BOOK THE ODYSSEY A pretty awesome summary of four books we’re skipping in the middle. THE SEQUEL
BOOK 13 Odysseus is done with his story (and his crying, for now). King Alcinous loads a ship with a ton of presents for Odysseus in order to start up his wealth as a king again (remember the suitors have depleted his estate). As soon as the sun sets, Odysseus and a crew of men set sail to Ithaca– Odysseus sleeps the entire way. The men carry him off the ship and leave him and his gifts on the shore. They sail away. Poseidon gets really upset when he realizes Odysseus is on Ithaca’s shores, and he complains to Zeus. Zeus allows Poseidon to punish the Phaeacians by turning the ship to stone. It sinks to the bottom of the sea.
BOOK 13 Athena shrouds Ithaca in a mist to conceal its true form. When Odysseus wakes up, he doesn’t recognize the land. He gets really, really, REALLY upset, because he’s convinced the Phaeacians are playing a trick on him. Athena, disguised as a shepherd, tells him to calm. It. Down. Odysseus disguises himself and won’t admit to Athena who he is until she reveals herself. She is super happy with her little warrior and his clever ways. She explains to Odysseus what all he needs to do to get rid of the suiotrs (use his wit), then she makes him look like an old hobo so no one will know who he is. He then hides out in the swineherder’s (Eumaeus) hut.
BOOK 14 Eumaeus, who is sitting outside his hut, invites Hobodysseus into his home. Eumaeus gives him a lot of food and recollects many stories of how awesome Odysseus is as a master. Hobodysseus tells Eumaeus that Odysseus will return shortly– Eumaeus becomes outraged because too many men have promised news of Odysseus just to get in good with Penelope. Eumaeus gives Hobodysseus a cloak and a bed– he then asks where Hobodysseus is from. Hobodysseus claims he is from Crete and fought alongside Odysseus in the Trojan War. He was able to make it home, but decided to go to Egypt. He lost his wealth there but heard news that Odysseus is alive.
BOOK 15 Athena travels to Sparta to collect Telemachus. She tells him about the ambush and how to avoid it. She also tells him to hide out with Eumaeus. She instructs him to use Eumaeus to announce his return to Penelope. Telemachus receives gifts from Menelaus and Helen before he leaves. As his chariot pulls away, an eagle carrying a goose stolen from its pen swoops down– Helen interprets this omen to mean Odysseus will soon swoop down to exact revenge on the suitors. He goes back to Pylos to retrieve his boat. He then tells a murderer he can hitch a ride (never do this in real life, please) and that he’ll show him hospitality in Ithaca.
BOOK 15 Back in Ithaca, Hobodysseus decides to test Eumaeus’s hospitality by offering to leave. Eumaeus says no. Hobodysseus says he’ll work for the suitors to pay off the debt he is racking up; Eumaeus claims that would be suicide. We find out Eumaeus’s back story– he was the son of a king until he was stolen by pirates. They sold him as a slave to Laertes. Laertes’s wife raised him with their daughter. Telemachus reaches Ithaca. He sees a hawk flying by while carrying a dove in its talons. The murderer interprets this as proof that Odysseus’s house and lineage are strong.
BOOK 16 Telemachus reaches the hut and hears the (fake) story of who Hobodysseus is. Eumaeus suggests he stay with Telemachus in the palace. Eumaeus leaves to tell Penelope her son is home. When alone, Athena appears and calls Odysseus outside. When he reenters the hut, the hobo disguise is gone and he’s super hot again. Telemachus doesn’t believe it’s actually his father because of his appearance. Odysseus explains how gods work, so they hug and cry… a lot. It also claims that Odysseus has always been able to control his emotions… riiiiiiight… They begin plotting revenge: Odysseus will enter disguised as a beggar and Telemachus will hide the palace’s surplus arms where the suitors cannot easily reach them. The two of them will then seize the arms and slaughter the suitors.
BOOK 16 A messenger ruins the plan and tells the suitors that Telemachus has returned before Eumaeus can tell Penelope. They plot a way to kill him, again. Antinous wants to kill Telemachus ASAP. He is then denounced by Penelope for his schemes. Eurymachus calms Penelope down by acting like he really cares about her son.