THE ADVENTURES OF ODYSSEUS ON HIS VOYAGE BACK TO ITHACA
After the Trojan War, Odysseus traveled to the island Ismaros of the Ciconians. Him and his men killed the natives, sparing the women. One of the women got away and told other Ciconians of the situation. The next day there was a battle between Odysseus’s army and Ciconians. The Ciconians had the upper hand and some of Odysseus’s men were killed, but the rest escaped alive.
After many days of violent winds and vicious oceans, Odysseus came to the country of the lotus-eaters. He sent two men to find out who the natives were. The men came across the lotus flower, and after eating it, had no intentions of returning home. Odysseus dragged them back onto the ship and they sailed away.
They sailed to the island of the Cyclopians, who were one-eyed barbarians. After finding wild sheep and feasting, Odysseus took his crew to explore the island and meet the inhabitants. They wandered into a cave where there were young animals and cheese. After steeling these foods, Odysseus’s crew wanted to leave, but he insisted that he should meet the owner. Eventually, the Cyclops returned and demanded to know who these people were, since they were eating his food. Odysseus introduces them only as Greeks who fought in the Trojan War. He said that his ship was wrecked and he and his men were the only survivors. In response, the Cyclops brutally killed and ate two of the men. After that, the Cyclops relaxed and fell asleep for the night. In the morning Cyclops ate two more men for breakfast and went out, leaving the remaining Greeks locked in because there was a giant stone in the entrance. When Cyclops returned, Odysseus fed him some strong wine that he had brought along. While drunk from the wine, Odysseus told Cyclops that his name was Noman. Cyclops then fell asleep. While the Cyclops was sleeping, Odysseus and his men drove a red-hot pole into the eye of the Cyclops, whose name was Polyphemos. Polyphemos screamed for his neighbors to help him. When asked who did this, Polyphemos said Noman did it, and the neighbors walked away, thinking that no one did any harm to him. Polyphemos himself found the stone covering the entrance and pushed it aside. Odysseus and his men then tied themselves to the animals as Polyphemos let them out. After getting onto the ship, Odysseus revealed his true identity to Polyphemos. Polyphemos then prayed to his father, Poseidon, god of the sea, to give Odysseus and/or his companions death or great misery.
The Essay on Sun God Odysseus Men Home
Did Odysseus and his men bring the string of catastrophes on themselves? Yes, they did get themselves into serious trouble. With a pompous attitude, the men prolonged their journey home to Ithaca. Those who did not have Odysseus's smarts, died because of this. When they raided the Cicones' village, harassed Poseidon's son, and killed the Helios's cattle, they punished themselves. Odysseus and his ...
The next island they reached was Aiolia. There lived Aiolos, who was god of the winds. Aiolos had six daughters and six sons, whom he loved so much he had them marry each other. Odysseus stayed on Aiolia as an honored guest for a month. When that time was over, Aiolos captured all the destructive winds and put them in a leather bag, which he gave to Odysseus. Odysseus then left with winds blowing him straight to his home of Ithaca.
After ten days of sailing they were in sight of Ithaca, when Odysseus fell asleep. His crew became curious of what was in the leather bag, so they opened it. All the destructive winds were let loose and the ship was blown away from Ithaca, back to Aiolia. Odysseus asked Aiolos to capture the winds again, but he refused.
For six days they rowed their ship until they reached the island of the Laistrygonians. They anchored their ship in a harbor and Odysseus sent three men to explore the island, for he had seen smoke rise over the hills. These three men met the daughter of the Laistrygonian king, and she took them to her home. There, the King and Queen of the Laistrygonians jumped on the men, for the Laistrygonians were cannibals. Two of the three men were able to run away, and Odysseus witnessed them get chased down and caught. When Odysseus saw that he was now in danger, he left the island.
The Essay on Odysseus and Circes Meete
... Circe agrees at once. Odysseus also asks for Circe?s aid in their travels back home. Circe obliges with Odysseus?s demands (337-338). Odysseus and crew, remain at Circe?s home ... tasks the men were free to travel home to Ithaca. Following the orders from Circe, Odysseus gathers his ... Odysseus and his comrades arrive at the ?island of Aeaea, the home of the beautiful Circe, a formidable goddess, with ...
Next they reached the island of Aiaia, home of the goddess Circe. They sat on the shore of the island until Odysseus spotted smoke. He split of his crew into two parties; one led by him, the other led by Eurylochos. It was Eurylochos’s group that discovered Circe’s house. The goddess invited them in, and all went but Eurylochos, for he didn’t trust her.
Once Circe thought she had the whole group inside her house, she fed them a meal, but the meal had a drug in it that turned men to pigs. Eurylochos saw this and notified Odysseus. Odysseus went to get his crew back. On the way, he saw Hermes, who told him how to deal with Circe. Hermes also gave him an herb that would prevent him from being turned into a pig.
At Circe’s house Odysseus did was Hermes told him and had Circe under his power. She turned the pigs back to men and invited them all to feast. And feast they did! For one year they feasted, until the men wanted to go home again. Circe said that before he was to reach Ithaca Odysseus had to visit Hades, god of the underworld, and talk to Teiresias, who would tell him all he needed to know about getting home. She said that the North Wind would take them there. No one wanted to make the journey, but they knew it had to be done.
When he came to the place that Circe had described, Odysseus made an offering to the dead. Summoned by Odysseus’s offering, souls of the dead approached him. First came Elpenor, a crewmember who died and was forgotten at Circe’s house. Odysseus promised to return and cremate his body. Next came his mother, but he did not let her take the offering, which would have let her speak. He had to wait for Teiresias, who was next. He told Odysseus that he and his crew were to go to the island of Helios, the sun god. They were not to harm Helios’s cattle if they with to escape unharmed. Then Odysseus was to return to Ithaca and slay the suitors of his household. After that he is to leave Ithaca with an oar over his shoulder. He is to travel until he is so far away that nobody recognizes the oar for what it is. Then he is to offer sacrifices to Poseidon and return home.
The Essay on Odysseus Circe Home Tells
In Homer's epic, The Odyssey, women play an integral role in the life of Odysseus, the story's protagonist. Odysseus is forced to leave the comforts of Ithaca because of a woman, Helen, and he longs to return to his home largely for a woman, his wife Penelope. Throughout his journey, however, it is Circe who has a heavy influence on Odysseus because she is a major distraction and thus an obstacle ...
After Teiresias spoke, Odysseus wished to speak with his mother, who he did not know had died. After an emotional experience, his mother left, a series of famous Greek people’s ghosts moved past Odysseus. A few gave him advice. After this parade of ghosts, Odysseus boarded his ship and left.
On their journey home, Odysseus was going to face many more dangers. The first of which were the Sirens, who could seduce you with their voices. The crew plugged their ears, and Odysseus tied himself to the mast. Then the came to the pass of Scylla (the six headed monster that eats sailors) and Charybdis (a deadly whirlpool).
After the battles with Scylla and Charybdis, they reached the island of the sun. There, they stayed for a month without killing cattle, but when Odysseus went inland, the crew started eating Helios’s cattle. Helios complained to Zeus, and after Odysseus and his crew left, they were struck by a hurricane. All but Odysseus died. He made a raft and floated to the goddess Calypso’s island.
The goddess Calypso on her island trapped Odysseus, until Zeus sent Hermes to give Calypso a message. The message was for Calypso to let Odysseus build a raft and set off for his home of Ithaca. Calypso told Odysseus that he was free to go, but said nothing about Hermes and his message.
After four days, Odysseus built a raft from supplies given to him by Calypso, and he was on his way home with a series of gifts from her. Poseidon, god of the sea, strongly disliked Odysseus and did not want him returning to Ithaca. He set forth a fierce storm on Odysseus.
Fortunately, Ino, the White Sea Goddess, witnessed this torture of Odysseus. She advised him to strip, abandon his raft and swim to land with a veil that she gave him. He refused, until his raft was smashed to pieces. With nothing left but the veil, Odysseus swam to the island of Phaiacia.
After meeting the royal family and feasting with the Phaiacians, Odysseus tells the story of his voyage. They are so amazed that they give him a ship to sail home on and an abundance of gifts. Odysseus reaches Ithaca on that ship.
