Art, obsession, and identity
Odysseus was curious to hear the Sirens' song without succumbing to their lure, and so he alone listened while bound to the mast. As they sailed past, he was entranced and begged to be released, but his loyal crew kept him securely fastened until they were safely out of earshot.
With the help of his son and a few loyal servants, Odysseus plotted his revenge. Penelope, still loyal to Odysseus, devised a contest for the suitors to each string a bow and shoot an arrow through 12 axe heads, a feat only Odysseus could accomplish. By completing the challenge, Odysseus revealed himself. The remaining suitors were slain quickly after.
After the Greeks emerged victorious from the Trojan War, Odysseus and his men set sail from Troy for their homeland of Ithaca. However, their journey was far from straightforward. Due to past grievances, the gods (particularly Poseidon) had other plans for Odysseus.
With the winds against them and their morale initially high, Odysseus and his crew anticipated a swift return home. But their hopes were quickly dashed as they faced one obstacle after another. The fleet was soon blown off course, marking the beginning of a series of trials that would test Odysseus' leadership and resilience.
The first notable stop on Odysseus’ voyage was the land of the Cicones, a tribe allied with the Trojans (the mortal enemies of the Greeks). Here, Odysseus and his men sacked the city of Ismarus, taking spoils and enslaving women. Despite their initial success, Odysseus’ men, driven by greed, ignored his warnings to leave quickly.
Polyphemus trapped them and began devouring Odysseus’ men one by one. Odysseus cunningly blinded Polyphemus with a heated stake, allowing him and his men to escape. However, Odysseus’ hubris led him to reveal his true identity as they fled, provoking the wrath of Polyphemus’ father, the god Poseidon.
The next significant challenge came when Odysseus and his crew landed on the island of the Cyclopes (known in modern times as the island of Sicily). Driven by the need for provisions, they ventured into the cave of Polyphemus, a gigantic, one-eyed Cyclops.
Odysseus sent a reconnaissance party to explore the island, but these men, upon eating the lotus, lost all desire to return home. Realizing the danger, Odysseus forcibly retrieved his men and set sail immediately.
After their encounter with the Cicones, the fleet was driven by a storm to the land of the Lotus-Eaters near the African continent. The inhabitants of this island lived in a state of blissful forgetfulness induced by the consumption of the lotus plant (pictured).
Seeking aid in their voyage, Odysseus and his men arrived at the floating island of Aeolia, home to Aeolus, the keeper of the winds. Aeolus kindly gave Odysseus a bag containing all the winds except the west wind, which would guide them home.
Fleeing back to their ships, Odysseus and his crew were ambushed at the harbor. The giants hurled massive rocks and sank all but Odysseus’ ship. With only one vessel remaining, Odysseus managed to escape with only a few survivors.
Directionless, Odysseus and his crew sailed west, away from their homeland. The next landfall was in the territory of the Laestrygonians, a race of giant cannibals. Odysseus sent scouts to explore, who encountered the king's daughter and were led to the king's palace where the Laestrygonians attacked and devoured the scouts.
Just as the fleet sailed within sight of Ithaca, Odysseus' crew opened the bag, thinking that it contained treasure. The winds were unleashed into a tempest that drove them back to Aeolia. This time, Aeolus refused to help, believing their misfortune was a sign of divine displeasure.
Circe was impressed by Odysseus, and so she became his ally and lover. They stayed on the island for a year, feasting and resting, until Odysseus was eventually reminded of his goal to return home. To help him, Circe advised Odysseus to seek the counsel of the prophet Tiresias in the Underworld.
Following Circe’s instructions, Odysseus journeyed to the Underworld, the realm of the dead, to consult the blind prophet Tiresias. There, he performed the necessary rituals to summon the spirits. Tiresias foretold the challenges still to come and warned Odysseus of the perils he would face, including the need to avoid harming the cattle of Helios.
In the Underworld, Odysseus also encountered the spirits of his mother, Anticlea, and other notable figures from his past, such as the hero Achilles and the late king Agamemnon. These encounters provided him with crucial insights and a renewed sense of determination to return to Ithaca and his wife, Penelope.
Odysseus chose to sail closer to Scylla, sacrificing a few men rather than risking the entire ship being engulfed by Charybdis. As they navigated the narrow passage, Scylla snatched and devoured six of Odysseus' best men.
The journey next brought Odysseus to a narrow strait guarded by Scylla and Charybdis. Scylla was a six-headed monster that devoured sailors from passing ships, while Charybdis was a massive whirlpool that could swallow entire vessels.
Facing starvation, the crew eventually slaughtered the sacred cattle while Odysseus was asleep. This act of defiance angered Helios, who demanded retribution from Zeus. Once they set sail, Zeus sent a storm that destroyed the ship and drowned all of Odysseus' men. Only Odysseus survived, clinging to a piece of wreckage from his ship.
Odysseus and his remaining crew sailed south to Thrinacia, the island where the sacred cattle of Helios (pictured) lived. Despite explicit warnings from Tiresias and Circe to avoid the island and the cattle, adverse winds stranded them on Thrinacia for a month.
After drifting at sea, Odysseus washed ashore on Ogygia, the island of the nymph Calypso. Calypso fell in love with Odysseus and kept him captive for seven years, offering him immortality if he stayed with her. Despite the comfort and temptation, Odysseus longed to return home.
Eventually, the gods intervened, and Athena persuaded Zeus to order Calypso to release Odysseus. Calypso reluctantly complied, providing him with materials to build a raft. This period truly tested Odysseus' resolve and his commitment to his goal of returning to Ithaca.
Shortly after leaving Calypso’s island, Odysseus' raft was wrecked by Poseidon. Thankfully, he was saved by the sea goddess Ino and washed ashore on Scheria, the land of the Phaeacians. Exhausted and near death, he was discovered by Nausicaa, the king's daughter, who led him to the palace.
The Phaeacians were known for their hospitality, and so they welcomed Odysseus and listened to the tale of his adventures since he left Troy. The Phaeacians were moved by his story, and they provided him with a ship to return to Ithaca.
The couple's reunion was a joyous one. With Athena's assistance, peace was restored in Ithaca and Odysseus was able to reclaim his throne. In the millennia since, Odysseus’ 10-year journey has been used as an example of loyalty and how love is powerful enough to bring someone home.
Sources: (University of Pennsylvania) (World History Encyclopedia) ('The Odyssey')
Odysseus sailed west on the ship and finally arrived in Ithaca after a tumultuous journey. But his trials were not yet over. Disguised as a beggar, Odysseus learned that his palace was overrun by suitors vying for the hand of Penelope (pictured), since they believed him to be dead.
The reunion of Odysseus and Penelope was initially marked by skepticism. Penelope tested Odysseus by ordering their marriage bed to be moved, a task that was impossible because one of its legs was actually a living olive tree. Odysseus' knowledge of this secret proved his identity to Penelope.
The Cicones gathered reinforcements and launched a counterattack. The Greeks were caught off guard, leading to a fierce battle where many of Odysseus' men were killed. Their arrogance cost them their lives; they would have survived if they had listened to their captain.
Odysseus and his remaining men arrived at Aeaea, the island home of the enchantress Circe, located near modern-day Spain. She turned half of his men into swine upon their arrival. With the help of the god Hermes, Odysseus resisted Circe’s magic and forced her to restore his men to their human forms.
Upon returning from the Underworld, Odysseus and his men sailed east and eventually faced the Sirens, whose enchanting song lured sailors to their doom. Following Circe’s advice, Odysseus had his crew plug their ears with beeswax and ordered them to tie him to the mast of the ship.
In the 12th century BCE, a legendary battle known as the Trojan War came to an end. Most of the surviving Greek warriors and heroes returned home, but not all of them did. For 10 years, the hero Odysseus sailed around the Mediterranean Sea, trying to return to his home and his wife. His journey was described by the ancient Greek poet Homer in an epic poem known as 'The Odyssey.'
Curious? Click through the following gallery to see where Odysseus went during those 10 years.
Where did Odysseus go during his 10-year journey?
Why did it take the Greek hero so long to return home?
LIFESTYLE Literature
In the 12th century BCE, a legendary battle known as the Trojan War came to an end. Most of the surviving Greek warriors and heroes returned home, but not all of them did. For 10 years, the hero Odysseus sailed around the Mediterranean Sea, trying to return to his home and his wife. His journey was described by the ancient Greek poet Homer in an epic poem known as 'The Odyssey.'
Curious? Click through the following gallery to see where Odysseus went during those 10 years.