Troy marks the beginning of Odysseus' long journey back home to Ithaca after his service in the Trojan war. It has been 10 years since the war's end, and Odysseus has still not returned. His wife Penelope and son Telemachus, now a young man of 20, believe him to be dead. Odysseus'
protrectress, Athena, persuades her father Zeus to let Odysseus return home while Poseidon is absent from Mount Olympus. After convincing Zeus, Athena encourages Odysseus' son to search for news of him. Elsewhere, Odysseus resides as a nameless guest of King Alcinous in Phaecia. A blind singer in Alcinous' court tells the tale of the "Quarrel of Odysseus and Achilles." The memories, too difficult to bear in silence, cause Odysseus to reveal his identity, and he tells King Alcinous and his people the strange and fantastic tale of his return from Troy.
On his return journey, Odysseus and his men stop at Ismarus. Continual raids destroy the city, and kill several Cicone men. Women and riches are split equally among Odysseus and his army. He had thought it would be enough and urged his men to leave, but they refused. They continued to
drink, and slaughter livestock with gluttonous abandon. While Odysseus' men continued to lead lives of debauchery and leisure, however, the Cicones rounded up several of their fellow skilled country men to push their piratical raiders back. Their force, "as many as the leaves and flowers of the spring," overwhelmed Odysseus and his men, and eventually left them little choice but to leave Ismarus behind.
Odysseus' fight with the Cicones was quite gruelling. Odysseus and his army held their ground at the beginning of the day, holding the larger force back for a while. But as night drew upon them, Odysseus says that they were helplessly overrun by the Cicones. He notes that six of his well-armored
"comrades" had died in the fight, but he considers himself and the rest of his crew lucky to cheat death and an evil fate. Still, Odysseus and his men needed a moment to recover and comprehend their losses. Samothraki is the most likely location where this period of rest took place. "I would not let the curved ships leave till we had called three times in ritual to each of our luckless comrades, who died there on the plain."
Though they had fled from Ismarus in the hopes of faring better out on the familiar territory of the opean seas, Odysseus and his men were beset by
several great and terrible storms. As a result, their original headings were ruined, and massive redirections were necessary to navigate through the storms. "In terror of death we lowered the masts on deck, and rowed the vessels wildly towards land."Odysseus and his crew make a massive jump south, landing on Skiros. They camp on the island for two days, recuperating from weariness and anxiety, and hoist sails again on the third day.
Cape Malea is where misfortunes truly begin to accumulate for Odysseus and his men on their journey. Malea was noteworthy as a dangerous cape
in ancient Greece and it remains little changed in its navigational hazards even today.
Odysseus and his men are wary of the Lotus-Eaters at first, but reach the conclusion that they meant them
no harm. Instead, the Lotus-Eaters try to feed them. The lotus have a side-effect of causing Odysseus' men to lose their memories of home. "They wanted to stay with the Lotus-Eaters, eating the lotus, forgetting all thoughts of return."Odysseus drags these men back to the ships by force, binding them tight to resist escape, and orders the unaffected soldiers to climb aboard as they make a hasty exit.
Odysseus and his crew come across a stream of uniquely bright water. Intrigued, they follow its path, despite the poor visibility of night. Their ships run aground, and they decide to explore their newfound discovery. It was all a marvel, but their awe was finely tempered with trepidation.
Odysseus wished to know more of the island's other inhabitants, and set out on a quest to investigate with twelve of his best men. They enter the cave of Polyphemus, a giant cyclops, and are imprisoned. Odysseus and his men escape when they blind him with a stake, but Odysseus makes the mistake of telling Polyphemus his name. Polyphemus' father, Poseidon, consequently curses Odysseus to wander the sea for ten years, darkly promising the loss of all of his crew on the journey.
Odysseus and his men are able to find a haven in Aeolia, and Aeolus is a generous, albeit curious, host. Odysseus and his men were able to
rest for a month, but not without a cost. Aeolus wanted to know everything about Odysseus' journey, and Odysseus obliged. When Odysseus asked Aeolus for his help in their departure, Aeolus gave Odysseus a leather bag full of winds, and helped send Odysseus' ships homeward with a western wind. But Odysseus' men had grown envious of Aeolus' favoritism. Thinking Aeolus had given Odysseus gold, they open the bag while Odysseus slept, releasing the winds and wasting Aeolus' precious gift.
Upon reachng a harbor with a stretch of cliff on either side, Odysseus sought to find out what sort of people lived here. He sent emissaries out to
investigate. They find a girl, the daughter of the king, and ask to meet with him. When they enter the palace, the scene quickly descends into chaos upon the king's arrival. He immediately grabs one of Odysseus' men and prepares to eat him. The other two flee immediately, but the king mobilizes his city, and they all give chase. Several men die and many ships are damaged. Odysseus orders his remaining men to the remaining boats, and they make their escape.
After losing all of his ships save for his own, Odysseus and his men arrived on Circe's island. In the process of trying to cope with their hardships, some of Odysseus' men fall for the charms of Circe's open invitation of hospitality, and are turned into pigs.
But Odysseus was immune to her spells, and forced Circe to change his men back. Afterwards, Odysseus and his men lived on Circe's island for a year, but were soon pressed on. Before leaving, Odysseus visits the land of the dead, and comes across the spirits of comrades, adversaries, and his own mother. After receiving warnings about what's to come from Circe and the spirits both, Odysseus and his men leave Circe's island, resuming their journey back home to Ithaca.
As Odysseus and his crew approach the two terrible sea monsters, Scylla and
Charybdis, morale plummets. Odysseus does his best to rally the spirits of his men by comparing this dire circumstance to past difficulties. But Scylla and Charybdis together are wholly unlike their previous experiences: the sharp rock shoal and whirlpool monsters, so close to one another, meant death was unavoidable. Odysseus braves Scylla's path, losing six men to the mutli-headed beast, out of fear that Charybdis would sink them all. This encounter disturbs Odysseus most.
After escaping Scylla and Charybdis, Odysseus and the crew pass by Helios' island, populated by numerous fattened livestock. Odysseus warns
his men against acting upon their appetites, reminding them of prophetic advice urging avoidance of Helios' island. His crew desperate for rest, argued, and he soon relented on the condition they would not eat Helios' livestock. But their supplies dwindled, and their desperation rose. Odysseus went off alone to pray and falls asleep while his crew slaughtered Helios' cattle in his absence. When they tried to set sail, Zeus punished them all severely, redirecting their ship to Scylla and Carybdis.
After his ship and remaining crew had been devoured by Carybdis, Odysseus drifted at sea for days before he washed ashore Calypso's island. There, Odysseus was cared for and loved, but
he was not allowed to leave. Callypso enchanted him with her singing voice and her graceful movements, and Odysseus remained on the island with Calypso for seven years. It was at this time that Athena pleaded with Zeus to arrange for Odysseus' liberation. Hermes, the messenger God, was sent to relay Zeus' orders. Although reluctanct to comply at first, Calypso eventually concedes, and provides Odysseus with materials for his journey home including clothing, food, drink, and a raft.
After learning of what the other gods had decided upon in his absence, Poseidon wrecks Odysseus' raft. Odysseus is saved by the intervention of Ino and Athena, and he swims ashore to Scherie. Exhausted, he falls asleep in a pile of leaves. The next morning, he meets Nausicaa and her handmaidens bathing. He asks for her help, and she mentions the
incomparable hospitality of her parents - King Alcinous and Arete. They welcome him without asking for his name, but after Demodocus' narrative poems reference his past life, Odysseus reveals who he is.
Touched by his tale, Alcinous and the other Phaecians agree to help Odysseus home."Mix the wine and serve it through the hall, so that once we have prayed to Father Zeus we can send our guest on his way to his own country."
Alcinous and Arete made preparations to help Odysseus along his way to Ithaca. Fresh clothes and a swift ship were prepared for him, in addition to a few escorts and food and drink. A rug like sheet, soft to the touch, was put in place for him to lay down. The escorts, on the other hand, were resolute in their work. Working diligently and capably, they swiftly
traversed the sea, the ship's stern leaping in the water. Odysseus slept, his mind finally free of the burdens he'd carried for several years. And now, as the brightest planet rose, the first to herald dawn’s early light, the sea-going vessel approached Ithaca.