The Big Odyseus

5 Pages 1127 Words

The tale begins on Mt. Olympus where Athena draws Zeus' attention to
Odysseus whose journey has been halted on the island of Calypso. Zeus sends
Hermes to have Odysseus released and Athena goes to Ithaca. In Ithaca she
assumes a disguise and convinces Telemachus to go on a journey seeking
news of his father. Telemachus calls an assembly announcing that the suitors
who have besieged his house and have eaten his food for years are in the
wrong. He goes to see Nestor at Pylos and Nestor does not know anything
recent about his father. Nestor advises him to go to Sparta to see Menelaus.
When he gets to Sparta, Menelaus tells him that the last thing he heard
about Odysseus was that he was trapped on the island of Calypso. They feast
together and talk into the night.


Athena reminds Zeus to send Hermes to Calypso and he tells her that
Odysseus may leave but under strict conditions: he has to build his own raft.
Calypso isn't happy about the command and Odysseus has problems believing
her. Once he has built his raft, she gives him food and sends him off. He sails
for seventeen days and then his raft is destroyed by Poseidon. He is aided by
a nymph and floats for two days to land. He is found by Nausikaa and told to
go to the house of her father Alkinoos. Alkinoos hears part of his tale and
secures passage for him back to Ithaca. There are athletic games and feasts
at which a minstrel sings. The minstrel's songs make Odysseus cry and this
makes Alcinoos even more curious about his situation. Alkinoos asks
Odysseus if any of his relatives died at Troy and Odysseus begins his tale.

He tells them how he left Troy and lost some men in a botched raiding
party. Soon after this they came near the land of the Lotus eaters where
some of his men were almost lost to the enchanting flower. Then came the
island of the Cyclops. Odysseus led his men in to investigate and was
trapped by Polyphemus, one of the Cyclop...