The Odyssey

 Odysseus lies in his bed outside the entrance to Penelope’s home, not falling asleep  Athena asks why he is wakeful, and he replies by saying that he worries because he is only one man  Athena reassures him by telling him that she will guide him so that he will be able to defeat 50 men  Penelope doesn’t sleep well either that night and prays to Artemis to die rather than to marry one of the suitors  While praying, she sees a vision of Odysseus and she cries out, waking Odysseus  He then asks Zeus for a sign  Zeus hears this and releases a wave of thunder

 A working woman hears this thunder and prays that it is the last night serving the suitors  Odysseus hears this sign and feels better

 Telemachus goes to Eurykleia asking how the quest has been taken care of  Telemachus accuses his mother of leaving the beggar to sleep outside  But, Eurykleia explains that the beggar would not take a bed  Telemachus demands that the house be cleaned before the suitors arrive

 Melanthios comes again and starts taunting Odysseus again  Odysseus remains silent, but his anger rises  Philoitios, a cattle herder, arrives and welcomes Odysseus as a friend  He wishes Odysseus luck because he reminds him that Odysseus may be in rags in some other land  He also tells Odysseus that the life of a cattle herder is very difficult, especially with all the suitors whom he would like to attack

 Odysseus reassures Philoitios by swearing in the name of Zeus that Odysseus will return  As the suitors gather, Philoitios and Eumaius repeat Odysseus’s pledge and speak about the plot against Telemachus  As they start to sit together and eat, Telemachus sits next to Odysseus and tells him that he will protect him from the suitors  While cows are being sacrificed in Ithica, Athena wants to offend Odysseus more…

 Athena inspires one of the suitors, Ktesippos to throw a cow hoof at Odysseus, but he misses  Telemachus says that Ktesippos is lucky to have missed  Agelaus, another suitor, tells everyone that the beggar (Odysseus) that he should not be harmed, but that it is certain that Odysseus will not return and Penelope will have to remarry  Telemachus replies that he will not impede on her marriage, but he will not force it

 Athena then makes all the suitors laugh uncontrollably  Theoklymenos then warns all the suitors that he has seen them dripping with blood  Eurymachus says that Theoklymenos is dumb and must be excused from the house.  As Theoklymenos leaves, he gives one final warning of the suitors future damnation, and leaves  The suitors try to provoke Telemachus, but he ignores them  And while all this is happening, Penelope has silently watched what each person had said