The Cattle of the Sun God

My men convince me to land on the island of Thrinkakia , the island of the sun god , Helios. I make my men promise not to touch his cattle. We get blown into a cave by the wind , and I tell my crew once again to avoid the cattle.

"Fierce the god who cherishes these heifers and these sheep: Helios; and no man avoids his eye ," I tell them. My men all nodded in understanding. We get blown by the wind and continue to eat as the days pass. The storms continued. Eurylochus tires of being hungry and proclaims that he will go and slaughter one of the cattle for sacrifice. 'We will build a temple as not to anger Helios ,' he says . My men agreed with him , follwing him out to the cattle. They slaughter the cattle , and return to me , for I have slept through it all. Lampetia turns to Helios and says , "They have killed your kine."

On our journey back a thunderbolt hits our ship , drowning everybody except for me ...

--Odysseus

The Sirens

We return to the island of Circe. Circe warns us of the Sirens , telling us to "plug your oarsmen's ears with beeswax kneaded soft ; none of the rest should hear that song." Circe tells us to tie the men down if they wish to listen. She warns us of Scylla , whom had twelve legs and six heads. "If you come upon her then the god who makes earth tremble could not save you ," warns Circe. Circe continues with her warnings and instructions.

I return to the ship and inform my men of what Circe has told me. I tell them to tie me down if need be. I put wax in their ears one by one , and to finish off the tasks I have them tie me down. The Sirens noticed how fast we were sailing , so they began to sing. Their voices were soft , velvety , and sweet. I yell at my men to untie me. Some men came over to hold me down until the Sirens' voices slowly faded away. My men took out their wax , and untied me. We aproach mist , and I have to encourage my men to keep going. We approached Scylla , who swiftly took six of my men from the ship. After she ate the men , we continued on our journey forward , with the men who were still left alive on the ship.

--Odysseus

The Land of the Dead

Circe tells Odysseus that he must go see Teiresia in the Land of the Dead if he wishes to go home. 

"Then I addressed the blurred and breathless dead , vowing to slaughter my best heifer for them before she calved," and I also "swore to sacrifice a black lamb." The prophet tells me that I will encounter pain and aguish. I will face death , denial , and restraint. My future does not sound happy in any sense of the word ...

--Odysseus

The Enchantress Circe

My men and I next land on the island of Aeolia. Their king , Aeolus , has given us a bag full of storm winds so that we might return home safely. My men grow suspicious and open up the bag full of wind , causing us to go thorugh hurricanes and land on the island of Aeaea.

"In the wild wood they found an open glade , around a smooth stone house - the hall of Circe." Her evil animals moved their tails as they faced us. "In the entranceway they stayed to listen to there: inside her quiet house they heard the godess Circe." She was singing.

 After finishing she said , "Dear friends , no need for stealth: here's a young weaver singing a pretty song to set the air atingle on these lawns and paven courts. Goddess she is , or lady. Shall we greet her?" 

The men shouted as she let them in , giving them seats in thrones. She prepared them a meal. When she next returned , she had turned them into pigs. Eurylochus ran down to the ship , tears in his eyes. When asked what happened , he stopped and gave every detail about our men's last dinner with Circe.

--Odysseus

Grief and Escape (Cyclops pt. 6)

Morning came before we knew it. The Cyclops touched each of the sheep before letting them loose outside. The Cyclops was unaware that he had let my men and I free. As we took the sheep down to our ship we could hear the soft murmurings of the Cyclops grieving over his eye. "We saw , as we came near , our fellows' faces shining; then we saw them turn to grief tallying those who had not fled from death." When we got far ashore I turned around and started yelling at the Cyclops , "How do you like the beating that we gave you ?" The Cyclops grew angry and threw a hilltop into the ocean. I continue messing with the Cyclops , my crew wondering why I was rowling him up again. The Cyclops gives his last offense , then I reply , " If I could take yor life I would and take your time away , and hurl you down to hell!"

I see the Cyclops start to pray. 

--Odysseus

Sheep (Cyclops pt. 5)

"I drove my big hand spike deep in the embers , charring it again , and cheered my men along with battle talk to keep their courage up : no quitting now." We took the pole over to the fallen Cyclops , and thrusted the pole into his one eye. I leaned on the pole to turn it deeper into his eye. The Cyclops screamed , making the rocks around us shudder. "We fell back in fear."  The Cyclops tugged at his face to free the pole from his eye.

Cyclops yelled so loud we were sure that others living elsewhere could hear him , "Nohbdy's tricked me. Nohbdy's ruined me !"

We give him no sympathy as he continued to wail. Our men laughed with joy as the Cyclops went over to the stone door to unlatch it , hoping to get help form others close by. I went through plans of how to escape in my mind. My men and I attached ourselves to the bottom of the Cyclops' sheep ,  waiting for morning to come.

--Odysseus

Offers (Cyclops pt. 4)

When morning came the Cyclops built a fire , and proceeded to do his daily chores. He got another hand of men to eat after his chores were finished. He opened the entrance to his cave , letting the sheep come through. He "reset the stone as one would cap a quiver." It was during this time that I wondered how I could hurt him in the most horrible way possible. I chopped off a six foot section of a pole , and let my men scrape it until it was smooth and had a point at the end. I toughened the pole by heating it in the fire , then put it away for later. We did a toss for the men who venture out with me and defeat the Cyclops.

"As luck would have it , the men I would have chosen won the toss."

That evening the Cyclops returned and moved the boulder back to its place after entering. He then ran through his evening chores. Finding an oppourtunity I went up to the Cyclops and said , "Cyclops , try some wine. Here's liquor to wash down your scraps of men." I treated the wine as an offering to him. He drank the wine and ordered for another one. He asked what my name was as I brought him three more bowls of wine. I tell him that everybody calls me 'Nohbdy'. He makes a drunken offer as he tumbles back, falling to the ground.

--Odysseus

Wait for Morning (Cyclops pt. 3)

My lie did not settle him , but angered him. "He clutched at my companions and caught two in his hands like squirming puppies to beat their branis out , spattering the floor. Then he dismembered them and made his meal , gaping and crunching like a mountain lion - everything: innards , flesh , and marrow bones."

We cried aloud in horror at the sight of our companions being eaten. After his meal , the Cyclops laid down to rest. "My heart beat high now at  the chance of action." I went over to stab him , but then thought better of it ; if he dies , we die. We would never be able to move the large stone from the entrance. "We were left to groan and wait for morning."

(Mountain Lion)

--Odysseus

Hitting the Shore (Cyclops pt.2)

"Two dozen four-wheeled wagaons , with heaving teams , could not have stirred the tonnage of that rock from where he wedged it over the doorsill."  After closing of the entrance , he sat down and started milking his ewes. He prepared this milk for his supper. In the midst of him tending to the fire , he managed to see us in the glare.

"Strangers , who are you? And where from ," he bellowed.  We felt our hearts drop in far as he questioned us.

 I spoke up in reply ,"We are from Troy , Archaeans , blown off course by shifting gales on the Great South Sea ; homeward bound , but taking routes and ways uncommon ; so the will of Zeus will have it ."

I continue telling him about where we are from , in hopes that he might let us go.

 He tells us that he does not wish to listen to our gods , and asks , " Tell me , where was it , now , you left your ship - around the point , or down the shore , I wonder?"

I lie to him by telling him our ship got destoyed by hitting the rocks on the shore.

--Odyyseus

Silence Around the Embers (Cyclops pt.1)

My next encounter was very unexpected. My men and I were sitting around a campfire. We sat "in silence around the embers , waiting." When the Cyclops came in "he had a load of of dry boughs on his shoulder to stroke his fire at suppertime." When he dropped what was in his hands on the ground , we all ran to hide against the far wall of the cave.  He walked over to some of his ewes , preparing to milk them. We watched with slight horror and amazement as the Cyclops moved a very large , solid rock to cover the entrance to the cave ...

--Odysseus

The Lotus Eaters

Our ship ride after the Cicones was quiet , and menacing. Zeus had sent many more storms for my men and I to encounter. This set of storms had pushed me even further away from home. "Nine days I drifted on the teeming sea before dangerous high winds" hit us.

"We came to the coastline of the Lotus Eaters , who live upon that flower." I sent two men to go and see what type of people inhabited this land. My men ran into Lotus Eaters , who seemed to want nothing bad to come of us. Some of my men had eaten the mysterious flower that was offered to them. I ended up having to drag those men back onto the ship ; they were not aware that the flower would make you feel as if you wanted to stay with the Lotus Eaters. In the end I had to tie the men down to the ship so they would not move.  Our journey continued on ...

--Odysseus

Waiting for a Warrior that Would Never Come (Cicones)

I continue telling the Phaeacians of the story of the Cicones.

I tell them of how we "killed the men who fought" us and how we "enslaved the women." I told my men ,

"Back, and quickly! Out to sea again !" My men were fools and would not listen to me , for they had drunk too much wine. Natives ran on shore to go and summon the army of the Cicones.

The army was fierce , and arrived with dawn just setting over us. (I have paused at this place in my story , not wanting to continue with the violent images that are turning in my mind.) We fought the Cicones , but not without consequence. We continued our journey with six lonely benches on our ship , waiting for a warrior that would never come.

--Odysseus

A Rough Time at Sea

The trip from Calypso's island was anything but pleasant. The waves crashed all around us , and their seemed to be no imminent end.

I am found by Alcinous , king of the Phaeacians. I spend that night as a guest at court. The Greeks treat me with great repsect and courtesy. They request me to tell them of my journey from Calypso's island. I tell them of how I was stuck there , how I tried to be happy "but in my heart I never gave consent" to be with her. I tell them of my rescue by Hermes , and the horrifying waves we crashed into before being brought here.I tell tell them of how "the wind carried me west from Illion and brought me to the shore of Ismaros..." I decided to leave the story of the Cicones for last ...

--Odysseus

Calypso's Island

  I have woken up to find myself on an island. It's beautiful , don't get me wrong , but it's not home. I am not here alone , for I am with my captor , Calypso. The island is beautiful , as is she , but neither of them are Penelope. Calypso seems to "cling to me in her sea-hollowed caves" at all times.

Athena has sent Hermes to come and rescue me , for Poseidon is "cold and rough" and does not wish to see my return home. I see Hermes chatting with Calypso; Calypso looking as if she is deep in thought.

Calypso returns to me saying ,"O forlorn man , be still. Here you grieve no more; you need not feel your life consumed here: I have pondered it , and I shall help you go ..."

I am no longer crying , for Calypso's words have pleased me. She has supplied me with a raft for my journey.

 Calypso stops me and makes a last-chance offer ,"I wish you well. If you could see it all, before you go - all the adversity you face at sea - you would stay here , and guard this house , and be immortal ..."

I am offended by her implied words , only as they apply to my Penelope. I bid Calypso goodbye , then set off on my journey at sea.

--Odysseus