Book Thirteen
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Odysseus, having narrated his
tale, is impatient to get home.
King Alcinous makes preparations
to see the hero home. He orders
ships, presents gifts and holds a
farewell banquet for Odysseus.
After speeches, sacrifices and
blessings the ships rows Odysseus
back to Ithaca.
When they reach Ithaca they pull
into a cove with a cave situated off
it. There they unload the caskets
of treasure and place these
against the trunk of an olive tree.
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Poseidon, who witnesses the return
of Odysseus, and all the gifts he
has received from the Phaeacians,
is furious. He gets the consent of
Zeus to punish the Phaeacians by
wreaking the returning ship. He
waits until their ship is nearly home
and in full view of the citizens. He
then sinks the ship – turning it into
stone, rooting her “to the sea
bottom”.
When King Alcinos sees this, he
recalls a prophecy that says
punishment will come for giving
safe passage to strangers.
Sacrifices and supplications are
then made to Poseidon.
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Meanwhile, Odysseus begins to inspect his treasure – at
this point he does not recognise Ithaca. A disguised
Athene appears as a shepherd and informs him that he
is indeed on Ithaca.
Odysseus pretends he is a stranger and gives Athene a
made-up story about how he came to Ithaca; this of
course is not true – but part of his cunning subterfuge.
He says he is a refugee who had to flee his native land
because he killed a great runner called Orsilochus. This
man tried to rob him of the war treasures he won at
Troy. Travelling across the sea via a Phoenician ship and
having spent some time at Pylos and Elis, he eventually
reached Ithaca.
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Athene praises him for his
cleverness and reveals herself
to the hero. Athena removes
the mists from the land and
this allows him to recognise
his own kingdom.
Odysseus tells her of his
misfortunes after Troy,
Athene tells him that she
could to nothing for him because he had blinded the
Cyclops, Poseidon’s son.
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Athena and Odysseus then discuss plans to deal with the
suitors. Athena assures him of her help. Athena says she will
change him into an old haggard, a wrinkled beggar,
unrecognisable. She tells him to go to Eumaeus’s hut, an old
swineherd who looks after his pigs. This man is loyal to
Odysseus and his family.
She will go to Sparta to fetch Telemachos. She tells Odysseus
of the plot to kill his son by the suitors but informs the hero,
“I have an idea they will not succeed.”
Athena then waves a wand over Odysseus changing him to an
old beggar. She sets off for Sparta and the two separate.
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Note how the harmony between Odysseus and Athene is
restored. Throughout chapter 9-12, Odysseus had acted
independently of her but ultimately he cannot succeed
without the goddess.
The purpose of sending Odysseus to the swineherd gives him
time to prepare a plan: he must know what exactly he is
facing into and what is happening at the palace.
Note also the role of false story telling, as opposed to the
true one Odysseus tells the Phaeacians. These fake tales
charm Athene who is impressed by his cunning. Fake stories
allow him to conceal his identity until the moment is right for
him to strike his opponents.
1.
Describe Odysseus and Athena’s
meeting.