The Odyssey Book V

In Olympos The gods are having a council Athena informs Zeus of the suitor’s plan to ambush Telemachos and that Odysseus is still stuck on Ogygia. Zeus takes action: Tells Athene to protect Telemachos Tells Hermes to go to Ogygia and talk to Calypso

Ogygia Hermes flies over to Ogygia He takes a moment to admire the surroundings: Fragrant wood burning A lot of trees: alder, poplar, cypress All kinds of birds: owls, hawks, saltwater crows Flowers everywhere, especially violets and wild parsely Four springs diverting each other Odysseus moping on the beach

Hermes and Calypso John Flaxman

Welcome and Message Calypso welcomes Hermes and prepares ambrosia and nectar for him to eat. She is suspicious of why he came because he isn’t a regular visitor. He tells her Zeus wants Odysseus off the island. She gets angry: Says it is unfair that goddesses can’t have mortals they love while the other male gods can: Dawn and Orion – Orion was shot by Artemis Demeter and Iasion – struck by Zeus’ thunderbolt She was the one who saved him. She has no ships or sailors to send him off with.

What Zeus says goes. Hermes advised her to let Odysseus go or suffer the wrath of Zeus. She relents and approaches Odysseus: Tells him to make a raft and that she will supply him with provisions for his trip At first he doesn’t believe her until she swears by the River Styx.

Calypso and Odysseus

Final Goodbyes… Calypso prepares a feast for Odysseus She tries again to convince him to stay: It’s worse out there than it is here. I will make you immortal. I’m better looking than your wife. He isn’t moved and she gives up. The next day, he starts to build his raft. It takes him four days. He leaves on the fifth day.

Odysseus’ Meal with the Nymph Calypso Joos de Momper

Poseidon spells T-R-O-U-B-L-E Odysseus sails for 17 days, using the constellations to guide him. On the 18 th day, Poseidon spots him on the way back from Ethiopea: He gets angry and creates a storm to destroy Odysseus. Odysseus’ thoughts: “Maybe I should have listened to Calypso.” “Dying in Troy would have been better than dying like this.”

Ino to the rescue! Odysseus is tossed among the waves by the North, South, and East Winds. Ino takes pity on him: She tells him to take off his clothes and swim to the land of the Phaeacians. She gives him an immortal veil for protection Then a huge wave destroys his raft.

Ino Saving Odysseus

“Land Ho!” Odysseus puts on the veil and Poseidon leaves him alone. Athena creates a wind to push him to land. He drifts for two days and nights. The land is surrounded by rocks and wind. Athena puts helpful thoughts into his mind. The waves push him around until he reaches a river. He begs it to stop the waves and let him in. He takes off Ino’s veil and throws it back. He “slips” out of the river and finds shelter under two bushes to rest.

END!!