Mr. Dominick
10th Grade Honors World Lit
Selected Summaries for The Odyssey
Book IV
Telemachus and Peisistratus (Nestor’s eldest son) arrive at the court of Menelaus and
Helen where they are welcomed, bathed, oiled, dressed, and feasted even though the
royal couple is making their children's wedding preparations. After they eat, Menelaus
hazards a guess that they are the sons of kings. He says that few among mortals have as
much wealth as he, although he has also lost much, including men; the one whose loss he
most laments is Odysseus. He doesn’t know whether Odysseus is dead or alive but when
he sees how moved Telemachus is, he silently deduces that he is the son Odysseus left in
Ithaca as a baby. Helen comes in and voices Menelaus’ suspicion. More stories bring
more tears until Helen doses the wine with a pharmacopeia (a drug used to induce
relaxation) from magical Egypt.
Helen talks about how Odysseus disguised himself to get inside Troy, where only Helen
recognized him. Helen helped him and said that she regretfully longed to be with the
Greeks. Then Menelaus tells about Odysseus’ work with the wooden horse and how
Helen almost undid it all by tempting the men inside to call out to her. Telemachus says
it’s time to sleep, so he and Peisistratus sleep outside in the colonnade while the royal
couple goes to their indoor bedroom.
At dawn, Menelaus asks why Telemachus came to Lacedaemon. Telemachus tells him
about the suitors, which Menelaus says is shameful and Odysseus would do something
about it if he were there. Menelaus then tells Telemachus what he knows about
Odysseus’ fate, which involves the story of meeting Proteus, the Old Man of the Sea, at
Pharos. Proteus’ daughter, Eidothea, tells Menelaus to take three men (whom she covers
with sheep skin) and wait until her father has finished counting his seals and fallen
asleep. Then Menelaus is to grab Proteus and hold on regardless of whether Proteus
becomes a lion, a boar, water, or fire. Only when Proteus stops morphing and starts
asking questions should Menelaus let go and ask him how he can get out of Egypt. After
gaining the necessary information about sacrifices and doubling back down the Nile from
Proteus, Menelaus inquires about Odysseus and learns he is being held by Calypso.
Menelaus asks Telemachus to stay a while so he can gather together gifts. Telemachus
says he wants to get going on his quest, but appreciates the gift offers. There’s only one
problem: Ithaca is ill-suited to horses, so could he please exchange the kind offer of
horses for something else? Menelaus agrees and thinks well of him for asking.
Back in Ithaca, the man who lent the ship to Telemachus, Noemon, wants it back and
asks the suitors if they know when it will return. This is the first time the suitors realize
that Telemachus is gone. Penelope also hears about it for the first time and is distraught.
She questions Eurycleia, who dissuades Penelope from notifying old Laertes about his
grandson’s departure. The suitors plan to ambush and murder Telemachus on his return.
They sail out to wait in a cove. Penelope is comforted by a dream phantom of her sister (a
dream conjured by Athene), Iphthime, to reassure her of Telemachus’ divine protection.
Book V
The 5th book of the Odyssey begins in the world of the gods with Athene once again
trying to help her favorite, Odysseus, while Poseidon is away in Ethiopia. She complains
about Odysseus’ being stuck on Calypso’s island and Telemachus facing the treacherous
suitors. Zeus tells his daughter that it was her plan that led to the treachery and it’s
entirely within her power to control it. As for Odysseus, Zeus takes action, sending
Hermes to tell Calypso to let Odysseus go on a makeshift raft. Odysseus is to meet the
Phaeacians in 20 days, at which time he will be honored with a sea-worthy ship and
plunder (enough to make up for what he lost coming home from Troy).
Hermes straps on his sandals and zooms to Calypso’s cave where he finds her weaving.
Odysseus is out at the shore looking over the waters and bewailing his fate.
Before Hermes tells Calypso why he has come, she sets nectar and ambrosia before him.
He then tells her Zeus’ will, which angers Calypso. She knows resistance is futile, so
when Hermes leaves, she goes to find Odysseus to tell him that he need no longer mope:
she’s going to help him get a raft together. Odysseus makes sure she isn’t tricking him by
having her swear an oath, which she does, using the most binding of the oaths, the River
Styx. Although she has agreed to let him go, she can’t resist trying to persuade him that
she is incomparably better than his aged wife back home. Odysseus admits that Calypso
is probably superior in every way, but he still wants to go home.
At dawn, Calypso gives Odysseus the bronze ax he needs to fell the tall trees and a drill
with which to bind them together. She gives him cloth for a sail and rations.
Odysseus sets out on the 5th day. On the 18th day, he sees the island of the Phaeacians.
But then Poseidon sees him, and thinks the gods have been up to something while he was
away. He creates storms and Odysseus is buffeted by them. Leucothea sees Odysseus and
has pity on him. She tells him that while Poseidon can terrify him, he can’t kill him. She
then gives him very specific instructions about what he must do with a scarf she gives
him, and she tells him to swim for shore.
Once again, Odysseus fears a trick, so he stays with the battered raft until he no longer
can and only then does he swim. When Poseidon sends a devastating wave, Odysseus
does as bid: he strips, ties the scarf around his waist, and heads for shore with most of the
winds calmed by Athene. Odysseus first reaches a part of the shore with many coral
reefs, but then swims on to the mouth of a river into which he can dispose of the scarf as
Leucothea had told him.
He climbs to shore, finds a bed of olive bushes, puts leaves over himself as a blanket, and
falls asleep.
Book VI
The Phaeacians once lived in Hyperia, but it was too close to the Cyclops, so their king
led them away to Scheria. Their current king is Alcinous, whose daughter is Nausicaa.
Nausicaa is asleep when Athene visits her in disguise to suggest that she go down to the
river the next morning with her attendants to wash clothing and help her find a fine
husband. The next morning Nausicaa has little trouble persuading her parents to lend her
the wagon, and give her food, wine, dirty clothing to launder, and oil to work into their
bodies after their immersion.
The party goes down to the washing pool where they put the garments in the bubbling
water, stomp on them to remove dirt, and then lay them out on the pebbly beach to dry.
They eat and toss around a ball to pass time while the clothing dries.
Nausicaa is about to fold and put away the clothing when Odysseus is awakened by the
noises. He wonders where he has landed. Grabbing an olive branch to hide his private
parts, he walks out, caked in brine and looking frightful. The attendants scatter at the
sight of him, but Nausicaa remains. Odysseus speculates that she might be a goddess,
perhaps Artemis, the goddess of the hunt. He then explains that he had been at sea for 20
days, troubled by the god Poseidon, and had only just escaped from the god’s clutches
yesterday. He asks Nausicaa for some clothing and directions to town.
Nausicaa says that Zeus hands out fortunes as he sees fit. Since the stranger has reached
her land, and she is the daughter of the king, she won’t let him go without clothes. She
tells her attendants not to be afraid. The gods love Phaeacia too much to do it harm. She
tells them to bathe the stranger in the river. They give him clothing and the oil flask. He
asks them to go away so he can bathe.
Once cleansed, Odysseus looks godlike (notice the similarities between the description
here of Odysseus and of his son Telemachus earlier in the book). Nausicaa says she wants
someone like him for her husband. She tells the attendants to give him food and drink.
Then she packs up the wagon and tells Odysseus to follow behind. To prevent scandal,
she tells Odysseus to stop at a grove that is sacred to Athene. He is to wait until she has a
chance to get into the palace. Only then should he leave. He should then enter the city,
find the palace, and search for Nausicaa’s mother. The reason for this is simple: if
Nausicaa’s mother likes him, all will go well and he’ll be able to get what he needs to go
home again.
They set off, reaching the grove at dusk.
Book VII
The 7 book of the Odyssey begins with Nausicaa going to her palace while Odysseus
prays at the shrine of Athene. Nausicaa’s brothers unharness the mules and bring the
clean clothing inside. Nausicaa goes to her room, where her aged servant, originally a
war prize of her father, lights the fires.
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Dressed as a young girl, Athene offers to lead Odysseus to the palace. The goddess
shrouds him in mist so the Phaeacians won’t notice him. The Athene-girl warns that
Odysseus shouldn’t talk to anyone since the Phaeacians aren’t fond of strangers. She adds
that the Phaeacians are confident in their ships and support from Poseidon.
When they reach the palace the Athene-girl tells Odysseus to be bold and to gain the
support of Arete, the queen. If Odysseus can gain her favor, he’ll get home again.
Athene then leaves, headed towards Athens.
Odysseus goes into the palace and mention is made of the great natural abundance and
skill of the inhabitants. Odysseus approaches Arete and grabs her knees. He asks for her
help in getting back home and then sits down in the ashes by the fire until the wisest man
in the gathering, Echeneus, brings it to Alcinous’ attention that they are not being
hospitable: the stranger should be seated, and given wine and food.
Alcinous then stretches out his hand to bring Odysseus to a chair, gives him water to
wash his hands, food and drink, and makes a libation. Alcinous says that in the morning
they should meet to discuss how to send the stranger back home in safety. After the
guests leave, Arete asks Odysseus where his garments came from because since she had
made them, she recognizes them. Odysseus tells the story of being stranded at Ogygia
with Calypso and then being shipwrecked. Arriving on the Phaeacian shore, he was
without clothing until Nausicaa gave them to him.
Alcinous replies that his daughter was remiss in not bringing the stranger to the palace
right away, but Odysseus says that he had urged them to separate because there might be
suspicions if Nausicaa were seen with him.
Alcinous is pleased with Odysseus’ concern. He mentions that he wishes his daughter to
marry someone like Odysseus. Then he says he’ll find a way to send Odysseus safely on
his way. Odysseus responds with a prayer to Zeus while Arete arranges a bed for him.
When it is ready, she tells Odysseus that he should go to sleep, which Odysseus does, and
Arete goes to bed with her husband.
Book VIII
The 8 book of the Odyssey begins at dawn with Odysseus (still an unnamed stranger)
and his host Alcinous going to the Phaeacian assembly. Alcinous instructs the Phaeacians
to provide a black ship and a crew of 52. All should come to his palace for a feast with
the minstrel Demodocus singing and playing his harp.
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After the 52 get the ship fitted out, they join the palace feast with the leaders and rulers of
the Phaeacians who had been at the assembly. Demodocus, who is blind, has been seated
with his harp, bread, and wine. The gathered men eat and then the minstrel sings about a
clash between Odysseus and Achilles. Realizing he is crying, Odysseus pulls his cloak
over his face. Alcinous, who sits beside Odysseus, is the only one to notice the weeping.
Alcinous stops the minstrel and says it’s time for the athletic events, which here are a
pentathlon consisting of boxing, wrestling, broadjumping, a footrace, and discus
throwing. The handsome Euryalus wins the wrestling.
After the pentathlon, one of the king’s sons, Laodamas, who won the boxing, wants the
stranger to name the sport in which he excels. Odysseus tries to get out of it, saying he’s
too old. Euryalus insults Odysseus, saying he must have no skill and his ties to the sea are
only those of a merchant looking for gold.
Odysseus says Euryalus has been rude. He says when he was young he competed, but he
has been injured by war and the sea. Despite this, he will show up the young fool.
Odysseus takes a heavier discus than any thrown earlier and hurls it considerably further.
He says he’ll challenge anyone but Laodamas, his host, and will compete in anything
except sprinting because the sea has made his legs flabby.
Alcinous steps in and says Odysseus has been offended and clearly has the prowess he
was accused of lacking. Alcinous wants the Phaeacians to be remembered for their
feasting, dancing, clothes, warm baths, and cozy beds. He wants Odysseus to tell stories
about them when he gets home. To prove that the Phaeacians are exceptional dancers, the
minstrel is summoned. Demodocus sings first about the story of Ares and Aphrodite
caught in a net. Demodocus then plays music while Alcinous’ sons Halios and Laodamas
do a dance involving a ball.
Then Alcinous says 13 of the greatest Phaeacian lords should provide Odysseus with a
clean cloak, a tunic, and a bar of gold. In addition, Euryalus must make amends.
Everyone obeys.
Euryalus extends Odysseus a bronze sword with a silver hilt and an ivory sheath.
Odysseus accepts it graciously. Then Arete orders a bath prepared for Odysseus and
arranges for the tunics and other gifts to be put in a fine chest. She warns Odysseus that
he should secure it against thieves on the sea journey home.
Nausicaa asks Odysseus to be sure to remember her, which he says he will do.
Another feast begins and this time, Odysseus cuts a large hunk of meat to present to the
minstrel, whom Odysseus praises and asks to sing about the Trojan horse. Demodocus
obliges and Odysseus winds up crying under his cloak again.
Alcinous orders Demodocus to stop because it seems to be displeasing to Odysseus. He
then tells Odysseus that they’ve treated him, a suppliant, well. Now it’s his turn to
reciprocate.
Book IX
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The 9 book of the Odyssey begins with Odysseus answering Alcinous’ question about
his identity. Odysseus then starts the saga of his adventures since leaving Troy.
Cicones
The first hurdle comes when the Greeks in Odysseus’ company plunder the land of the
Cicones and then decide they want more. By dawdling, they allow time for armed men to
arrive and kill a number of Odysseus’ men.
Lotus-Eaters
The survivors go to the land of the Lotus-Eaters. The lotus is a powerful plant with
narcotic properties that makes those of Odysseus’ men who eat it not want to leave the
island. Ordering the rest of the men not to touch it, Odysseus binds those who have
already eaten it and sails off.
Goat Island
The third stop is sometimes called Goat Island and is very near the Cyclops’ island. The
Greeks dine on wild goats and wine from the Cicones’ plunder.
Polyphemus
The next day, Odysseus takes 12 of his crew to the nearby island of the Cyclops, carrying
some special wine as a gift. When they arrive the Cyclopes are pasturing their sheep. The
Greeks enter a cave where there are cheeses and lambs the Greeks want to steal.
Odysseus wants them to wait to meet the Cyclops. They light a fire, burn an offering, and
wait until the Cyclops returns. When he comes in with his animals, he pulls an enormous
stone slab against the opening to form a door Odysseus and all his men would be unable
to move. The Cyclops asks the strangers who they are. Odysseus answers that they are
Greeks from Troy and that they want his help.
The Cyclops replies that he doesn’t care what Zeus says about helping strangers and
picks up two of Odysseus’ companions for his dinner. After the Cyclops goes to sleep,
Odysseus begins to plot how to save their lives and get out of the cave.
The next morning, the Cyclops eats another two men and leaves the cave with his flock,
pulling closed the stone slab door. Odysseus and his men cut off a length of an olive tree
and form it into a pointed spike. When the weapon is completed, they hide it among the
piles of dung.
When the Cyclops returns, he eats two more men. Odysseus offers him his special wine,
which the Cyclops accepts and then promises to eat Odysseus last as an exchange gift. He
also asks for Odysseus’ name, which Odysseus gives as “Metis” or “no one.” The
Cyclops falls asleep drunk.
The Greeks char the point of the spike in the fire and then the men ram it into the
Cyclops’ eye until it pops out. The Cyclops roars and calls for his brothers. When they
come near, they ask him, Polyphemus, what happened. Polyphemus says that “no one”
has hurt him. The other Cyclopes say he must deal with the gods, then, and leave.
Just because Polyphemus is injured does not mean he can ignore the needs of his flock,
so the next day he lets them out, feeling the fleece on each as it passes. In this way he
would have detected the Greeks if they had walked out, but Odysseus had tied them to
the bellies of sheep. After they get out undetected, they hurry off with the sheep.
Odysseus shouts taunts at Polyphemus, who hurls a hilltop in his direction. The Greeks
race away and urge Odysseus not to incite the giant, but Odysseus doesn’t listen and tells
the Cyclops his name.
The Cyclops makes a prayer to his father to keep Odysseus from reaching his home and
to make him lose all his companions.
Odysseus burns a ram as an offering to Zeus and the Greeks leave the next morning.
Book X
In Book X, Odysseus continues his tale for the Phaeacians: His crew next sails to the
island of Aeolia where Aeolus lives. They stay a month so Odysseus can tell the tales of
Troy and the returns of the Achaean leaders. Odysseus then asks permission to leave and
for provisions, which Aeolus generously provides. He includes a bag of the winds tightly
sealed so Odysseus can release them as needed. Odysseus and his men set sail. On the
10th day, they spot Ithaca. Then Odysseus falls asleep. While he sleeps some of his men
discuss the likelihood that Odysseus’ special bag contains gold and silver he is keeping
from his men, so they open the bag, releasing all the winds.
Storm-tossed, they are blown back to Aeolia. Aeolus refuses to help again. Instead, he
orders them off the island because they are cursed by the gods.
They row for a week until they reach Telepylus in the land of Laestrygonians (cannibals
ruled by Antiphates). All the ships except for Odysseus’ moor together in a harbor. Three
men land. The Laestrygonian king eats one of the scouts. The other Greeks run for the
ships. The Laestrygonians smash the 11 ships that are in the harbor so they can feed on
the men. Odysseus orders the men on his ship, which is only safe for the moment, to row.
They next land on Aeaea, Circe’s island. They rest a couple of days and then Odysseus
scouts the island for signs of human habitation. When he finds it, he returns to the ship.
He feeds and revives the men on a stag he has found and shot. He and Eurylochus split
the men between them and draw lots to see which half will go. Eurylochus gets the nod.
Eurylochus and his 22 men are worried after the Laestrygonians and don’t really want to
go, but do so, anyway.
They see wild animals that should, but don’t attack, and they hear Circe’s singing, so
Polites urges that they should go towards it since it sounds like the voice of a goddess.
Eurylochus fears a trap and doesn’t go in with the other men. Circe wines and dines them
on drugged matter and then turns them into swine and puts them in a sty.
Eurylochus runs to the ship to report what happened.
Odysseys heads to Circe to see what he can do. Before arriving, he runs into Hermes,
who warns him that he needs a special flower for protection. He gives further specific
instructions: When Circe starts to chase him outside, he is to draw his blade. When she
offers to have sex with him, he is not to accept until he has exacted a binding oath not to
trick him. He must then have sex. He gives Odysseus the magical flower and disappears.
Circe offers Odysseus drugged wine, which he drinks with impunity. She then tries to
shuffle him off to the sty, but he draws the blade against her throat. She wants to know
who he is and why he’s not sluggish. She figures he is Odysseus and asks him to make
love.
Odysseus says he won’t unless she swears a binding oath, which she does. After the sex,
Circe’s nymphs bathe and feed Odysseus, but he doesn’t seem to enjoy it. Circe wonders
why he still distrusts her.
Odysseus says that he puts his men first and he wants them to be freed. Circe obliges.
Then all the men are summoned to her home. Circe wants Odysseus to stay and the men
are willing, so they stay a year.
One of the men makes Odysseus think about moving on. Odysseus asks Circe for help,
which she grants, but tells him he’ll never reach home if he doesn’t first go to the
Underworld, and talk with Tiresias. He must make appropriate libations and sacrifice,
and for this Circe supplies the required black ewe and ram. Before the men leave, one of
the men, Elpenor, climbs to the roof and falls off.
Book XI
In the 11th book of the Odyssey, Odysseus tells the Phaeacians about going to the
Underworld to hear the prophesy of Tiresias. Circe had told him to make a sacrificial
offering, which he does when he reaches the place where the sun never shines and has
finished pouring libations. The first shade he sees is Elpenor who explains that he was
drunk and fell of the roof on Circe’s island. He needs to have his funeral rites performed.
Odysseus promises to do so.
Only after tasting the blood can Tiresias truthfully reveal what Odysseus must do. He
tells Odysseus that when they reach the land of the sun god Helios’ cattle, they must not
raid them, for if they do, Odysseus will lose all his companions. He predicts other events
all the way to the relatively peaceful death Odysseus will face in old age. Tiresias then
explains that Odysseus can talk to the others in the Underworld if they stand in the blood.
The shade of Odysseus’ mother, Anticleia, tells her son that she pined away for him and
his father isn’t doing very well, either. Odysseus sees many of the famous women of
ancient Greece.
He then says it’s time for sleep, but Alcinous wants to hear more. Odysseus tells
Alcinous that he’s happy to stay a year if that is needed to make sure Odysseus is wellprovisioned, for he will be better received in Ithaca if he comes with rich booty.
Odysseus talks with the shade of Agamemnon, which tells him about the betrayal by
Aegisthus and his wife Clytaemnestra and warns generally against the wiles of women.
Agamemnon inquires about his son, but Odysseus has no news.
Then he sees Achilles’ shade, which tells him it’s better to be a farm hand alive than lord
of the shades in the Underworld. Achilles also wants to hear about his son and Odysseus
has good news for him about his bravery in the horse made by Epeius and in debate.
Odysseus tries to talk with the shade of Ajax, but it refuses. He sees the shades of many
others , including Hercules, whose body is with the gods, the golden-sceptered judge
Minos, and the tortured shades of Tantalus, Sisyphus, and Tityus. When a crowd of
shades gathers round, Odysseus flees for the ship.
Book XII
The men return to the island of Circe where they bury Elpenor’s body with an oar
sticking out of the grave. Circe feeds the men and then lies down with Odysseus. She
warns him of the dangers he will face.
First there will be the Sirens who lure men. He should put wax in his men’s ears and if he
wants to listen, he should have the men bind him to a mast until they have sailed past the
Sirens.
He will then face dangerous rocks that the waves push ships against.
First are the Planctae. Not even doves flying can get past them. Only the Argo has
successfully passed them, and that only with the help of Hera.
Then there are two facing cliffs. One is very high and sheer as ice. There is a cave in the
middle of it where Scylla lives and howls. Scylla has 3 rows of teeth in each of her 6
heads. She sticks her heads out in order to fish. No ship passes without losing men to
each of her heads.
The other cliff is shorter, with a fig tree under which lives Charybdis. Charybdis, worse
than a storm god, swallows so much water the land is revealed. She does this three times
a day and three times a day she throws it up.
Circe says Odysseus should stay close to Scylla because then he will lose only 6 men.
Odysseus asks if there isn’t some way to avoid losing the men. Circe advises him that
Scylla is an immortal evil. If he tries to attack, she’ll take the time to eat another six men.
Next, Odysseus will reach the island of Thrinacie where the cattle and sheep of the sun
god, Helios (or Hyperion), pasture. If Odysseus and his men leave them unharmed they
will reach Ithaca. Otherwise, they may all die, or Odysseus alone will survive and return
home but at a great delay.
At dawn Odysseus and his men board their ship. Circe sends a favorable wind.
When they approach the Sirens, wax is inserted in the companions’ ears and Odysseus is
tied to the mast, as Circe recommended.
Odysseus had warned the men about the Sirens, but didn’t tell them about Scylla and
Charybdis. It wouldn’t have made any difference. As predicted, 6 men are snatched as
they go by. They next approach the island of the cattle of Helios. Odysseus remembers
the warnings of Tiresias and Circe to avoid the island. The men are upset when he tells
them they should keep going. Eurylochus speaks up angrily. He says Odysseus may have
superhuman strength, but not the rest of them. They need to rest. The other men agree.
Odysseus says that it is okay to sleep and eat there, but only the food Circe has
provisioned them with. The men agree.
They land, find good water, eat, and then mourn for their 6 recently lost comrades. The
next morning Odysseus gathers the men and reminds them there is food on the ship, and
that the cattle on the island belong to a god. The men agree not to eat the cattle. The
winds are wrong and they are stuck on the island for a month, during which time they eat
all the food they have with them. The men hunt for fowl and fish. Odysseus goes inland
to pray for guidance and falls asleep. Eurylochus, back with the comrades, says the worst
kind of death is starvation. They should find the best cattle and make a sacrifice of them
to the gods and make an oath to build a temple to Helios in Ithaca. The men agree, pick
the best cattle, and pray to the gods. They slaughter and skin the animals. They roast the
animals.
Odysseus wakes up and smells the burning fat. He cries out at Zeus for having lulled him
to sleep. Helios is furious and tells the gods to make the comrades of Odysseus pay or
else he won’t shine. Zeus says he'll strike the ship with lightning.
Odysseus reproaches his companions. There are portents - crawling hides and mooing
flesh. A week later, the wind is finally right and they set sail. They run into a storm and
the man who steers is killed. Then Zeus sends a thunderbolt. All are tossed out of the
ship. Odysseus binds together the mast and keel with the oxhide of the backstay and sits
on it. The south wind returns carrying him back to Scylla and Charybdis. Odysseus grabs
hold of the fig tree while Charybdis swallows and then regurgitates his mast and keel.
Odysseus drops down on them and rows through with his hands. He is carried for 9 days
and on the tenth night reaches Ogygia, home of the goddess Calypso.
Book XIV
Odysseus (disguised as a ragged, old beggar) finds his swineherd, Eumaeus, who has just
sent off a boar to the suitors. Eumaeus asks the stranger to eat, saying every beggar
comes from Zeus, and slaughters two small pigs, which he mixes with barley and serves
with honeyed wine. After eating, the beggar asks Eumaeus questions about his master.
Eumaeus is convinced Odysseus is dead. The beggar says he wants a reward of nice
clothing in return for his good news that Odysseus is returning.
Eumaeus tells the Odysseus-beggar that Telemachus grew up well, but then became
imbalanced by a god and has set off to Pylos to find word of his father. Telemachus
doesn’t know the suitors are lying in ambush. Then Eumaeus asks for the beggar’s story.
The Odysseus-beggar tells him it could take a year to tell and then begins. He is the son
of a rich man and comes from Crete. His mother was a concubine and when his father
died, the sons of the legal wife gave him a pittance, or a small amount of money. He won
a wealthy wife, sailed, and fought in wars. Before Troy, he had led 9 raids and taken the
lion’s share of the spoils. When the Trojan expedition was underway, he and Idomeneus
were asked to head a fleet. After the war, he went home, where he stayed only a month
before heading to Egypt. His men plundered and ravaged the Egyptian countryside, but
then the Egyptians retaliated. He flung off his helmet and spear and ran to the Egyptian
king, who pitied him and lifted him into the war car. He stayed there for 7 years amassing
a fortune. Then a Phoenician came who tricked him into traveling with him. The
Phoenician planned to sell him, but a storm destroyed the ship. A mast saved the beggar.
He wound up in Thesprotia, where its king treated him well and told him about Odysseus,
whose wealth he had stowed. Then the beggar went to Dodona to hear the will of Zeus.
His crew then took his clothing and left him tied up in a boat along the shore of Ithaca.
The crew had gone to find food. The beggar managed to get out of the ropes and went
ashore where he found Eumaeus.
Eumaeus is moved by all the misery the Odysseus-beggar suffered; however, he doesn’t
believe him about Odysseus. Eumaeus tells about the last person, an Aetolian, who talked
about Odysseus’ survival. He won’t respect the beggar for his lie, but for fear of Zeus.
The Odysseus-beggar says Eumaeus is too suspicious and asks him to make a deal. If
he’s lying, Eumaeus can push him off a cliff, but otherwise, he must promise to dress him
well.
Eumaeus says he’ll be ill-thought of if he throws the beggar off the cliff. He then calls for
a fattened hog for them to enjoy, makes offerings to the gods, and after serving the gods,
gives the most honored part to the beggar. After feasting, they go to bed.
It had been raining and it is cold. The Odysseus-beggar wants a cloak, so he tells a story
about scheming to get a cloak and he asks Eumaeus for one. Eumaeus tells him he’ll have
it for the night, but they don’t have any extras. He’ll have to wait until Telemachus
returns.
Eumaeus puts skins on the bed and throws his cloak over the Odysseus-beggar. He then
dresses himself warmly, with sword, cloak, cape, and lance, and goes outside to sleep
under a crag near his pigs.
Book XV
In the 15th book of the Odyssey, Athene goes to Telemachus to urge him to leave. She
tells him that he must protect his inheritance from the ravages of the suitors.
The next morning, Telemachus wants to take off immediately, but his companion,
Peisistratus, tells him to ask permission of his host. So Telemachus asks Menelaus for
permission to leave. Menelaus says moderation is best and a host should be neither overly
fond of nor rude to his guest. He asks Telemachus to wait until he can load him up with
suitable gifts. He also says they’ll feed him first and if he wants a tour of the
Peloponnese, they will happily provide him with one. At each stop he can expect a
valuable gift. Telemachus says he wants to return to protect his property.
Menelaus goes to the treasure room with his wife and his son Megapenthes. Megapenthes
brings back a silver mixing bowl made by Hephaestus out of silver, Menelaus, a double
cup, and Helen, a dress she had made and embroidered to be worn by Telemachus’ bride.
After the gifts are stowed in the chariot, they dine. First they are handed a basin to wash
and then given bread, meat, and wine. When they have eaten enough, Telemachus and
Peisistratus yoke the horses and Menelaus brings a goblet for a drink offering before they
depart. He asks them to tell Nestor how well he treated them. They assure him they will.
An eagle with a goose in its talons comes on the scene and is read by Helen as an omen
for good: that Odysseus will take care of the suitors. Telemachus says that if she’s right,
he will make vows to Helen as if she were a god. Then the two young men set off and
ride all day until dusk when they reach Pherae, where Diocles lives. They spend the night
hospitably and leave at dawn, soon reaching Pylos.
Telemachus asks Peisistratus not to make him go to Nestor’s palace because he’s anxious
to get home. Peisistratus helps him load the ship and tells him to hurry off because if
Nestor learns he is there, he will insist that Telemachus be his guest. He knows Nestor
will be angry. As Telemachus is getting ready and making an offering to Athene, an
exiled seer from Argos, Theoclymenus, approaches and asks to be allowed to join him.
Telemachus agrees and says he will treat him hospitably. They set sail and Athene adds
favoring winds.
Soon, Telemachus begins to worry about the suitors’ ambush. At this juncture, the story
switches to Odysseus and Eumaeus, the swineherd. Odysseus is testing Eumaeus. He tells
him he wants to go to town to start begging and wants to give Penelope his news of her
husband and find out if any of the suitors will give him food. He says he would make a
great servant for them.
Eumaeus says he will be destroyed if he goes to the suitors, who would disdain a man
like him for a servant. Eumaeus says the Odysseus-beggar should stay with him until
Telemachus comes home and then Telemachus will first give him a shirt and cloak and
then send him wherever he wants to go.
Odysseus thanks Eumaeus and says since he’s staying he would like to learn more about
Odysseus’ parents.
Eumaeus says that Odysseus’ father, Laertes, is still alive, but wants to die out of despair
about his son and the death of his wife. Odysseus’ mother died as a result of her constant
grieving for her lost son, namely Odysseus himself. When Eumaeus was young, she had
raised him and her daughter, Ctimene, together. When Ctimene grew up, she was married
off and Eumaeus was given a good shirt, cloak, and sandals, and sent to the country.
Odysseus asks how Eumaeus came to be in Ithaca.
Eumaeus says that since the nights are at their longest, there is plenty of time for talk and
too much sleep is just as bad as too little, so he will tell him the long story. His father,
Ctesius, was king of Syrie and Ortygie. There Phoenician traders came and seduced one
of his father’s servants, Eumaeus’ nurse, a Phoenician woman who had been seized in her
homeland of Sidon by Taphian pirates and sold to Ctesius. The Phoenicians offer to take
her home. She agrees and takes the young Eumaeus with her to be sold. He was brought
to Ithaca and sold to Laertes.
Odysseus responds that the gods have given him both good and bad since he had a good
master. Then they sleep.
Meanwhile, Telemachus lands. The crew eats and drinks, then Telemachus tells them to
take the ship to town while he goes to look after one of his herdsmen. The next day he
will join them in town and reward them. Theoclymenus asks what is to become of him.
He tells him to go to a good man, one of the suitors, Eurymachus, the son of Polybus.
Another bird comes and Theoclymenus tells him it is an omen that Telemachus will
remain powerful. Telemachus says that if he’s right, he will show him good will and give
him many gifts.
Telemachus then asks Peiraeus, son of Clytius, to take the seer home with him
temporarily until he can come for him. Peiraeus assures Telemachus that Theoclymenus
will not want for hospitality at his home. Telemachus puts on his sandals and grabs his
spear as he heads for Eumaeus’ home.
Book XVI
In the 16 book of the Odyssey, Telemachus comes to the swineherd’s lodge, where
Eumaeus gives him a father’s welcome and whines that Telemachus seems to prefer the
suitors to him.
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Telemachus says he has come for word of his mother, enters the lodge, and rejects the
Odysseus-beggar’s offer of a seat. Instead, he takes a seat that Eumaeus prepares for him.
They then eat leftover meat, bread and wine. Only then does Telemachus ask where the
stranger comes from.
Eumaeus says the stranger comes from Crete and claims to have drifted, coming most
recently from a Thesprotian ship. Eumaeus adds that the beggar is counting on
Telemachus for care and shelter.
Telemachus says he can't offer lodging, but he’ll give a shirt, cloak, sword, and sandals.
If Eumaeus is willing to keep him, Telemachus will also send rations of food. He then
explains that the beggar shouldn’t come to the palace because the suitors will be too
abusive.
The beggar-Odysseus says it’s painful to hear about the suitors and wonders why it goes
on. If he were younger, he’d do something about it.
Telemachus says he’s right, but there are no brothers or cousins to help. He tells Eumaeus
to tell his mother that he is safely home, but not to let anyone else know because the
suitors are plotting his death. When Eumaeus asks about telling Laertes, Telemachus says
he should ask Penelope to send her housekeeper secretly. Eumaeus then goes off to do as
he has been told.
Athene appears and transforms Odysseus to his old self and tells him to tell Telemachus
who he is. Telemachus takes some persuading because the sudden shape-shifting makes
him think Odysseus, whom he hasn’t seen since he was a baby, is a god or spirit.
Odysseus tells him his appearance is Athene’s doing. He then tells the true story of his
return with the help of the Phaeacians and lets Telemachus know that there are lots of
glittering gifts hidden in a cave.
The two men discuss how to get at the suitors. Telemachus tells his father that there are
too many suitors for the two of them to fight. From Dulichium alone there are 52.
Odysseus says Zeus and Athene will help. He warns his son not to do anything no matter
how the suitors abuse him in his beggar-form. Athene will give him a sign and then he
will nod to Telemachus to take all the weapons away save two, one for each of them.
When the suitors ask what is happening, Telemachus is to say that since they’re drinking,
he fears a quarrel will start and with the weapons present, bloodshed will follow.
Odysseus warns his son not to let anyone know he has returned. They agree on the need
to test the serving women for fidelity.
While Telemachus and Odysseus conspire, the ship Telemachus landed on goes to the
main Ithacan harbor and sends a messenger to Penelope to tell her that her son is home
safe and sound. The messenger runs into Eumaeus on a similar mission. The messenger
announces the homecoming to all, while Eumaeus whispers his secret message.
The suitors are disappointed that their ambush failed and are about to send someone to
tell the other suitors—the ones who were waiting to kill Telemachus—to return, but
they’re already there. Antinous complains that the gods must have saved Telemachus. He
believes the suitors should leave the palace and kill Telemachus outside of town.
Penelope should keep the palace and give it to the man she chooses to marry picked on
the basis of gifts they send her. Amphinomus of Dulichium, who most pleases Penelope
of all the suitors, says he doesn’t want to kill Telemachus unless Zeus approves.
The suitors then enter the palace. Penelope, who has heard the plot to kill Telemachus,
screams at Antinous. She reminds him his father came to Ithaca as a fugitive and
Odysseus protected him.
Eurymachus tries to calm her by telling her no one would strike Telemachus while he’s
there. Penelope goes to her room to weep.
Eumaeus goes home, where he finds Odysseus looking like a beggar again and where the
Odysseus-beggar and Telemachus are cooking dinner that includes a yearling pig.
Book XIX
In the 19 Book of the Odyssey, Odysseus, still disguised as a grubby beggar, tells
Telemachus they must stow away his weapons so the suitors can’t use them. Telemachus
is to say they’re getting smoke-damaged and he is afraid the suitors will start hurting
themselves with them when they have had too much to drink.
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Telemachus tells Eurycleia to keep the women away while he and the beggar move the
weapons. After the Odysseus-beggar and his son put Odysseus’ weapons away,
Telemachus goes to sleep, but Odysseus stays in the hall. Penelope comes down and sits
by the fire while her maids clear away the dishes and food. Melantho scolds the
Odysseus-beggar again and tells him to get outside. The Odysseus-beggar scolds and
warns her Odysseus will be back.
Penelope joins the reprimand, reminding Melantho that she had asked to speak with him.
Eurynome brings a comfortable chair for the Odysseus-beggar. Penelope asks who the
stranger is and where he comes from.
The Odysseus-beggar tries not to answer. Penelope then tells of what has happened to
her. She is trying to save herself for Odysseus, but all around people are pressing
marriage. Following divine inspiration, she set up a loom to make a shroud for Laertes,
Odysseus’ father. For three years she worked on it, unweaving by night what she wove
by day. Then one of her slaves betrayed her and the suitors caught her. Then she had to
finish it. Now she can’t avoid marriage any longer. When she finishes she again asks
Odysseus to tell where he’s from.
The Odysseus-beggar says he comes from Crete and is the son of Deucalion, brother of
Idomeneus. When Odysseus came to Crete, he gave him gifts before he headed for Troy.
Penelope then tests the beggar. She asks what kind of clothing Odysseus wore. The
Odysseus-beggar answers, naming a brooch Penelope had put on him the day he left. He
also describes Eurybates, Odysseus’ herald. Penelope is deeply moved and after crying a
bit, tells the Odysseus-beggar that she gave Odysseus the named articles of apparel.
The Odysseus-beggar says he knows about the return of Odysseus. He says Odysseus is
now in the land of the Thesprotians. He lost his companions and ship en route from
Thrinacia because his comrades killed the cattle of Helios. Odysseus was thrown to the
land of the Phaeacians. Odysseus went to Dodona to hear the prophecy of Zeus about
whether he should go to Ithaca. The Odysseus-beggar then swears by Zeus that Odysseus
will return within the year. Penelope says that if what he says is true, he will receive
many gifts, but she’s suspicious. She asks for a maid to wash the Odysseus-beggar and
then put him to bed. In the morning she wants them to bathe and oil him, so he’s fit to sit
at breakfast.
The Odysseus-beggar says he'll only let an old woman wash him. Penelope thinks that’s a
good idea and says Eurycleia can do it. Eurycleia thinks it’s a good idea, too, to avoid the
abuse the other maids might make him endure. She also thinks he must be very like
Odysseus. The Odysseus-beggar agrees that others, too, have thought he and Odysseus
were very much alike.
Odysseus turns himself so he is in the shadow because he realizes Eurycleia would
recognize his scar. He received the scar from a pig when he went to visit his grandfather
Autolycus. Eurycleia feels the scar and drops Odysseus’ leg. It falls, knocking over the
basin. Eurycleia tries to tell Penelope her long-awaited husband has returned, but can’t
make her hear her.
Odysseus grabs her and tells her she’ll destroy him if she tells anyone he’s back.
Odysseus threatens her. Eurycleia assures him that she is loyal and if he can do in the
suitors, she will tell him which maids were loyal and which were not. Odysseus says it’s
not necessary. He’ll see for himself. Then the woman goes to get fresh water to replace
the spilled water. She washes and anoints Odysseus.
Penelope says she is still torn between trying to keep the property for Telemachus and
going with one of the suitors. She asks the beggar to interpret a dream she has had of 20
geese eating food until an eagle flies down from a mountain and breaks their necks. The
eagle says he’s her husband and he will let loose shameful doom on the suitors.
The Odysseus beggar replies that it is as it appears, and Odysseus will destroy the suitors.
Penelope says that dreams are slippery since they come from two places, the gate of
polished horn and the gate of ivory. The ivory dreams deceive. She doesn’t think her
dream comes from the polished horn or truth side. Penelope says she’ll do something to
decide her own fate. She'll establish a contest for the suitors to do as well as her husband
used to do when he shot an arrow through 12 axes. Whoever can most easily string the
bow Odysseus used for the feat will be her husband. Odysseus tells her to go for it
because Odysseus will be there.
Book XX
Odysseus lies down to sleep with a cloak thrown over him by Eurynome, but he has
trouble sleeping because he can’t stop thinking about killing the suitors. Then he hears
the women who have been consorting with the suitors and their laughter makes him
angry. Athene appears to talk with him. Odysseus says that he’s worried that even if he
should kill the suitors their families will want revenge. Athene tells him not to worry.
Odysseus manages to go to sleep, but then Penelope wakes up and starts to cry. She calls
on Artemis. She thinks Artemis could kill her so she could go to the Underworld to see
Odysseus. This would be better than marrying a worse man than Odysseus or spending
her days crying and her nights with hauntingly bad dreams.
Odysseus wakes up and hears his wife weeping. He prays to Zeus for signs, one from
within and one from outside.
Odysseus receives one in the form of a thunderclap and another from a serving woman
praying to Zeus that this might be the last day she has to grind enough wheat for the
suitors. Odysseus interprets the signs to mean he should avenge himself on the suitors.
The maids set about fixing the fire. Telemachus gets up and puts on his full array. He
asks Eurycleia if the Odysseus-beggar was well-tended because his mother tends to pay
attention to second-rate people and ignore those of the better sort.
Eurycleia says Telemachus has no reason to fault her. She then tells the maids to clean
the house or fetch water for a feast day. Men come in with firewood, the swineherd
brings pigs, and the goatherd and two shepherds bring goats. Melanthius complains that
the Odysseus-beggar is still there. Philoetius comes with more animals. He asks Eumaeus
about the stranger and then talks politely with Odysseus. Philoetius wishes the suitors
gone and when the stranger says Odysseus will be there soon and kill them, Philoetius
says Odysseus can count on his help.
The suitors contrive a new plot to kill Telemachus when an eagle with a dove in its talons
flies by. The suitor Amphinomus says they should stop and go to dinner, which they do.
They sacrifice sheep, goats, pigs, and a heifer; they mix wine, pass around bread, and eat.
Telemachus seats Odysseus alone and warns the suitors to keep their hands and tongues
to themselves.
Athene prompts the suitors to continue their insolence in order to rile up Odysseus
further. One of them, Ctesippus of Same throws a heifer’s foot at the Odysseus-beggar,
but he ducks. Telemachus says it’s a good thing he missed because otherwise he would
have killed him.
Agelaus tells Telemachus he should talk with his mother and persuade her to marry one
of them. Telemachus says he encourages just that, but he will not force her away.
The suitors start laughing. Theoclymenus says there is a gloom all around them, a
comment for which Eurymachus suggests he be thrown out. Theoclymenus says he has
his own feet and can get out alone, but none of the suitors will be so lucky.
Theoclymenus goes back to Peiraeus. The suitors continue to provoke Telemachus,
telling him to ship off the strangers. Penelope comes down for the meal.
Book XXI
Book XXI is the book of the bow. It begins with Penelope setting out the axes and bow of
Odysseus to test the skill of the suitors. Penelope tells the suitors she will be the bride of
the man who can string the bow with the greatest ease and shoot an arrow all the way
through the 12 axes in a row.
Eumaeus and the cowherd cry, which leads the suitor Antinous to make fun of them. He
says the task will not be easy.
Telemachus enters and says the games should begin. He sets up the axes and then tries to
string the bow three times before Odysseus signals him to stop.
The first suitor to try is Leodes, a seer. After he fails, he returns to his seat and says the
bow will rob even the best of them of their life and breath. These words make Antinous
unhappy. He orders Melanthius to bring in grease to rub on the bow.
Eumaeus and the cowherd go outside to meet with the Odysseus-beggar. He asks them
how far they would go to help Odysseus. When they proclaim their devotion to the death,
he reveals his true identity. He promises them much if they succeed in destroying the
suitors. They all embrace. Odysseus then gives them instructions which include bringing
him the weapon even though the suitors forbid it. They are to instruct the serving women
to stay inside despite the sounds they hear, and the gate of the courtyard is to be locked.
The suitor Eurymachus tries heating the bow, but still can’t flex it. Antinous says it’s a
feast day for the archer god Apollo so they shouldn’t be flexing the bow today. They
should wait until morning.
Odysseus says since they aren’t going to shoot, he would like to try the bow today.
Antinous warns him against taking on younger men. Penelope says the stranger is the
guest of Telemachus and would never consider taking her away as his bride. Eurymachus
says it would be disgraceful for it to appear as though a king’s wife is being courted by
riffraff.
Telemachus sends his mother back to her weaving. She is astonished, but leaves.
Eumaeus takes the bow to Odysseus while the suitors try to stop him verbally. When
Eumaeus halts, Telemachus says Eumaeus is serving too many masters, which amuses
the suitors. Eumaeus then delivers the bow to Odysseus. He takes care of the earlier
instruction about the serving women while the cowherd locks the courtyard gate. They
return to the hall.
Odysseus examines the bow, looking for signs of deterioration, which leads to ridicule
from the suitors. Odysseus strings the bow with ease and tests the pitch of the string.
After a thunder clap (which serves as a sign from Zeus), Odysseus draws an arrow and
shoots. It flies through all 12 axes. Odysseus then tells Telemachus it is time for a feast.
Book XXII
Odysseus leaps out of his rags and begins to shoot arrows at the suitors. He hits Antinous
under the chin as he lifts a cup. The suitors look around for arms but cannot find any
weapons. They yell and Odysseus tells them that it is over. They are all dumbfounded.
Only Eurymachus speaks and tells Odysseus that everything that was wrong was the fault
of Antinous, so Odysseus has had his revenge. Odysseus tells him that he will have to
fight his way out. Eurymachus tries to rally the suitors as he draws his sword to go after
Odysseus, but Odysseus hits him in the liver. Amphinomus rushes Odysseus but
Telemachus hits him in the back with a spear. He leaves the spear in the body and yells to
his father, telling him he will get them weapons.
Telemachus returns with shields and armor and arms the two men while Odysseus picks
off suitors with his bow. The suitors see a window in the wall and try to get into it to go
get help. Melanthius tells them that it is too narrow but he will scale the wall and bring
back weapons. When Odysseus sees armed men, he knows there has been treachery.
Telemachus tells him that he forgot to lock the storeroom door as they see Melanthius
return with another load of weapons. Odysseus sends Eumaeus and Philoetius to stop
him. In the storeroom, they tie him to the ceiling beam. Eumaeus tells him that he will be
up there until dawn. They close the door and go to join Odysseus, who is fighting forty
men.
Athene enters in the form of Mentor, but Odysseus guesses that it is her. One of the
suitors, Agelaus, cries out to Mentor, telling him that Odysseus is in the wrong and he
should fight with them. Athene tells Odysseus that he is not fighting smart enough.
Agelaus rallies the suitors and gets six of them to throw spears at Odysseus at the same
time. They miss and Odysseus and his companions fling their spears, killing four suitors.
They reclaim their spears and each kills again. Odysseus kills Agelaus and Telemachus
hits another. Athene begins to make the suitors scatter like cattle.
One suitor, Leodes, clings to Odysseus’ knees and asks for forgiveness. Odysseus replies
that if he was the diviner of the crowd he should have foreseen this revenge. He kills him
by chopping off his head. Then Phemius clings to Odysseus’ knees and tells him he was
forced to serve the suitors. Telemachus calls across the carnage and tells his father to
spare the minstrel. He also tells him to spare their herald. The herald hears this and
scrambles to his feet from his hiding place. Odysseus tells him it is all right and that he
should go outside. He looks over the dead bodies as his fury subsides.
Odysseus tells Telemachus to get Eurycleia. She sees Odysseus covered in blood and
gore and begins to cry. He tells her to have courage and asks her who of the women are
innocent. She says of the fifty there are twelve who are corrupt. She tells him to go to
Penelope, but he says it is not yet time. He tells Telemachus to have the servants clean up
the dead bodies and the blood. When it is clean he brings out the treacherous girls and
hangs them one by one in the courtyard. Then Melanthius is brought out. His nose and
ears are ripped off and they tear his genitals off for the dogs. Odysseus wants the house
cleansed of the bloodshed and Eurycleia tells him to put on a clean tunic. He tells her that
he will when the palace has been cleansed with brimstone smoke.
Book XXIII
The nurse goes upstairs excited by the news of Odysseus’ return and she wakes Penelope,
telling her that her husband has returned. Penelope tells her not to play tricks on her and
Eurycleia is surprised that Penelope would joke about such a thing. She tells her that the
old beggar was Odysseus and he killed all the suitors. She tells her that the corpses were
piled up at the gate and that the house has been cleansed.
Penelope warns her not to lose herself in happiness because it was the gods who struck
down the suitors and Odysseus hasn’t come. Eurycleia tells her that she saw his scar the
night before and knew it was him, but Penelope still thinks they are being tricked by the
immortals. She goes downstairs, unsure what she will find, and sees a man leaning
against a pillar at whom she gazes for a while.
Telemachus calls to her and asks her why she is being so cruel and avoiding her husband.
Penelope tells him that she is stunned but will seek secret signs. Odysseus smiles and tells
Telemachus to be at peace because they might be in trouble for killing citizens.
Telemachus tries to say that it doesn’t matter because they can stand together. Odysseus
thinks that everyone should dress well and they should act like there is a feast so that no
one will hear of the deaths for the time being. They do this and everyone in the town
thinks that Penelope has finally gotten married. Meanwhile, Eurynome bathes Odysseus.
He goes to his wife and tells her that the immortals have made her hard. He asks for
Eurycleia to make him a bed on the floor.
Penelope remains aloof because she still isn’t sure it is him and she tells Eurycleia to
make the bed outside her bedroom. Odysseus becomes enraged that his olive bed has
been moved from the bedroom. When Penelope hears him describe how he built it, she
bursts into tears and runs to him, asking him not to be mad at her. She asks him to forgive
her because she had to be on guard for so many years. He begins to weep and would have
wept until dawn if Athene did not slow the night.
Odysseus tells his wife that there is one more trial foretold by Tiresias. She asks him
what the trial is and he at first says he wants to sleep but explains that he must go to a
land where they have never heard of the sea and sacrifice to Poseidon. They stop talking
and make love after the maids have left the room. Telemachus quiets the dancing
downstairs.
Afterwards, Odysseus recounts his journeys from island to island and his lost men as well
as the nymphs who loved him. While they talk and sleep, Athene takes care of everything
else. When they wake, Odysseus tells her that their life has started again. He tells her to
watch over the house because he is going to go see his father. He is worried that word
will reach the town that all the suitors are dead. He goes off with his son and the
herdsmen.
Book XXIV
While they leave for the house of Laertes, Hermes takes the souls of the fallen suitors
down to the underworld to join the rest of the dead. They meet the ghosts of Achilles,
Ajax, and Agamemnon. Achilles speaks to Agamemnon, and pities his death at home,
instead of in battle where he should have died. Agamemnon agrees with him and
describes the elaborate funeral games that were held after Achilles fell. His mother
presented them with extravagant prizes. His body was burned and his bones interred in an
amphora with Patroclus, his fallen comrade.
As they speak, Hermes comes close to them and Agamemnon recognizes one of the
suitors, Amphimedon. He asks the suitor how he came to the land of the dead.
Amphimedon recounts the trickery of Penelope at her loom, keeping the suitors waiting
for years. After four years, they found out that she was unraveling the work. Then he tells
Agamemnon that the swineherd and Telemachus conspired and snuck Odysseus into the
hall as a beggar.
He tells Agamemnon about the rest of the carnage and that the bodies lie unburied in the
hall. When Amphimedon stops, Agamemnon shouts aloud that Odysseus was fortunate to
marry such a loyal wife. He describes how differently his wife behaved and how
shameful it was.
As they talk of the world of the living, Odysseus and his companions near the house of
Laertes, which has become run down since his departure. Odysseus tells his companions
to go inside and prepare a meal as he walks the fields trying to find his father, who has
gone to clear out a distant field. He finds his father looking downtrodden and working the
earth near a fruit tree. He decides that he should test him first.
He asks Laertes who his master is and pretends that he is a man from elsewhere who has
come in search of Odysseus, whom he took care of and presented with gifts. Laertes’
eyes begin to fill with tears and he tells Odysseus that he has come to Ithaca. He tells him
that Odysseus has never come home and is probably dead and left unburied far away.
Then Laertes asks him where he is from and how he came to Ithaca. Odysseus tells him
many lies: He is from Alybas, his name is Eperitus, and his ship is in open country some
way from the town. He tells him that he saw Odysseus five years before heading home.
Laertes is overcome by grief and he pours dirt over his head. Odysseus is struck by this
and embraces his father, telling him who he is and that the suitors are taken care of.
Laertes asks for some proof and Odysseus shows him the boar’s wound on his thigh. The
old man almost faints and thanks the gods but is worried that the death of the suitors will
bring their kin against them. Odysseus tells him to leave the worrying to him. They go
back to the house where Telemachus and Eumaeus are preparing a meal. Athene makes
Laertes stronger. Laertes tells his son that he wished he were young again and could have
helped him fight the suitors. The slave Dolius comes to the house and is amazed to see
Odysseus. He asks him if Penelope knows he has arrived and Odysseus laughs at the
question. They all sit down and eat.
Meanwhile, the news of the battle reaches the town and everyone goes to an assembly.
An old man gets up and encourages the assembled men to pursue Odysseus for the
murder. Medon, Odysseus’ herald, stands to speak, stating that Odysseus was helped by
the gods while slaying the suitors.
Another old man gets up and tells the townspeople that the deaths were their own fault.
He urges them to let the matter drop. Many people agree, but a good number run for their
arms. The father of Antinous rallies them. Athene approaches Zeus while this happens
and asks him what he plans to do. Zeus says he already has plans, but advises that
Odysseus be made king in a sworn pact and everyone be made friends again.
Athene goes down to Odysseus as he finishes his dinner, before the mob arrives.
Odysseus arms his companions and his father. Athene appears as Mentor, and Odysseus
encourages Telemachus not to shame his family in the coming skirmish.
Athene halts them and tells them to invoke her name and Zeus’ as they throw their
spears. The fight begins and Antinous’ father is killed immediately. Athene stops them
and tells them to make peace. Everyone is unnerved by the voice of the goddess. She
appeals to Odysseus’ reason, telling him to lay down his weapons and declare a truce.
Odysseus obeys her and the parties swear to peace, with Athene (in the form of Mentor)
as their peacemaker.