8 Odysseus and the Sirens Odysseus ties himself

8. Odysseus and the Sirens Odysseus ties himself to the mast of the ship, listens to their song and beats them

9. Scylla and Charybdis Scylla’s six heads each pluck a sailor from Odysseus’ ship.

10. Island of Thrinacia, home of the cattle of Helios, the sun god.

Odysseus warns his men not to eat the cattle of Helios, but he falls asleep and they do it anyway!!!

Helios complains to Zeus, who causes a storm which wrecks the ship. • Only Odysseus survives • He floats to the island of Ogygia

11. Island of Ogygia, home of the nymph Calypso

Odysseus stays on Ogygia for seven years. Calypso promises Odysseus eternal life if he will stay with her.

At last Hermes comes and tells Calpyso she must let Odysseus go.

She helps Odysseus build a raft, and he sets out, tormented by Poseidon.

12. Leucothea helps Odysseus reach Scheria, the land of the Phaeacians • A peaceful and prosperous kingdom • Ruled by King Alcinous and Queen Arete • Odysseus declines marriage with their helpful daughter, Nausicaa • The Scherians take Odysseus back to Ithaca

Odysseus and Nausica

A Phaeacian ship

13. Odysseus Returns Home • Athena disguises Odysseus as a beggar and protects him and Telemachus. • Several things happen repeatedly: – The suitors throw things at him – His servants treat him insolently – The suitors plot to kill Telemachus (his son) – Odysseus repeats his story about being from Crete, and several times his cover is nearly blown

Eumaeus, the swineherd, takes in the disguised Odysseus, and his conversation reveals that he is loyal. When Telemachus returns from Sparta, he sends Eumaeus to tell his mother of his return. At this point Athena reveals Odysseus to Telemachus, and they begin plotting the death of the suitors.

Odysseus and Argus – Argus recognizes his master, wags his tail, and dies.

Penelope has been putting off the suitors for three years by telling them that she will marry when she completes the death shroud for Laertes – but she secretly undoes her work at night.

The Suitors • Athena urges them on in their evilness • Antinous – leader of the evil suitors who pushes the plan to kill Telemachus. The first to die. • Amphinomus- shows pity towards disguised Odysseus. Does not heed Odysseus’ warning about staying, and so is killed. • Eurymachus – tries to arrange for the death of Telemachus. Offers to repay Odysseus. Before his death he blames Antinous, then attacks Odysseus. • Ctesippus – speaks arrogantly to beggar Odysseus and throws a cow’s hoof at him. Telemachus kills him.

Evil Suitor Sympathizers • Melanthius, the disloyal goatherd. Supplies the suitors with weapons in their battle with Odysseus and Telemachus. • Melantho, insults Odysseus. She is one of the 12 disloyal maids • Leiodes – Sacrificial priest to the suitors. Though he hated their deeds, he served them and so Odysseus killed him.

The arrogant beggar, Irus, insults Odysseus and challenges him to a boxing match. Irus regrets this when Odysseus nearly kills him.

• Eurycleia, Odysseus’ old nurse, while washingi his feet, recognizes him by a scar caused by a wild boar.

• Penelope’s trick is revealed to the suitors. They demand that she choose a husband the next day.

• Penelope has a dream that an eagle swoops down and kills her 20 pet geese. The disguised Odysseus tell her it means her husband is about to come home and kill the suitors.

Penelope declares that whoever can string Odysseus’ bow and shoot an arrow through the holes of a dozen axe heads set in a line will be her new husband.

The suitors fail in the task. Odysseus demands a try, and the suitors mock him. He succeeds, and they marvel. He then shoots Antinous, and the battle begins.

Battle of the suitors

• The suitors are all killed. • Melanthius is killed.

• Penelope refuses to believe that Odysseus is really her husband returned, and to test Odysseus she tells Eurycleia to move the bed in their room. Odysseus protests that is not possible, for one leg of the bed was carved from a living olive tree!

Odysseus and Penelope reunited.