The Odyssey
SUMMARIES
BOOK ONE
ATHENA ADVISES TELEMACHUS
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Homer’s invocation to the Muses
(9 daughters of Zeus worshipped for
Inspiration to art and music)
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The reader learns:
 Odysseus
has already had a rather lengthy
journey home
BOOK 9: THE LOTUS EATERS & THE CYCLOPS
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Odysseus reveals
himself to King Alcinous
as Laertes’ son
Odysseus tells of his
misadventures with his
crew
This story is in
flashback– Odysseus
tells it
After 9 days of drifting,
they stop on the Land of
the Lotus Eaters
BOOK 9
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The lotus plant causes
feelings of laziness and
dreaminess
Odysseus sends 3 of his
men to check out the
land; they never return
because they eat the
lotus with the Lotus
Eaters
Odysseus finds the 3 men
and ties them under their
boat benches.
He tells the others not to
eat the Lotus or they
won’t want to go home
Odysseus makes his men leave
the Lotus Eaters
BOOK 9
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Odysseus and his men sail away
They land on the Cyclops’ island
Odysseus’ curiosity leads him to
the Cyclops’ cave (the result of
the encounter explains
Poseidon’s anger toward
Odysseus)
Odysseus and his men are
sitting inside the Cyclops’s cave
around the fire when he comes
inside.
The Cyclops has one eye in the
center of his head
BOOK 9
The Cyclops leads his rams and ewes outside
and covers the cave opening with a huge rock.
 He milks his ewes.
 He asks for “the strangers” identities
 The Cyclops’ name is Polyphemus
 Odysseus explains who they are and that they
were blown off course
 Odysseus tells him that he should be
hospitable or suffer the wrath of Zeus
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BOOK 9
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The Cyclops says he is not
afraid of Zeus and has
more power than he does.
Odysseus says Poseidon
broke up their ship (a lie)
The Cyclops picks up two
of the men, bashes their
brains in, and eats them!
Odysseus decides not to
try and kill the Cyclops
because they won’t be
able to leave the cave
BOOK 9
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In the morning, the Cyclops
eats 2 more men for
breakfast!
He leaves his cave with his
sheep and places the slab
over the opening
The men make a 6 foot
pointed stake while he is
gone.
4 men & Odysseus decide
to poke the Cyclops in the
eye
BOOK 9
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When the Cyclops returns
at night and closes the
cave opening, he eats 2
more men.
Odysseus gives him a
bowl of strong wine
Cyclops asks his name &
Odysseus replies
“Nohbdy”
Cyclops falls asleep & the
men put the stake in his
eye
BOOK 9
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Cyclops begins to wail &
call for nearby Cyclopes
He calls out: “Nohbdy
tricked me, Nohbdy’s
ruined me!”
Of course, “nobody” helps
the Cyclops.
Odysseus ties his men
under the rams so they
can leave the cave when
the rams do
Cyclops pats each ram as
it leaves but doesn’t feel
the men
BOOK 9
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Odysseus yells out to
Cyclops once he is on his
boat.
The Cyclops throws a
boulder in front of the boat.
Odysseus calls out his real
name to Cyclops.
Cyclops throws another
boulder which hits their
boat and slows them down.
Cyclops asks Odysseus to
come back so they can be
friends.
BOOK 9
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Odysseus goes too far
when he tells the Cyclops
that he would hurl him to
hell (hubris)
The Cyclops calls out to
his father Poseidon and
asks him to prevent
Odysseus from ever
seeing his family and
wishes that all of his men
are killed on the journey.
BOOK 9 COMMENTARY
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The Polyphemus episode is important; we learn much
about Odysseus as a leader - both his strengths and his
flaws.
Odysseus is prone to rash decisions. First, he makes the
mistake of wanting to meet Polyphemus even as his
men warn him against it.
But he makes another error when he taunts Polyphemus
not once but twice. This second mistake is what creates
his problem with Poseidon, as he foolishly reveals his
name and invites the wrath of the Poseidon, god of
earthquake - and subsequently dooms his shipmates.
BOOK TEN
THE BAG OF WINDS AND THE WITCH CIRCE
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Odysseus & men land on
island of Aeolia
Aeolus, the wind king,
puts all the winds in a bag
so that the men won’t be
harmed on the voyage
Odysseus’ sailors open
the bag of wind on the
boat & hurricanes ensue
They are blown back to
Aeolia with no sympathy
from Aeolus
BOOK TEN
THE BAG OF WINDS AND THE WITCH CIRCE
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Next, they sail to the land of the giant Laestrygonians
(lees-trih-GOH-nee-unz) & some of the Laestrygonians,
cannibals, eat some of Odysseus’ men.
Then, with one ship left, they land on Aeaea, home to
the witch Circe.
Eurylochus, leads a party of 22 men to explore the
island.
They find Circe surrounded by many wild animals.
BOOK TEN
THE BAG OF WINDS AND THE WITCH CIRCE
 Circe looks harmless since
she is singing and weaving
& the men think she might
be a goddess.
 Eurylochus did not go in to
meet her since he sensed
something evil within Circe.
 Circe feeds the men and
gives them laced wine which
turns them into pigs.
 Hermes gives Odysseus an
antidote to eat to work
against Circe’s power & he
rushes to her home.
BOOK TEN
THE BAG OF WINDS AND THE WITCH CIRCE
BOOK 10
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As Hermes predicted, Circe
asks Odysseus to sleep with
her; he first makes her
promise not to use any more
enchantments.
After they retire to Circe’s
bedchamber, she turns
them back into men, now
looking better than ever.
Circe tells Odysseus to have
his men bring their ships
and gear ashore and come
back with everyone.
They all return but the still
suspicious Eurylochos.
BOOK TEN
THE BAG OF WINDS AND THE WITCH CIRCE
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Circe releases all of Odysseus’ men, and since she is
the most beautiful immortal, he agrees to her request
to have Odysseus and his men stay with her for a year.
They beg Circe to help them get home.
She warns them that they will have to confront Hades,
King of the Underworld, and his wife Persephone,
Queen of the Underworld.
BOOK TEN
THE BAG OF WINDS AND THE WITCH CIRCE
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Circe gives Odysseus very specific instructions
regarding how to reach the Underworld because one
cannot simply take a boat there
Odysseus must go to Persephone’s land, find the
place where two rivers meet and drain into the river
Styx, and then dig a trench.
In the Underworld, the men will have to consult with
Teiresias, the blind prophet, make sacrifices of
animals, & confront ghosts.
BOOK TWELVE
THE SIRENS, SCYLLA, AND CHARYBDIS
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Odysseus has returned
to Circe’s island & she
warns him of the
dangers of his journey
Circe warns the men of
the Sirens, beautiful,
bird-like women whose
music enchants men so
that they may kill them
No sailor has ever
survived the lure of the
sirens.
BOOK TWELVE
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Circe tells Odysseus to
plug the men’s ears
with wax so they can’t
hear the Sirens
The men will continue to
steer the boat past the
Sirens.
Odysseus can be tied to
the mast of the boat so
he can hear them
BOOK TWELVE
THE SIRENS, SCYLLA, AND CHARYBDIS
BOOK TWELVE
THE SIRENS, SCYLLA, AND CHARYBDIS
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Circe tells the men that
the 2nd danger to avoid
is the den of Scylla, a
monster who has 12
legs and 6 serpent’s
necks and heads.
She has 3 rows of sharp
teeth.
She will eat 6 men at
once.
BOOK TWELVE
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The 3rd danger is the
whirlpool Charybdis
Circe tells the men that
they should hug the cliffs
of Scylla because it is
better to lose 6 men than
an entire boat of men.
The 4th danger are
Helios’ cattle. If the men
eat them, the ship & crew
will be destroyed– but not
Odysseus.
BOOK TWELVE
THE SIRENS, SCYLLA, AND CHARYBDIS
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Odysseus never tells the men
of the last prophecy (Helios’s
cattle)
(Remember: Odysseus is still
telling his story to King
Alcinous)
The men survive the Sirens.
The men drop their oars out
of fear when they see Scylla
& Charybdis.
Scylla eats 6 of the men.
They avoid Charybdis.
BOOK TWELVE
THE SIRENS, SCYLLA, AND CHARYBDIS
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Odysseus tells the men
not to eat Helios’ cattle
when they arrive on
Thrinakia for a rest
After a month of storms,
the men are hungry and
kill a cow.
The men eat Helios’ cattle
& are punished at sea by
a thunderbolt from Zeus.
Odysseus is the only one
who survived & is rescued
on Calypso’s island.
BOOK TWELVE
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*Odysseus is finished
telling his story to King
Alcinous
BOOK TWENTY-ONE
THE TEST OF THE GREAT BOW
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Penelope tells the
suitors that she will
marry the one who can
bend, string, and shoot
Odysseus’s special
hunting bow through 12
ax handles.
This contest takes place
on a festival day for
Apollo, the god of
archery
BOOK TWENTY-ONE
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Nobody can work
Odysseus’s bow.
Odysseus asks the
cowherd Philoetius and
the swineherd Eumaeus
to help him
Odysseus tells them that
they were the only men
who missed him
BOOK TWENTY-ONE
THE TEST OF THE GREAT BOW
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Odysseus will give the
cowherd and swineherd
wives, cattle, and homes if
they help him kill the suitors
Odysseus shows them his
scar to prove himself
Odysseus tells them to lock
himself and all the suitors in
the room when he picks up
the bow
Penelope allows Odysseus,
the beggar, to test the bow
BOOK TWENTY-ONE
THE TEST OF THE GREAT BOW
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Telemachus has removed
the suitors’ weapons from
the hall
Odysseus, the beggar,
strings the bow and
shoots it through the axe
holes
Telemachus straps on his
armor
The fighting with the
suitors begins in the next
book.
BOOK TWENTY-TWO
DEATH AT THE PALACE
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*This is the climax.
Odysseus takes off his
beggar rags.
Odysseus must fight
more than 100 suitors
He attacks Antinous,
the meanest, first, and
shoots an arrow into his
neck.
BOOK TWENTY-TWO
DEATH AT THE PALACE
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The suitors run around,
looking for their weapons
and cursing Odysseus.
Odysseus accuses the
suitors of such things as:
“using” his maids and
trying to marry his wife
The suitors, of course,
don’t believe he is
Odysseus
Eurymachus blames the
suitors’ actions on
Antinous’ commands
BOOK TWENTY-TWO
DEATH AT THE PALACE
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Eurymachus tells Odysseus
that he and the suitors will
give him gifts if he lets them
go
Odysseus replies, “There will
be killing till the score is
paid.”
Telemachus, Eumaeus, and
Philoetius help Odysseus kill
the suitors
Athena’s shield comes to life,
and she, disguised as Mentor,
helps kill the suitors
All suitors are killed by the
end of the battle.
BOOK TWENTY-THREE
ODYSSEUS AND PENELOPE
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Eurycleia announces
Odysseus’s return to Penelope.
Penelope suspects a trick from
the gods and decides to test
Odysseus
Telemachus chides her for
doubting Odysseus’s identity
She tells Telemachus that she
and Odysseus share secret
signs
BOOK TWENTY-THREE
ODYSSEUS AND PENELOPE
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Odysseus is made handsome
by Athena
Odysseus tells Eurycleia to
prepare a couch for him to
sleep upon
Penelope tells the nurse to
carry their marriage bed out
for him to sleep on—words
meant to test her husband
Odysseus becomes upset
because the bed was built
around an olive tree that
serves as a bedpost– it can’t
be moved unless another
man had sawed the post
from the trunk
BOOK TWENTY-THREE
THE MARRIAGE BED
BOOK TWENTY-THREE
ODYSSEUS AND PENELOPE
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Odysseus passes
Penelope’s test and
they embrace.
Athena delays the
sunrise so the couple
can spend more time
together
Odysseus plans to
travel to his father
Laertes’ house and to
seek revenge upon the
suitors’ families.