Book 1:

Odysseus is trapped on Calypso, and his men perished because they ate Apollo’s cattle. Zeus is thinking about Aigisthos, who married Agamemnon’s wife, even though the gods sent Hermes to tell him not to, and killed Agamemnon, and then himself came to a bad end. But the gods pitied Odysseus, prevented from coming home by Poseidon, who was in Ethiopia enjoying a hecatomb offered to him. Athena asks Zeus why he hates Odysseus, and he says I do not, it is Poseidon, but since the rest of us are all in agreement and he cannot fight against us all united, let him come home. Athena replied that she would go to his son Telemachos and put some spirit into him.

She came to Odysseus’ house, and it was Telemachos who saw her, disguised as Mentes, a guest-friend of Odysseus. He gave her proper hospitality, and set a meal for her, and told her that he wished his dead father were back to rid the house of these suitors. Supposedly as Mentes, she said that Odysseus was not dead but the gods were impeding his return, and asked him if he were really Odysseus’ son, since he looked like him, and what is this feast going on? Telemachos replied that no one knows who his father is, but he was told that he was Odysseus’ son. The feast, he said, the many suitors for his mother’s hand, who just stay on and are eating up all his positions. A said situation, replies Athena; if Odysseus were here he would kill those suitors and show them that marriage is a painful thing! Do what I tell you: tonight announce to them that you summon an assembly and that you want them out of here. At the assembly, if they do not agree to leave, tell them you will not pursue the matter but will ask the gods for justice. Then take a ship and go to Nestor and Menelaos in Sparta and see if they have heard anything. Tell the people that if, in a year, you have heard nothing or find out that Odysseus is dead, you will have your mother choose a husband. Then, despite Telemachos wanting to give her a gift, she insists on leaving. His mother Penelope, hearing the song the singer is singing, comes out to tell them not to sing anything that reminds her of her husband and Troy, but Telemachos says tells her to go back in her chambers, recent songs are the most requested and there is nothing wrong with that. (So she goes back and falls asleep crying.) Then Telemachos tells the suitors that he is summoning an assembly for tomorrow about them leaving and not eating up his property. They were surprised at this new, assertive, Telemachos and Antinoos says he hopes that Telemachos does not become their king (despite it being his inheritance), to which Telemachos replies that being a king is not a bad thing, but whether he is or not, he will be master of his own house.

Book 2:

The assembly convenes and Telemachos says that he wants the suitors to leave and stop eating up his property. Antinoos says angrily that he is impetuous, and that they will not leave as long as his mother refuses to choose a suitor, because she told them four years ago that she would choose one after she finished weaving a grave cloth for the hero Laertes so there is something to wrap him in when he dies. But after three years we found out she was undoing her days’ work at night, and we forced her to finish it. So until she stops putting us off, or you tell her to go back to her father (who will choose a suitor and give a large gift, as is appropriate for a bride) we are staying. Telemachos says he cannot throw his own mother out of his house, so he will ask Zeus to reverse their fortunes and kill them with no payment given. Zeus sent two eagles, which swooped over them, fought a bit, then left on the right. An old man, said that this is an ill omen for the suitors—and you all know that I have a history, and you also know I prophesied that Odysseus would come back after twenty years, which is now. One suitor said, aged sir, sit down, we think your prophecy is nonsense. Then Telemachos brings his complaint to the larger body of people, asking why they are not doing anything. Another of the suitors said that there are many of us, and we are all the nobility, and even if Odysseus came back he would find an unhappy end outnumbered, so I think it will be hard to force us to leave. Then Telemachos asks for a ship, to go to Nestor and Sparta and ask about his father, and if he finds out he is dead or has not heard anything, he will tell his mother to pick a husband. A suitor said, go ahead, but I do not think this will come about, since you have no ships or companions.

He prays to the god that came to him, and Athene, in the form of Mentor, Odysseus’ friend entrusted with the care of his household, and said that she would make it happen. So she went and told twenty men to come, and asked for a ship. She had told Telemachos to prepare provisions, so he asked the keeper of the stores, an old woman named Eurykleia (who Laertes had bought for twenty oxen from her father [presumably as a bride], but loved as a wife, but never slept with because he was afraid that his wife would be angry), who had nursed Telemachos. She said he should stay safe here, but he insisted on going and told her to tell no one. So they met on the beach, and Athena gave them good wind, and they hoisted the sail into the hole in its box and made it fast with stays.

Book 3:

Telemachos arrives as Nestor is offering a hecatomb to Poseidon. He and Athena-Mentor are invited to the feast, and Telemachos asks after Odysseus. Nestor says that after they sacked Troy, Menelaos wanted to leave immediately and try to escape the anger of Athena, while Agamemnon wanted to stay and try to appease it. Nestor was among those following Menelaos, and Nestor’s group got good winds and came home easily. Odysseus went with them, but came back to Agamemnon. Nestor did not know what happened to Odysseus, but at Telemachos’ request tells what happened to Agamemnon: Aigisthos spent a lot of time courting Agamemnon’s wife, who was not the adulterous sort, but she was worn down by the gods (apparently). Aigisthos killed Agamemnon, but was killed by Agamemnon’s son Orestes later. Nestor insists on them sleeping in his house as guests, but Athena-Mentor says that is good for Telemachos, but he must get back to the ship, because he is the only one who could be considered an elder of the men. Then Athena turns into a vulture and flies off, with Nestor awed at the recognition of Athena [apparently a vulture was related to her?] and also glad that Odysseus’ patron Athena was come to the aid of his son. Telemachos sleeps in Nestor’s portico. The next day, Nestor offers a cow to Athena, and gilds her horns; Telemachos is bathed, and they feast on shishkabobs. The day after, Nestor sends his son Peisistratos to drive Telemachos to Lakadaimon (Sparta) to ask Menelaos.

Book 4:

They arrive at a double wedding, of Menelaos’ daughter to one of Achilles’ sons (fulfilling his promise to Achilles in Troy, only to his son), and his son to someone else’s daughter. Menelaos invites them in, and while they eat he wonders if he should ask him if he is Odysseus’ son. Then Helen comes down and says he much be Odysseus’ son. Peisistratos say that Telemachos is Odysseus’ son, but too modest to say so. Menelaos then says how Odysseus was a great friend, and says that, in hindsight, he wished the war never happened, as the best of the Argives perished and he no longer had his friend Odysseus, whom he would have given one of his own cities to rule, so that they could visit each other. Helen relates a story of how Odysseus flagellated himself and dressed in poor clothing, and was taken in Troy as a beggar. Only Helen recognized him, but he made her swear not to tell. Then he killed many and gained much information. [The text seems to suggest that Helen might have told afterwards, but then presumably they would have blamed her for letting the killings happen.] Menelaos relates how Odysseus was unmoved, when the best of the warriors were in the Trojan Horse, and Helen walked around the horse, calling to the men in their wives’ voices. Some of the best were on the verge of replying and dooming them all, and Odysseus wrapped his arms around their mouths to keep them silent.

Then Menelaos relates what happened to Odysseus. Menelaos had gone all over, to Egypt, Ethiopia, Lybia and elsewhere, gaining all the treasure that Telemachos had admired in his house (and which Menelaos said he would rather have a third of the treasure and his friends back). Well, they had made it to Pharos, a day’s voyage from Egypt and were trying to get home, but had poor wind for twenty days and food was scarce. Menelaos met the daughter of the Old Man of the Sea, and asked her what god was preventing him from getting home. She said to ask her father the next day: ambush him when he takes his afternoon nap, hold onto him while he shifts form, and when he returns to his original form he will tell you what you ask. At dawn she covered them in freshly killed seal skins in the cave where her father slept (and gave them some ambrosia to smell, since the seal smell was overpowering). The Old Man came in, counted the seals as he did, and went to sleep, and they jumped him, he transformed shape, but tired and came to himself. Then he told Menelaos that Aigisthos had hired a watchman for two talents of gold, who alerted him when Agamemnon landed. He was welcomed home, but at the feast all his men (and Aigisthos’ men) were killed. Eight years later, Orestes killed Aigisthos, and had a burial mound raised for his mother [unclear if he killed her, but she did die]. After Menelaos had wept for a while, he inquired after the other one who had no homecoming, since the Old Man had said that there were only two. The Old Man said that Odysseus was being held captive by Calysto who wanted him as a husband, but that Menelaos was being held back because he had not offered a complete hecatomb to the gods, and he would have to go back to Egypt and do it right, which he did.

As Telemachos was sailing back, Antinoos, shocked that Telemachos actually was able to pull off the voyage, said that they need to ambush him on the way back, so he borrows a ship and twenty of them sail out to a hidden harbor on a small island just off Ithaca. The herald overheard this, and told Penelope, who asked why someone did not tell her he was leaving; she would have prevented it and so prevented the loss of her son. Eurykleia said that she did know, but that Telemachos made her swear that she would not tell anyone, unless it had been twelve days or her mother found out herself. Penelope cries herself to sleep, over her husband of good character, but mostly over her son. Athena sends her a dream, where her sister tells her that the gods will see her son safely home.

Book 5:

At Athena’s indirect request, Zeus tells Hermes to tell Calypso to let Odysseus go and send him on his way. She is upset, since the gods take whatever mortal woman they want but never let the goddesses have the man they want: the gods resented Dawn’s choice of Orion and Artemis killed him, and Zeus killed Demeter’s lover Iasion with a thunderbolt. But who can resist Zeus? So she went to Odysseus, who every day wept for his home and his wife by the ocean, but was compelled by Calypso to lie beside her at night. She told him she would help him leave if he wanted (“although you will have hardships, and here you would be immortal, and I compare not unfavorably with mortal women”), and he could build a raft. He said that this must be more pain she was devising for him, but she swore oaths that she was helping him. Despite the fact that he wept every day and was weary of her, somehow that night they “enjoyed each other in love”. So she gave him tools and he cut down dry trees, planed the logs, fastened them with a dowel, and made a shelter and a mast and a rudder, and after four days had finished it. She gave him cloth for it, and also food, water and wine. He levered the raft down to the water, and sailed, keeping Orion on his left as Calypso instructed. All went well for seventeen days, and then Poseidon came back from Ethiopia and saw Odysseus nearing the Paiakians, from where he was fated to return to Ithaca. So Poseidon stirred up a storm. A sea nymph saw him and took pity on him (and also gave him the information that it was Poseidon, not Zeus, who was making his life difficult), and gave him her veil, which she said was immortal and to tie it around his waist and swim to land, and then throw it back in the sea (without looking) when he got to shore. The land had looked far away before the storm came, so Odysseus stayed on the raft until Poseidon broke it to pieces with a wave. After Poseidon left, Athena calmed the winds and made the waters smoother, but Odysseus was three days in the water, and then had to swim around the island until he found a river, which he supplicated in prayer, for even an immortal god is expected to help a wanderer and stranger in need, and he made it to land. Then he went inland to avoid the chills of the sea, and found a dense copse of trees, and made a bed of leaves and covered himself with them like someone in a remote area covers the dying fire with ashes so that it will be alive in the morning, since he cannot relight it.

Book 6:

Athena came in a dream to Nausicaä, daughter of Alkinoös, king of the Phaicians, that she needed to do her laundry, since she would be getting married soon. So when she woke up, the girl asked her father for the ox-cart to do laundry for her bachelor brothers (which it seems she may have been responsible for), and he said of course and told them men to get ready the ox-cart. So she riding and her handmaidens walking came to the washing place by the river, which was a bit far from the city, and they washed the clothes and stomped on them and made a game of it. Then they had lunch, and played ball-games. Athena had Nausicaä miss, so the ball went in the river and the girls shouted in surprise, which woke up Odysseus. He was worried that they might be more nymphs, but came out boldly, like a hungry lion even when there are hunter around, and covering his privates with a tree branch. He addressed Nausicaä as “queen” and asked if she were a goddess or mortal, and if the latter, that observed that certainly she was as beautiful as a goddess, and he verbally supplicated her for hospitality as a wandering stranger. She welcomed him hospitably, and told her handmaidens to bathe him and gave him olive oil to anoint himself with. But he asked the handmaidens to leave him because he was embarrassed to be naked around them, and he bathed and anointed himself, and dressed in clothes Nausicaä had provided. Afterwards he looked rather dashing, especially since Athena had arranged his hair curls just so and had given him an air of grace. He was so handsome [despite being late middle-aged by now] that Nausicaä wished he could be her husband, so someone like him. She said he should supplicate her mother, rather than her father, but said that once they got to the copse of trees sacred to Athena, he should hide there for a while until he judged they had made it back home, and then come to the city and ask directions to her parents’ house and supplicate her mother. Because, she said, it would be unseemly for her to come back being friendly with a man, especially since all the best men of city were wooing her and she apparently not entirely excited about any of them.

Book 7:

Odysseus came to the city, and Athena wrapped him in mist, because outlanders were sometimes not seen kindly. She appeared as a young girl, and he asked her the way to Alkinoös’ house, and she took him, since she said it was close to her own father’s house. At the door frame he paused to admire the bronze walls with the cobalt blue trimmings, and the large orchards. Then he went in, unseen by anyone despite the ongoing feast, since he was still wrapped in mist, and grasped Arete’s knees, the wife of Alkinoös. He asked them to take him home in their ships, and then sat down in the ashes in the fireplace. One of the men said to Alkinoös that it is not right that strangers and guests—sacred to Zeus—should sit in the fireplace. Alkinoös agreed, and promised to do prepare everything the next day. Then Alkinoös moved his oldest son from his right hand, and sat Odysseus there, and gave him food and drink. Afterwards, Arete, noticing that he was wearing fabric she, herself, and woven, asked where he had come from and where he had gotten his clothing. Odysseus said he had been held by Calypso for seven years and released on the eighth, and related everything told above, including what Nausicaä had done. Alkinoös said that he was disappointed his daughter did not bring him in herself, but Odysseus said that it was not because of any fault of hers, but rather he was too embarrassed to follow behind. Then they made him a bed on the portico, but Alkinoös went and slept next to his wife.

Book 8:

The next day Alkinoös took Odysseus to the council area with its smooth stone benches, and Athena went in the guise of his herald and told the leading men to come and see the god-like stranger. Alkinoös selected 52 men and told them to take a new black ship that had never sailed down to the water, make her ready, and attach the long oars. This they did, while everyone else, including the twelve sub-kings on the island went to feast. They ate and drank their fill, and the bard sang long and well, and Odysseus drew his purple hood over his head and wept when he heard songs from the Trojan War. But only Alkinoös, sitting next to him noticed, and he said that there had been enough song, it was time for athletic games, to show the stranger how they excel in athletics. There was a foot-race, discus-throwing, wrestling, boxing, and the king’s sons won several of these. Then one king’s eldest asked Odysseus to compete, since from his build he looked to be no stranger to athletics, but Odysseus said he just wanted to go home. Then Euryalos, who had won wrestling, said to Odysseus that clearly he was no athlete, but rather a merchant eager for profit. This angered Odysseus, so said that it was a word poorly spoken and gave words of instruction on the topic. Then he grabbed a heavier discus than they had been using, and threw it farther than all the others (so far that a blind man could feel that there were no others around it). He said he was used to doing well, and said he would accept a competition between any of them in any of the games (except Alkinoös’ oldest son, because it is not seemly to fight one’s friend and host), except that he might lose a foot race since the raft did not offer any way to keep up his conditioning for his feet. There was silence, and Alkinoös said that they should move on to dancing, and show the stranger how unsurpassed the Phaiakians were at dancing. They brought back the bard, and he played his lyre and sang about how Hephaistos caught Ares and (his wife) Aphrodite in the act and extracted the adultery-price from Ares (guaranteed by Poseidon). They danced magnificently, and Odysseus was awed. After the dances were finished, he told Alkinoös that Alkinoös had spoken truly that they were the best dancers, and Alkinoös was pleased. He declared the stranger a friend, as a suppliant is supposed to be, and told the twelve kings to give him each a gift of a well-washed robe, a tunic, and a talent of gold. They had another feast, and Alkinoös gave him a beautiful golden goblet so that Odysseus would remember them when he poured libations to the gods, and had Arete give him a fine chest to put everything in, and a washed robe and a tunic, and to heat the cauldron for a bath. Odysseus was excited about the hot bath, since he had not had one in twenty days (although before then Calypso treated him like a god), and he bathed and was anointed in oil, and then dressed. Arete brought him the chest, they put the gifts in, and Alkinoös told Odysseus to seal it with a knot, so he closed it and tied a knot that Circe had taught him. Then they feasted, and Odysseus complimented Demodokus, the blind bard, gave him most of his portion of meat, and said that he would sing his praises abroad if he would sing about the Trojan Horse. This he did, and told it as accurately as if he had been there. Odysseus could not stop weeping (as a woman  weeps over the body of her husband who was killed unsuccessfully defending the city and his family, before she is pushed by the butt of a spear, to go a life of slavery and work). Alkinoös again was the only one who noticed, and so he asked Odysseus who he was, and why he wept so much.

Book 9:

Although I would rather not relive my miseries, but since you ask me, I am wide-famed Odysseus, and we men sailed from Troy and sacked the city of the Kikonians and shared out their wives and possessions. I said we should leave quickly, but the men did not want to, which was not good advice, since their neighbors came early in the morning. Although we were doing well in the morning, in the afternoon they defeated us and we fled in our strong-benched ships. We landed in the land of the Lotus Eaters. They were friendly, and gave the three men I sent to scout lotus flowers to eat, but this made them forget about going home and want to stay there and eat lotus flowers. I himself had to go drag them back and tie them up underneath the benches. Then we landed on the island of the Cyclops, on a nice beach a ways from where they lived, and we killed a bunch of the goats and ate without limit. The men thought we should leave, but I took twelve men to see if the people of the island were godly and honored strangers and would give me a guest-present. We found a cave of one, which had ewes and much goat milk and goat cheese, but the man was out. We helped ourselves to the cheese, but when he came back, placed an enormous boulder in front of the door, and had milked his goats in order, he asked us who we were. I said we were followers of Agamemnon returning from Troy, and invoked hospitality. He said we were fools and he did not care about Zeus. Then he slapped two of my men to the ground and ate them. I contemplated stabbing him in the liver with my sword, but did not, since we could not move the boulder. In the morning he ate another two men, then led out his sheep. I pondered what to do. In the evening, after he ate another two men, I gave him some very strong wine that I had taken with me, just in case, which he eagerly drank and then fell asleep. My men and I had sharpened a tree he had drying in the cave, and we heated it in the fire, and myself and four others rammed it into his eye and twisted. He had asked me my name, to which I said “Nobody”, and when we rammed his eye he started hollering, and the other Cyclopses came outside and asked why he had disturbed their sleep. He said that Nobody was hurting him, and they said, well, in that case they would go back to sleep. Then I tied sheep together in groups of three and put a man under the middle sheep. Then I grabbed the underbelly of a rather large ram. In the morning, he felt the backs of the sheep, but not underneath. He was surprised that the ram, who normally ran first to get the best grass, was last, and wished he could talk. We quietly ran to the ship and launched it, and when we were a shout’s distance out, I taunted him saying that we were escaping. He grabbed a top of the mountain and threw it at us, narrowing missing the steering oar and the wave sent us back to the beach. After we had rowed out I waited until twice the distance, and even though the men tried to stop me, I taunted him again, saying that he should know that Odysseus of Ithaca had overcome him. Then he said that the prophecy that he had been told had been fulfilled, and he prayed to Poseidon that he would kill us all, or if it was ordained to that I should come home, that I should do so with the loss of everything, all my companions, in another’s ships, to a troubled house. Then he threw an even larger stone and narrowly missed our steering oar, sending us back to the beach where the others were relieved to see us. We shared the sheep among the boats, and I sacrificed the ram to Zeus, but he did not receive it.

Book 10:

Next we came to the island of Aiolos, who had six sons and six daughters, and married them to each other, and they lived, richly provided for in his palace. He feasted me and gave me gifts, and when I asked him to send us home, he gave us a bag with all the winds tied up except the West Wind, since the gods had made him keeper of the winds. I did not let the men touch the sails, but when we came in sight of Ithaca, sweet sleep overcame me. While I was sleeping, the men were jealous that I got given a bag full of treasure, while they, who had done as much as I had, got nothing. So they opened the bag, and then all the other winds sprang out, and a storm blew up, and we were blown back to Aiolos. They were surprised to see me arrive, and when I told what had happened, Aiolos threw me out and said he would not help someone the cursed by the gods. Then we rowed on and came to Lamos. I sent some men to investigate, but the inhabitants were giants and threw man-sized rocks at us and sunk all the ships in the harbor. However, I had tied my ship to one of the cliffs that surround the harbor, right at the entrance, so my ship made it out, but all the other men perished. Sorrowing we rowed on, and came to the island of Aiaia. I divided the men into two groups of twelve, and the lot fell to the one led by Eurylochos. They found a lovely house and heard a woman singing while she worked her loom, Circe, goddess of the lovely hair. They announced themselves and she graciously invited them in, but Eurlyochos stayed outside, suspecting treachery. She gave them wine mixed with a potion, and when they had gratefully drunk it, she turned them into pigs with her wand and sent them into the pig stye. Eurylochos came back and told me, and so I went alone to her house. Hermes met me as I neared it, and said I would not succeed without his help. He gave me a root which would prevent her potion from working and advised me what to do. So I went to the house, and she invited me in. I drank her wine, but when she was surprised that her magic with the wand did not work, I drew my sword and went after her as if to kill her, as Hermes had advised. As he said she would, she conciliatory and invited me to sleep with her so that in love we might have faith and trust in each other. I said that I could not trust her not to unman me in such a vulnerable state, so she swore an oath that she would not do anything to me. So I went into her beautiful bed. Afterwards her handmaids set out a lovely dinner, but she asked why I did not eat. I said I could not eat while my companions were pigs, so she went and transformed them back into men (but they were a little younger than before), and we embraced and lamented. After a while she told us to still our lamenting and partake of the food. Then she invited all of us to stay, so we went back to the ships to get them. Eurylochos was unwilling to go, so I said he could stay there, but he followed us anyway. Circe said since we were all so tired from Troy and our adventures and losses, that we should stay until our spirits had returned to the brightness that they were when we left Ithaca. A year passed, and the men asked me about leaving. So that night I ascended Circe’s beautiful bed and asked her to keep her promise to send us off. She said she would not keep us if we were not willing, but that we needed to go to the land of the dead to ask advice of the prophet Teiresias (whom Persephone had granted to keep his spirit) how to get back. The men were disheartened when I told them. Also, the young man Elpenor died falling of the roof, where he was sleeping drunkenly, when he heard us leaving and woke up, not realizing where he was. When we got to the ships, we found that Circe had come and given us two sheep for the sacrifice to the dead. We had not seen her; who can see an immortal if they wish it otherwise?

• Odysseus notes that both Calypso (yesterday) and Circe both wanted him as a husband. He also describes both of them negatively, Circe being “the dread goddess” and sister of malignant Aietes (Book 10, 136-7). Calypso, likewise is a “dread goddess” who “loved me excessively” (Book 7, 255-6). Circe tried to keep him by making him forget who he was, while Calypso kept him by force, but treated him really well and wanted to make him immortal. He says explicitly that Calypso could not win his heart. Hermes tells Odysseus not to refuse Circe, since he wants her to set his companions free.
• Circe is explicitly shown weaving. Presumably Calypso does, too, since he has “immortal cloth” to give Odysseus.

Book 11:

Odysseus sailed south to the end of the Ocean, where the land is covered in night. They walked to the place Circe had told them, and then Odysseus made sacrifices to the dead and promised them a heifer upon his return. He dug two pits, and filled them with water, wine, and the blood of the two sheep, and covered them with white barley [which seems to be a part of sacrifices]. The dead came up, but, as directed, he held out his sharp sword and prevented them from drinking the blood until Teiresias, the Athenian prophet, came. He drank, and then prophesied that Odysseus would need to go back to Circe’s isle, and afterwards would encounter hardships. He could have a homecoming, but if they ate of Helios’ cattle they would be destroyed, and if only he refrained, he would come home in hardship, his house in trouble. Then he left, and Odysseus waited until his mother, whom he had seen earlier, came back, and after she drank he asked her why she died. She said that she died out of sorrow for him, but that his father was still alive, living by himself in his orchard. Then Odysseus let the women that Persephone sent come up one by one, questioning each. They were heroic women, who had slept with a god and borne children (because sleeping with a god always produces results), and they each briefly told their story. Odysseus stopped and said that he should sleep, but Alkinoös instructed all the kings to bring him a gift. Then he said that the night was long, and in any case, he would be happy to listen until dawn since the story was told so well, and asked if Odysseus had talked with any of his companions from the war. Odysseus said that he did not mind the telling if they wanted to hear it. He said that he did talk with them. Agamemnon came, and Odysseus was surprised and asked whether he died at sea or in battle. He said none, but that Aigisthos slaughtered him and his men at a feast in his house, like slaughtering animals for a feast, ignominiously. In fact his <unkind-word> wife did not even close his eyes and mouth. He warned Odysseus not to trust women, not even your wife, but that Penelope has great character and is keeping the household together [the wife’s job] as best she can, beset with troubles. He saw Achilles and told him that his glory was well-known. Achilles replied and said that being a poor thrall in the field is better than being dead with glory, and asked about his son. He went away pleased when Odysseus told him that he never slackened from the battle and won himself with glory at Troy. He talked with others, and it seemed like the heroes were not shades who had to drink the blood (although this is not entirely clear), but when the masses of dead started coming, he became green with fear and went back to the ship.

Book 12:

They went back to Circe’s isle and buried Elpenor, as his shade had requested in Hades. Then Circle gave them food and they feasted. During the night she instructed Odysseus on the trials awaiting him, and how to deal with them. She instructed him not to eat the cattle of Helios, the same way the ghost of Teiresias had. When Dawn came, with her rosy fingers, they sailed away. First they came to the Siren’s island, and Odysseus told them the danger, put softened beeswax in their ears, and instructed them to lash him to the mast so that he could hear their song. They sang that they could tell him all about himself and the war, for they knew everything, and he wanted to hear them, but the men lashed him tighter, as instructed, and rowed on. He instructed them to keep clear of the dashing rocks. Then they came to Skylla, who had six head on long necks, and on the other side, Charybdis who sat under a fig tree and alternately sucked down the water so you could see the bottom, or spit it up so that it boiled. Odysseus took two spears to try to fight Skylla, even though Circe said it was not possible, she was immortal, but they were so focused on avoiding Charybdis that he did not see Skylla until she had taken six of their best men into the air, and she ate them in front of her lair as they screamed. After that they came to the island with Helios’ cattle and sheep. Odysseus wanted to pass it by, but the men were unanimous in wanted to sleep there, and since they had essentially forced him, he agreed. He told them not to eat any of the cattle or sheep, but only the provisions Circe had given. But then there was a storm for seven days, and unfavorable winds for a month, and they ran out of food. He went up the island to pray to the gods, but they gave him sleep, and his men killed some cattle while he was away. Then Odysseus saw what the gods wanted to do. They did this for several days, but finally the winds were favorable. However, Helios had sent a messenger to Zeus asking for recompense for his cattle or he would shine on Hades instead of the earth, and when the sheep was surrounded by water, he sent a small storm and smashed the ship with a thunderbolt. The men all died, but Odysseus found the rudder and another piece, which he lashed together as a makeshift raft. He was blown all the way back to Charybdis, who was sucking down water. He clung to a branch of the fig tree that was over the water, until about dinner time she started spitting the water back up, and he dropped when he saw his raft and swam to it. Fortunately Skylla did not see him or was not paying attention or he would not have survived. Eventually he drifted to Calypso’s island, and that tale, he said, there is no need to tell, since I hate telling a story again after it has been well-told once.

Book 13:

They all sat spell-bound after he finished his story, then Alkinoös said they should each give him a tripod and beautifully wrought cauldron. They feasted again, and at sundown Odysseus asked to be taken back. So they stowed all his gifts in the ships, and set Odysseus a bed, and he slept while soundly while they rowed their well-built ship. They came to a beach on Ithaca, known for its cave sacred to the nymphs. Still sleeping, they carried his bed onto the beach and piled his gifts around him, and then left. Now Poseidon, angry that they had taken Odysseus home, went to Zeus and asked to express his anger by stunning the ship, and prevent their continuing to convey all men by hiding their city under a mountain. Zeus said it would be best to turn the ship into stone in sight of the people on shore, but not to hide their city under a mountain. So he did this, and the people were confused at what happened, until Alkinoös said that his father’s prophecy was now completed, that one day after conveying someone the ship would be stopped and the city hidden under a mountain. So they resolved to convey no more passengers, and made sacrifice to Poseidon.

When Odysseus woke up, Athena came to him as a boy shepherd, and hid the shape of Ithaca from Odysseus. He saw a strange land and was upset at the Phaiakians. He asked the boy where he was, and the boy said he must be either ignorant for from far off, since this was none other than well-known Ithaca. He replied that he was from Crete, and had heard of Ithaca. He had killed the son of Idomeneus on a dark night, for denying him his share in the plunder of Troy, and had then fled on a Phoenician ship, but they had slept the night here and left him while he was sleeping. Athena revealed herself, saying that there was no one like him for craftiness, except among the gods, herself, then noted that she had made the Phaiakians love him, and had brought him to the city herself. He thanked her for all her kindness in the days before his troubled return, but said he did not think this was Ithaca and that she was devising more trouble. Athena replied that this kind of thinking was why should could not abandon him: he reasons closely and does not lose his head—any other man would have run off after his wife and children. She said that they she did not think it wise to cross Poseidon, who was angry at him for blinding his son. Then she told him the situation of his house and he thanked her for saving him from a fate like Agamemnon’s, and asked her what to do. She said not to go home, but to go to the swineherd caring for his pigs, and she changed him into an old man, and gave him lousy clothes to wear. Then she said she needed to go get his son, who had gone off to Sparta to ask after him. He asked she had done that, when he was on the verge of coming home, and she said that she had sent him off so that he could win glory, and, not to worry, she was going to ensure he came back safely.

Book 14:

Odysseus went and found Eumaios, the swineherd, who received him graciously in fear of Zeus, killing two small pigs (all that he was allowed) and roasting the cubed meat. He talked freely about his frustrations with the suitors eating up Odysseus’ property and having to send the best pig every day, since Odysseus had been a loving master and he wished he would come home, though he was sure that he had perished somewhere on the water. Odysseus was encouraged by his hospitality and his concern for Odysseus’ property, and tried to reassure him that Odysseus was coming back, but he said that any wanderer is likely to say that. Odysseus asked for better clothes (a wanderer’s right, apparently), and Eumaios said that he would have to wait until Telemachos came back, because they had no extras. Odysseus then said to wait on the clothes until Odysseus came back, as he said, and if he did not come back then not to give them, since he hated liars who said anything their hosts wanted to hear. Eumaios was not persuaded, but asked Odysseus who he was. He said he was the son of a concubine of a rich man on Crete. His brothers gave him little inheritance when his father died, but he gained renown fighting. After Troy, he spent a month with his wife and kids, but then went off to Egypt. When they came to the delta, he told his men to stay by the ships and went into the city, but they plundered the area, killed the men, and took the women, and then the men of the city came out and attacked them. He clasped the knees of the king, who protected him, and he stayed in Egypt seven years and acquired much wealth. But on the eighth he was deceived by a Phoenician, and spent a year with him, who then sailed to sell him as a slave at a great price. He had an inkling of this, and escaped when they spent the night at Ithaca. However, they had previously spent the night at a king’s house along the way, where he heard that Odysseus was coming back. Eumaios still did not believe it. When the four swineherds he was in charge of came back, he killed the fattest pig, wrapped the appropriate parts with fat and put it on the fire as a sacrifice, and roasted the meat. That night, Odysseus tested Eumaios to see if he would be courteous and give him his cloak for the cold, telling a story about how he was with Odysseus at Troy, and had forgotten his cloak and was freezing, and Odysseus got one of the guy to run back to give Agamemnon a message, which allowed him to sleep in that man’s cloak. Eumaios said that the story was well-spoken and to the point, and got up and gave him warm sheepskins.

Book 15:

Athena came to Telemachos in the night and told him that it no longer became him to stay at Menelaos’ house, but he should get back to his own, in case his mother married, because women pay no attention to former children and their former husband once they have remarried. He should set one of the trustworthy of the women-servants over it until the gods showed him who was his wife. And he should be aware that the suitors were trying to kill him, and to go to the swineherd once he arrived, instead of back home. So he told Menelaos that he needed to leave, which disappointed him, and he offered to take him on a tour of mainland kings (“each of whom will give us a tripod and a cauldron, or something equally nice”), but Telemachos said he must go. So Menelaos speachified on how one should neither be too friendly and not let a guest leave, nor unfriendly and not welcome a guest, and then gave him a silver mixing bowl and some other things, and Helen gave him the loveliest robe that she had woven, for his wife to wear at their wedding. He and Nestor’s son went back, and on the second day, Telemachos asked him to take him directly to his ship. Nestor’s son thought that this was best, since his father would surely force him to stay, but said he should sail immediately, because even so he was likely to come down and make it impossible to leave. So Telemachos had his men prepare to leave, and while he was pouring libations and praying, Theoklymenos, a prophet and one who was an exile due to having killed someone, begged him to take him aboard, to which Telemachos says that of course he would. They sailed without incident around the islands instead of going the short way, and came to the harbor of Ithaca. Theoklymenos asked him where he should go, and Telemachos said that ordinarily he would invite him to his high-roofed house, but because of the violent suitors he said that would not be a good plan, and asked one of his men to host him, and the guest said that it would be no problem. As they disembarked, a bird flew on their right, and Theoklymenos said that it boded well.

• Interesting that Athena needs to use a wand, too, like Circe, despite being a high goddess.

Book 16:

Odysseus saw the dogs fawning and not barking, and told Eumaios that someone they knew must be here. He met Telemachos, who promised him a tunic and clothing. Eumaios rejoiced at seeing Telemachos, whom he had assumed would not come back from his voyage. Odysseus asked Telemachos how it was that his possessions were being eaten up, if maybe he had fallen out of favor with the people, and said that if he were only younger he would help, but wished that Odysseus would return because the situation was outrageous. Telemachos said that his line was always just a single male, so he had no brothers to help him, and the suitors were very numerous (about one hundred, from Ithaca and the neighboring islands), and moreover the best men of Ithaca were among them. Then he sent Eumaios to Penelope to tell him that he had returned. Athena came, and Telemachos was turned away from her, but the dogs saw her tall figure and whimpered, and to Odysseus she said that he should reveal himself. She tapped him with her wand and restored him to strong middle-age. When Telemachos turned back, he saw that Odysseus was no longer aged, but was strong and handsome like a god, and he told Odysseus that he must be a god, and not to harm him, but he would bring sacrifice. Odysseus said that he was surely not one of the immortals, but Telemachos’ father, returned. Telemachos did not believe him, but Odysseus said that Athena was with him, and changed his form from strong to aged and back, because she is able to do that sort of thing. Telemachos rejoiced. Then Odysseus asked how many suitors there were, and whether two of the would be enough or if they needed help. Telemachos said that they were many and, while he would follow his father, two people would likely lead to disaster. Odysseus asked if two helpers, Athena and Zeus would be sufficient, seeing as how Athena was planning all this, and he did admit that this was likely enough. Now the suitors discovered that their ambush had failed—the ambushing ship complaining that they had kept a sharp lookout day and night and did not even see him. Antinoös said that he thought Telemachos would turn the people’s opinion against them and would not let them leave, so they needed to find him outside the city and kill him. Amphinomos, the leader from Duchilion, and whose talk pleased Penelope the most (since he had “good sense and discretion”), said that he would not kill a king’s son, since the gods are not pleased with this, so he thought they should ask the gods first, and give up the idea if they refuse. At the feast that night, Penelope made one of her rare appearances and upbraided Antiloös and the suitors for lying in wait to kill her son, and to stop trying to kill him. Eurylachos, who had offered the most gifts and was the one Penelope’s parents were pressing her to marry, said that he remembered Odysseus putting him on his knees, and he said that I will say this and it will be a thing accomplished: I will spear the man who tries to kill Telemachos, so have no fear, but if the gods ordain it what can we do. But as he said this, he was plotting how to do exactly that.

Book 17:

Telemachos told Eumaios to take the stranger into the city so he could beg, and then left to show himself to his mother, Penelope, who cried when she saw him, and kissed his forehead and both eyes (as Eumaios did when he saw him). She thought she would never see him again. Then Telemachos went to get his guest, and they ate and put away their hunger. Theoklymenos told Penelope that the bird he saw presaged Odysseus’ return home, to which she said that she wished it would come to pass, and if so, she would give him gifts. Eumaios took Odysseus to the city, where, at the well in the center, Odysseus’ goatherd insulted him and said that he should be killed. Odysseus called upon the nymphs that the well was dedicated to to hear him and bring vengeance. When they came to Odysseus’ house, he told Eumaios that this must be the place, since it is so large and grand and it seemed that there was much feasting, and Eumaios told him that he was right. In the forecourt there was an old, dying dog sitting on a dung heap, whom Odysseus had raised, right before he left, and it recognized his voice and wagged its tail, but was too weak to get up. Odysseus asked Eumaios about the dog, and received the reply that once it was a fine dog, before Odysseus left and the servants neglected their duties, for when a man becomes a slave the gods take half his virtue. Odysseus said it might not be wise for both to come in together, so Eumaios went first and sat down by Telemachos, and then Odysseus went later and Telemachos invited him to join them and gave them food. After everyone had put away their desire to eat and drink, Odysseus went begging to each of the suitors. Everyone gave him something, except Antinoös, who refused, even after Telemachos pointed out that he was giving other people’s food, not his own, which demonstrated he thought only of himself. This angered Antinoös, who noted that he had a long supply of food without him, and threw a footstool at Odysseus, hitting him in the back below the right shoulder, but Odysseus did not flinch. Telemachos seethed at this insult to a stranger in his house but kept it within him. Penelope, when she heard of it, said a prayer that the deed be punished. Even the other suitors said that this was not well done, since often the gods come as strangers, but Antinoös took no notice. Penelope, hearing that the stranger had news of Odysseus asked for him to come to her, but Odysseus said that it was less risky after sundown, when the suitors had gone home and they could speak privately. Penelope observed that this was reasonable and wise.

Book 18:

There was a large and fat beggar, nicknamed Iros because he would run on messages, who begged from the suitors. They egged him on to fight the old stranger and drive him off, promising a large pasty of blood and fat to the winner. Iros was all eager until Odysseus said that, old as he was, the need of his future hunger pushed him to fight so that he could keep his seat at the threshold, and pushing back his rags revealed strong limbs. The suitors egged him on until it was impossible that he back out, and Odysseus hit him softly, below the ear, laying him out on the floor, bleeding, but did not kill him. The suitors laughed and cheered his victory. Taking his food-prize from Amphinomos, he said that it is wise to realize that the gods give change of fortunes, and although you are young and courageous now, his experience is that the gods can ruin you, and here are these insulting suitors, and Odysseus on his way, and he hoped that Amphinomos would not be there when he returned. Amphinomos said down, thoughtful, but could not see a way out, because Athena was determined that he should die. Penelope, whom Athena had given the idea, and had put to sleep while she made her more beautiful, came down and upbraided Telemachos that beggar guests should fight in his hall. He said that it was not their idea. Then Penelope told the suitors, who were all lusting after her, addressing Eurymachos, that Odysseus when he left had told her that the Trojans were reputed to be good warriors and that he might not return, but if he did not, keep the household until Telemachos grew a beard and then marry whomever she wished, which was now coming to pass—but normally suitors brought the victims for the feast and gifts, rather than eating up the property of the sought-after. Antinoös said that they were staying until she made her choice, but that whoever wanted to bring a gift was free to. So they all gave her a lovely gift, beautifully made clothes and lovely necklaces, leaving Odysseus pleased at how she managed to wrangle gifts out of them. Then the suitors wanted to sing and dance, so they had the handmaidens set up three light-fires. Odysseus told them to go, and he would tend the fires, even all night if necessary, since he was long-enduring. One of the handmaids, who was sleeping with Eurymachos, said that either the wine or his victory over Iros had gone to his head, but he called her a bitch and said he would go to Telemachos who would punish them, and they left hastily, afraid. Eurymachos challenged beggar-Odysseus to work for a living on his property, instead of taking the lazier way and begging food. Odysseus replied that he wished it were spring, so they could compete at cutting grass with the sickle, or plowing furrows, or working cattle, and he would find his endurance no easy thing to keep up with. Eurymachos, angered, replied that either the wine or his victory over the other beggar must have gone to his head, and threw a footstool at him, but Odysseus crouched down and it hit the cupbearer. Then the other suited complained that now this beggar had ruined their feast with his insolence, and Telemachos said that some god obviously had disturbed their customary good behavior, and that since they had feasted, they should go home, but only when they were ready, for he would not drive out any man. The suitors were surprised at this boldness, and Amphinomos said that this was spoken orderly, and they should retire. So after they had poured out libations and had a round of drinks they left.

Book 19:

The housemaid sleeping with Eurymachos scolded Odysseus for still being here, telling him not to wear out his welcome, to which Odysseus gave her a speech warning her not to assume that her present fortune would last, as he is an example that it may not. Penelope also replied, telling the maid that she knew the “monstrous thing” she was doing and noted that she was there when she agreed to talk with the stranger privately at night. Penelope had her chair brought down and one for the stranger, with fleeces to sit on. She asked him where he came from and who he was, but Odysseus declined to answer, saying that it stir sorrow and that excessive weeping is improper for a guest. She, responding to his polite comment on her beauty said that she lost her beauty when Odysseus went to cursed, not-to-be-named Ilion (Troy), then told about the suitors and her current situation, and again asked Odysseus about himself. Odysseus said he was from a wealthy family in Crete, and had feasted Odysseus and his men in his house as they were going to Troy, having been blown off-course. She said that he needed to describe what Odysseus was wearing to validate his claim. Odysseus protests that it has been nineteen years and he will have to go from memory, and then proceeds to describe in exact detail what Odysseus was wearing nineteen years ago, down to the carving on his brooch. Crying, she said that she had woven this exact garment and had put the brooch on it herself. Odysseus told her to stop mourning, that the king of the Thespotians, where he had been allegedly wandering, had told him that Odysseus’ ship was destroyed by Zeus because his men ate Helios’ cattle, but that Odysseus had been brought back by the Phaiakians, and was even now coming home. She said that if what he said was true she would shower him with gifts, but did not expect to give any. But she said that she would give him clothes, and a bath and a bed for the night and he should stay at her house. Odysseus thanked her, but said he that good clothes have been hateful to him since he left Crete, that he slept for so long on the ground that he preferred the ground over a bed, and that he was too bashful to have any woman bathe him, except for an old woman, that he would accept. Penelope said that he was the most honorable guest, and got Eurykleia to bathe him. She noticed his scar he got while killing a boar on a hunt at his grandfather’s house and she recognized him. She tried to signal Penelope, but Odysseus asked her why she was trying to kill him by revealing his secret, told her to keep the secret, and said if she told any one, it would be a thing accomplished that he would kill her along with all the unfaithful housemaids (despite her being his nurse as a baby). She said that she had always had discretion, and went off to get more water, because she had spilled everything in her surprise. Penelope asked him to interpret a dream where an eagle killed the twenty geese in her house, and Odysseus said that it obviously meant that Odysseus was coming back and would kill the suitors, since in the dream the eagle turned into Odysseus and explicitly said so. Penelope said she though that this dream came from the ivory gate of untrue dreams instead of the polished horn gate of true dreams, and said that she would be married soon, since she was going to have the suitors shoot an arrow through the holes in axes, and pick the one who did best. Odysseus told her not to put off the trial of the arrows through the axes, for Odysseus would surely come before any of them could handle the bow of Odysseus. Penelope went upstairs to bed and cried herself to sleep, as usual.

Book 20

He had trouble sleeping, since he was trying to figure out how he could kill the suitors all by himself, but Athena came and told him to sleep peacefully, because she was helping him and even if an army attacked him, they would be slaughtered. But Penelope prayed to Artemis that she would strike her dead with her arrows. In the morning Eumaios the swineherd came with some fattened porkers. The goatherd also came with the goats for the day and insulted Odysseus and said that they would have to exchange fists since he was begging overmuch and did not work, but Odysseus ignored him. Philoitios came with an ox and goats, and Odysseus learned that he was staying instead of escaping elsewhere because he was hoping Odysseus would come back and give the suitors what-for. Odysseus asked Zeus for an omen, if he was really planning to help him, and it thundered out of the clear sky, and the weakest of the mill-women, who was still grinding grain, announced that it was an omen and expressed desire for Odysseus to kill suitors (whose large feasts required the mill-women to grind lots of grain). Telemachos seated Odysseus at a poor table with food, and announced that no one should insult him or they might get in a fight. Athena stirred up Ctessipos from Same, who mocked Odysseus and threw and ox-hoof at him, but Odysseus ducked and it hit the wall. Telemachos said that it was good that it missed, because anyone who hit a guest in my hall would get my spear-point through his heart, and then there would be a funeral instead of marriage for him. One of the suitors said that this was properly spoken, and told them not to hit strangers in the hall, but then gave gentle advice to Telemachos that he should be supportive of his mother marrying, so that he could have his house to himself. Telemachos said that he was supportive, but would not insist that his mother leave (and by implication, marrying). Athena stirred the suitors to excessive laughter. Theoklymenos upbraided the suitors, and prophesied Odysseus’ return. They mocked him and told him to get out, and he went back to the house of Peiraios, where Telemachos sent him on arrival. Then the suitors mocked Telemachos, saying he had bad luck with guests: a vagabond who will not work and a bum who prophesies, and that it would be better to put them on a ship to Sicily and get a good price for them as slaves. And Penelope said in her chair in a doorway and overheard everything being said.

Book 21

The next day Penelope brought down the great bow of Odysseus, his arrows, and twelve axes and announced the contest to the suitors. To the amazement of the suitors, Telemachos dug a trench in the floor and set up the axes in a straight line using a string, without having seen it before. Telemachos tried the bow first, and would have strung it on the fourth try, but Odysseus signaled to him not to, so he lamented his lack of strength. Then the suitors tried it out in order from how the wine was served, all failing. Meanwhile, Odysseus talked to Eumaios and the oxherd outside and found that they were willing to fight for Odysseus. He said that he was, indeed Odysseus, and showed them the scar on his knee from the boar, and he promised to find them wives and consider them companions of Telemachos. They rejoiced at his return (cried and lamented, actually), until Odysseus said that it was enough, we need to be quiet. Then he gave them Philoitios to bar the does of the hall on the outside, and for Eumaios to bring the bow when he asked for it. Then they went inside. When all the suitors had tried and failed, Odysseus asked to try. Antinoös was angry with him, but Penelope said to let him try, since he surely would not take her away, and if he was able to do it she would give him clothes, sandals, and a spear, so he could go wherever he wished. Antinoös said that he was not worried about that, but everyone would be very embarrassed if they, the finest men of Ithaca could not string the bow while a vagabond succeeded. Then Telemachos told Penelope to go back to her room, since he was the authority in the house, the bow was his, even to give away if he wished. Eumaios brought the bow to Odysseus, not without threat from Antinoös, which Telemachos defused at his own expense, then he told Eurykleia to bar the doors, and Philoitios wrapped the rope around them from the outside and returned. Odysseus examined the bow very carefully to see if it had been damaged by rot while he was away, causing comment from the suitors, and then easily strung the bow and sent an arrow through the hole in all the twelve axeheads. Then he signaled to Telemachos, who came over to him wearing bronze armor.

Book 22:

Then Odysseus shot Antinoös in the neck as he was about to drink wine from the golden two-handed goblet. Eurymachos yelled at him, and Odysseus replied, you dogs did not think I would return from Troy, and you ate up my household, slept with my housemaids, and wooed my wife while I was still alive. Then they turned weak from green fear, except Eurymachos who said that he was right to be angry, but that Antinoös was the leader, and since he now perished of his folly, they would each pay him back 12 oxen. Odysseus said that he would not accept everything he and his father owed. So Eurymachos drew his sword, but was immediately shot under the right nipple. Telemachos said he would go and get weapons and armor for them, to which Odysseus said, do it before I run out of arrows. Each of the arrows found its mark, and Telemachos returned and they armored up. But the goatherd went through a ventilation opening and got weapons and armor from the storeroom for the suitors (Telemachos had not properly shut it in his haste) and started passing them to the suitors. So, on Odysseus’ instructions Eumaios and Philoitios went to the storeroom, hid, and surprised him. They strung him with his legs and knees behind him on a rope. Then they came back. The suitors with weapons threw their spears at the four, but Athena caused them to miss wildly. The four returned volley and killed four. Then the suitors tried again, with the same results, and the four killed another four. They they laid to with the sword. At the end, one of the suitors, who had not approved of their behavior and who was a diviner, clasped Odysseus’ knees and asked for pardon, since he was a diviner and had done nothing. Odysseus said that he must have prayed against his return, and beheaded him. Then the singer of songs clasped his knees and said that he was forced to sing for them, and Telemachos vouched for him, and also said they should spare the herald, if he not already been killed. The herald then emerged from under an ox-skin under a chair, where he had been hiding. Eurykleia rejoiced at seeing all the suitors dead, but Odysseus told her to stop, that rejoicing over their deaths is inappropriate. Odysseus told her to bring in all the women who had been unfaithful to the household, and have them clean up the mess and wipe down the chairs. The men took the bodies out. After the women had finished, Telemachos and the other two took the women to a narrow place, and wrapped a wire around all their throats and hung them (Odysseus had said to kill them with the edge of the sword, but he decided that was too kind to them). They kicked, but not for long. The three also took the rebellious goatherd and cut off his nose, ears, and arms, and fed his private parts to the dogs raw and left him (presumably to die). Eurykleia wanted to wake Penelope, and to give him proper clothes, but Odysseus said not to wake her, and that he wanted to sulfur the house first to clean it. After that was done, she brought in all the faithful women, and they all cried, even Odysseus, because he knew all of them.

Book 23:

The nurse Eurykleia woke up Penelope and told her that Odysseus was back and had killed all the suitors. Penelope scolded her, but she said that she had seen Odysseus’ scar earlier, and wanted to tell her, but Odysseus prevented her. Penelope got up in joy, and went down and looked on the stranger-guest for a long time. Then she said to bring his own bed for him to sleep on out here. Telemachos said there was no woman so hard-hearted as she was. But Odysseus got a little angry, and said that it would be hard to bring his bed out, because he had made the bed post out of a tree that had been growing where he built the room, unless someone had sawed it off. This convinced Penelope, since no other man had seen their bed. Odysseus had Telemachos get the singer to playing songs and had Telemachos and the other two and the housemaids sing and dance, so people would think it was a wedding. Then Odysseus and Penelope enjoyed themselves in love, and then told each other their story, but Odysseus did warn Penelope that Teiresias had said that he needed to find a wanderer on the mainland, make sacrifices to Poseidon, come back and make hecatombs to all the gods, and that he would die ignominiously at an old age. Athena prevented Dawn from coming until she thought they had enjoyed lovemaking and sleep enough.

Book 24:

Odysseus told Penelope to stay upstairs and ignore any rumors, but he needed to go. The four men went off to the villa of Laertes, his father, where Odysseus found him attending to his excellent orchard, but dressed poorly, in mourning. Odysseus decided to see if his father would recognize him, so he asked why someone who clearly looked noble looked like a thrall. Laertes asked who he was, and he gave an answer, and said he was trying to find Ithaca, and a man who had guested five years prior. Laertes threw dirt on his head and Odysseus could not take it any more and said that he was actually his son. Laertes asked to him to prove it, and he showed the scar and told the story, which satisfied Laertes. They waited for Dolion and his sons, servants of Laertes, and they rejoiced to see Odysseus back. Then they ate. Now the men of Ithaca held an assembly, and Eupeithes, father of Antinoös, said that Odysseus had been an evil to Ithaca: first he had taken the best men with him to Troy, and now, come back after losing these, he killed the rest of the best men. But the old prophet stood up, and in kind intention toward all said that they should have listened to him and the previous assembly, when Telemachos requested that they suitors leave, and told their sons to stop what they were doing; now they paid the price for pursuing another man’s wife and eating up his property. Half the men seemed to agree with him, but the other half went with Eupeithes to attack Odysseus. Odysseus had three men with him (Telemachos, Eumaios, and Philoitios), plus Dolion’s six sons, and even the elderly Dolion and Laertes, all strapped on their armor for battle. Laertes said he was happy, because his son and grandson were contending over who had more courage. Athena told Laertes to throw his javelin, and he killed Eupeithes. Then the twelve killed a number of the attackers. Athena, in the form of Mentor, told them to stop, and the attackers turned green with fear and fled. Odysseus, with a shout, went after the fleeing men, but Athena told him to stop. Athena arranged that the others took an oath of loyalty to Odysseus, who was now king again.