearing that he is going to tell his father, Poseidon about Odysseus’ wrongdoings. He claims that his father, Poseidon, will finish off Odysseus and his crew men.

The Odyssey-Book Five

Book Five

In council, the gods discuss Odysseus. Athena says that Odysseus should be free to go home. “From this time on, no sceptered king need be benign and kind, a man of righteous mind: let kings be cruel and corrupt, malign-for none among his people now recall divine Odysseus, though his rule was gentle and fatherly” –Athena (pg. 95). This being said, the gods decided to send Hermes, the messenger, to Pylos to confront Calypso and have her free Odysseus from her hold. Calypso agrees that Odysseus needs to go home, although she doesn’t want him to leave her. Again Calypso offers Odysseus immortal life. Still, she knows he is unhappy trapped on the island with her, and she knows he longs to go home to Ithica. The next day Calypso helps Odysseus gather materials for him to build a ship from. When the ship is finished, Calypso gives him food and wine for his journey and reluctantly says goodbye. However, although he had been sailing on calm waters, Odysseus is spotted by angry Poseidon. Poseidon is angered that he was not included in the decision of letting Odysseus go home and creates a huge storm that nearly kills Odysseus. But just when Odysseus is nearly drowning and struggling for his life, Ino, the sea nymph, gives him a shawl that helps carry him to safer, calmer waters to the shore of Scheria. He then returns the shawl to Ino as she instructed him to do. Odysseus finds a forest that acts as a strong shelter and a pile of leaves for a bed and with Athena’s help, lets sleep take him.

The Odyssey-Book Two

Book Two

The next morning, Telemachus meets with the Ithican elders to discuss the suitors. Some elders are in disagreement with Telemachus’ view on the suitors. Some elders say that Penelope is the real villain, deceiver, in how she cleverly leads on the suitors to believe that she will marry one of them someday, but really she has no intention of the sort. Telemachus tries to reason with one of the suitors, Antinous and asks that the suitors all leave and “consume their own fine goods.” He says that if they refuse to leave, they shall all die within his halls, with the help of Zeus. At that moment, Zeus sent down a pair of eagles that flew above the suitors and attacked each other, then flew away. This was meant as some omen or insight into future happenings. One of the elders then spoke to say that the fate of the suitors would belong to Odysseus upon his return, how he would slaughter them all and that was the be their fate. “I am no neophyte who prophesies: I know with certainty. And I affirm that, for Odysseus, his time is come” –Lord Halitherses (pg. 29). Telemachus says that he will go in search of any word about his father, and if he learns that he is alive, he will wait another year; if he is not alive, Telemachus says he will return home to “heap a death mound high” and give his mother to another husband. Athena gathers a crew and ship for Telemachus. He has his maid stock up and package his wine and food. Later Telemachus and his crew haul the food and wine onto the ship and set sail. Telemachus leaves without telling his mother of his intentions at sea because he doesn’t want her to worry or be upset.

The Odyssey-Book One

Book One

The gods have a meeting about Odysseus and his being held captive on the island of Pylos by Calypso. Calypso has offered Odysseus immortal life because she wants to make him her husband. It is decided that Odysseus should be released and allowed to make his way home to Ithica, to his son, Telemachus, and his wife, Penelope. Athena, disguised as one of Odysseus’ old friends, visits Telemachus in Ithica to advise him. She tells him he should get a ship and crew and sail away to other islands to seek word of his father, who she had heard is still alive. Telemachus decides he will consider going on this quest/journey, but first he wants to know how he can be rid of the many suitors courting his mother, Penelope, for her wealth and estate. He is sick and tired of their constant feasting, parties, and consumption of his goods. He no longer wants them around and neither does Penelope, although she leads all of the suitors on. She tells them she will decide who she will marry once she finishes weaving/sewing together a robe for Laertes. However, she doesn’t actually have any intention of marrying any of the suitors, and for the longest time she unstitching by night what she had sewed during the day so as to buy time for her Odysseus to return home. She is very hopeful that he will. Alas, her strategy is discovered and told to all. It is then said that if she does not soon choose a suitor, her father will choose one for her, and that man will then have access to all the wealth and estate that Penelope holds. Telemachus knows he must go on the search for his father, but first he must ask the Ithican elders what to do about the suitors swarming his home.