THE ADVENTURES OF

ODYSSEUSWritten by: Homer

CHARACTERS:

ODYSSEUS

PENELOPE

TELEMACHUS

EURYCLIEA

ATHENA

POSEIDON

HERMES

TEIRESIAS

CIRCE

CALYPSO

 

PRINCESS INO

CYCLOPS POLYPHEMUS

KING AEOLUS

NAUSICAA

Athena and Poseidon had been the Greeks greatest allies among the gods but when the Troy fell all that had changed. They became their bitterest enemy.

Poseidon struck the Greek after they left for Greece .

When the Greeks attacked the city, Cassandra was in Athena’s temple, clinging to her image. Ajax the little chieftain tore her from the altar and dragged her out of the sanctuary.

Athena’s wrath was deep. She went to Poseidon and laid her wrongs before him and Poseidon agreed.

Agamemnon came near to losing all his ships. But he was the most fortunate of the victorious chieftains. His ship came safely through the storm.

Menelaus was blown to Egypt.

At the height of the storm, Ajax boat was shattered and sank but he succeeded in swimming to shore. He would have been saved but in his mad folly he cried out that he was tha one the sea could not drown.

Such arrogance always aroused the anger of the gods. Poseidon broke of the jagged bit of the rock to which he was clinging. Ajax fell and the waves swept him away to his death.

Odyssues did not lose his life, but if he did not suffer as much as some of the Greeks he suffered longer than them all.

His ship were driven across the sea for nine days.

On the tenth day, they landed on the land of Lutos-Eaters.

The inhabitants met them with kindness and gave them flower food to eat but those who tasted it, on a few fortunately, lost their longing for home.

They wanted only to dwell in Lotus land and let their memory fade from their minds. Though they were all weary, Odysseus dragged them on shipboard and chain them. They wept for they desired to stay and taste forever the honey-sweet flowers.

Cyclops Polyphemus

Since Poseidon was Polyphemus father, Poseidon swore that Odysseus should reach his own country only after a long misery and when he had lost all his men

Country Of The WindsKing Aeolus gave Odysseus a parting gift, a leather sack which he had put all the storm winds.

It was fastened tightly not the very least puff off any wind that spells danger a ship could leak out.

The sack was so heavy that the crew had difficulty in putting it to their ship.

They thought that the bag was probably full of gold so they opened it.

At once, the winds rushed out and swept them away to their terrific temptest.

Country of Laestrygons.

Laestrygons were people of gigantic size and cannibals too.

They destroyed all Odysseus’ ships except the one he himself was in which had not yet entered the harbor when the attack was made.

It was the worst disaster they met. So they put on at the next island they reached.

AeaeaOdysseus’ some men spied on Circe’s home.

She turned them into swine with human brain, penned them in a sty and gave them acorns to eat.

The men eat them since they are swine but they were aware of the taste since they have their human sensitivity but they were completely under her power.

Luckily, Odysseus was too cautious to enter the house. He watched what happened and fled in horror back to the ship.

He started off all alone to try to do something to save his men.

On his way, he met Hermes.

Hermes gave him a herb which could save him from Circe’s deadly art. Odysseus took the herb and went back to Aeaea thankfully.

Circe offered him a cup of drink.

With the herb, Odysseus was unchanged and to her amazement, she fall in love with him and she was ready to do whatever he pleased.

Then, she turned his men back to their normal form again.

She treated them all with kindness, feasting sumptuously in her house, that for a whole year, they stayed happily with her.

Before they left, Circe told Odysseus to find the spirit of Teiresias for he would tell him how to get back home.

Odysseus cross the river Ocean and beach the ship one Persephone’s shore where there was an entrance to the realm of Hades.

He induced the ghost to come to him by killing sheep and filling a pit with blood. All ghost had an irresistible craving to drink blood.

Everyone of them come rushing to the pit, but Odysseus drove his sword and kept them away until he saw the ghost of Teiresias.

He let him approached him and drink the blood and put a question to him. He told him that in any event Odysseus himself would reach home and although he would find trouble waiting for him, in the end he would prevail.

After the prophet speaking, a long procession of dead came up and drink the blood and speak Odysseus and pass on, great heroes and fair women of old;warriors, too, who fallen at Troy.

Achilles came and Ajax, still wrathful because of the armor of Achilles which the Greeks captain had given to Odysseus and not to him.

Many others came all eager to speak to him. Too many that he hastened to the ship and bade the crew sail.

Sirens were marvellous singers whose voices would make a man forget all else and at last their song would still his breath away.

Land of Sirens

Odysseus told his men about them and that the only way to pass them safely was to put each man’s ear wax.

He himself was determined to hear them and he proposed that the crew should tie him to the mast so strongly that he could not get away how much he tried.

They did this and drew near to the island. Odysseus heard the enchanting song and the word were even more enticing.

Odysseus chose to pass under nearer to Scylla,. They succeeded in passing it. But six of his crew died.

Scylla and Charybdis.

The crew were hungry and so they killed the oxen sacred to the sun while Odysseus was away to pray.

When he returned, the oxen were already roasted and eaten.

The vengeance of the sun was swift. As soon as the men left the island, a thunderbolt shattered the ship.

All were drowned except Odysseus. He clung to the keel and was able to ride out the storm.

The Island Of The Sun.

Calypso loved him and planned never to let him go. In every other way she overwhelmed him with kindness. There, Odysseus stayed for seven years.

Calypso’s Island

Twenty years had passed since Odysseus sailed for Troy.

In Ithaca, the island where his home was, things had gone bad to worse.

Everyone by now except Penelope and Telemachus took it for granted that Odysseus was dead.

Men came swarming to Odysseus house and forcing Penelope to marry one of them.

But she has none of them. They were rude, cruel and bossy.

She tricked them by telling that she could not marry anyone of them if she cannot finished weaving a very exquisite shroud for Odysseus’ father, Laertes and they agreed.

Penelope unwove every night what she had woven everyday.

One of her hand maidens told the suitors about this and they caught her in very act.

Of course after that, they were more insistent and unmanageable than ever.

After ten years of wandering, the gods were now sorry for Odysseus with the exemption of Poseidon.

On one gathering, in the absence of Poseidon, Athena laid out the sad case of Odysseus before the others and Zeus promised to send Hermes to Calypso to tell her to let Odysseus go back for his voyage for home.

So Athena glide down to Ithaca to find Telemachus.

She disguised herself as seafaring man and Telemachus saw her and invited her and let her sit in on the seat of honor.

They talked and Telemachus shared to her the problem of the house.

Athena advised him to go to Menelaus or Nestor to find news about his father.

The next day, he summoned the assembly and told them that he needed men and crews in finding his father but he only got mockery.

Telemachus in despair went faraway along the seashore and prayed to Athena.

Athena heard him and she disguised herself as a mentor and spoke good words to him and encouraged him.

At that very night, Telemachus sailed for Nestor’s home with the mebtor.

Nestor received him gladly and hospitably.

But Nestor knew nothing about Odysseus so he send his son and Telemachus on chariot to Sparta to inquire Menelaus.

The lordly dwelling of Menelaus welcomed them.

He told them that Odysseus was imprisoned by Calypso according to Proteus, a sea-god who is capable of changing himself to any form he wanted to.

Meanwhile, Hermes went to Calypso and told her to let Odysseus go.

Calypso was at first hesitant but because she was afraid to arise the anger of Zeus, she agreed.

Calypso set gloomily for the preparations.

She helped him build the raft and put all the necessities inside it including the delicacies he wanted most.

For seventeen days, Odysseus journeyed on calm waters.

But on 18th day, Poseidon from Ethiopia caught sight of him and summoned all the violent winds to him.

Princess Ino advised him to leave the raft and gave him her veil. The veil would protect him as long as he is in the water.

Odysseus swim for shore for three days and he landed on an island one evening.

The next day, after Nausicaa the Pheaecian princess washed the soiled linens, she found Odysseus.

She told him to enter the kingdom and asked for help for the kingdom was ruled by her father.

The king and queen welcomed him hospitably.

He laid out his sufferings to them and in the presence of Phaeacian chiefs, the king promised to send him home that very day.

They arrived in Ithaca and Athena appeared to him and advised him to stay at Eumaeus to work out a plan.

She turned Odysseus to an old ragged man so that he can go everywhere unrecognized. Then he went to Eumaeus house.

Eumaeus welcomed the stranger , fed him well and lodged him for the night.

The next day, Telemachus arrived at Eumaeus house and send him to his mother to inform that he has arrived already.

While Eumaeus was away, Athena changed Odysseus back to his normal form.

Odysseus introduced himself to his son and they cried and hugged each other.

When Eumaeus came back, Athena changed Odysseus to an old beggar again.

Next day, Telemchus went home alone, leaving the other two to follow.

They reached the town, they came to the palace and at last Odysseus entered his dwelling.

As he did so, his dog Argos, knew him and wagged his tail but he did not dared to go to him for fear of arousing suspicion in the swineherd/.

As he turned away that moment the old dog died.

Penelope welcomed him and let Eurycleia washed the stranger’s feet.

Odysseus was afraid beacause he has a scar in his one foot and he thought Eurycleia would recognized it and he was right but the nurse promised him not to tell anyone.

The next day, Penelope descended to where the suitors were gathered carrying the bow and arrows of Odysseus.

She told them that he who could string the bow and shoot an arrow straight through twelve rings in a line, she will take as her husband.

Penelope then went to her chamber very assured that none of them can do so.Telemachus first tried but he failed. He only shoot the arrow through eleven rings in a line.

Certain that none could be successful, Odysseus left the contest and stepped out to the courtyard where the swineherd was talking to the cattle keeper.

He told them who really he was and showed his mark. They recognized it and burst out weeping for joy.

He then instructed them to shut and bar the gates of the court and keep the weapons. Then he turned back to the hall.

He then asked Telemachus if he could shoot the arrow and Telemachus agreed.

All watches him as he carefully studied the bow. He notched an arrow to the string and drew and not moving from his seat, he sent through twelve rings.

The next instant, at one leap he was at the door and Telemachus was beside him.

He then shot an arrow to the suitors and they were slaughtered without a chance to defend themselves.

Then the slaughter ended.

Eurycleia and her maids were summoned to cleanse the place and restore all to order.

They surrounded Odysseus, weeping, laughing and welcoming him home.

Eurycleia climbed the stairs to her mistress’s chamber and informed him that her husband has arrived.

Penelope could not believed her. She hurried down the hall to see her own eyes.

A tall man and princely-looking was sitting by the hearth where the firelight fell full on him. She sat down opposite to him and looked at him in silence.

She then told Telemachus that if this man was Odysseus then the two of them have ways of knowing each other.

Then the well-ordered hall was full of rejoicing for Odysseus at last after long wandering had come home and every heart was glad.