Odyssey book summaries

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Book 4

  • Telemachus & Nestor's son arrive at Menelaus' palace where good Xenia is shown. 
  • The palace is full of the treasures Melenaus found whilst travelling,
  • Menelaus & Helen recognise Telemachus referring to how great Odysseus is and how he saved the whole army in Troy.
  • Telemachus asks for news about Odysseus & tells Menelaus about the suitors.
  • Menelaus tells his story about talking to Proteus the shapeshifter aka old man of the sea and finding out that Odysseus is a prisoner on an Island. 
  • After the talk Telemachus leaves to get back to Ithaca. 
  • In Ithaca the suitors form a plan to kill Telemachus.
  • Penelope finds out about the plan and that Telemachus left and is upset.
  • The suitors leave to persue Telemachus for his assasination. 
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Book 5

  • Athene asks Zeus to rescue Odysseus from Calypso, Zeus sends Hermes in response.
  • Calypso asks Hermes questions before offering Xenia, 
  • Hermes tells Calypso to release Odysseus but she insists the gods are jealous.
  • Odysseus is crying partly missing Ithaca partly missing his sexual relationship with Calypso.
  • Calpyso tries to tempt Odysseus to stay but eventually swears to help him leave. 
  • Calypso gives Odysseus an axe, boring tools, meats, wine etc...
  • Odysseus builds his raft and sails out, he becomes caught in winds sent by Poseidon, 
  • Ino gives Odysseus a veil of divine protection and advises him to ditch the raft and swim to safety. 
  • A more powerful storm hits Odysseus and Calypso tells Odysseus to hold onto a rock, he then washes up on the Phaeacian island. 
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Book 6

  • Athene in the form of Dymas tells the sleeping Nausicaa to wash some clothes with her maids. 
  • Nausicaa asks her father if she can do this by the river and he agrees.
  • They wash the clothes until they are clean.
  • The girls play a game and start shrieking because they lost the ball.
  • Odysseus wakes up and scares the maids away.
  • Odysseus & Nausicaa talk, Odysseus tells her his woeful journey.
  • The miads give Odysseus a cloak and tunic to wear and tells him to wash in the stream, Odysseus tells them to leave whilst he does so.
  • Athene makes Odysseus look more handsome. 
  • Nausicaa expresses that she wants to marry Odysseus.
  • Then tells him how to get to the palace to speak to her father King Alcinous about getting home.
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Book 7

  • Athene covers Odysseus in mist the protect him from Xenophobic Phaeacians.
  • She then disguses as a young girl with a pitcher to give Odysseus directions to Alcinous' palace. 
  • Odysseus arrives at the palace and marvels at the decorations.
  • He shows supplications to Arete by throwing his arms around her knees.
  • Odysseus sits on the ashes but is then moved to a silver chair.
  • Alcinous first thinks he is a god playing a trick on them.
  • Then Odysseus tells them his story from Calypso to meeting Nausicaa and reaching the palace.
  • Alcinous agrees to send him home the next day. 
  • Odysseus sleeps.
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Book 8

  • Athene disguses as a herald to call an assembly of the Phaeacians telling them about Odysseus' arrival. 
  • She makes him taller with broad shoulders. 
  • The bard plays a song about Achilles and Oydsseus which makes him cry, Alcinous offers to play sports instead.
  • Odysseus throws the discus very far, Athene disgused as one of the crowd encourage him. 
  • The bard sings the song about Ares and Aphrodites affair and punishment.
  • They dance, play more sports and gather gifts for Odysseus.
  • Odysseus has a hot bath and says goodbye to Nausicaa.
  • The bard plays a song about Troy, Odysseus cries again. 
  • Alcinous questions who Odysseus really is, Odysseus begins his story. 
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Book 9

  • Odysseus starts his story by describing Ithaca with love. 
  • Odysseus and his men looted the Cicones of their wine and livestock, Odysseus suggested they escape but was ignored.
  • This caused a battle which killed six of Odysseus's men from each ship. 
  • Zeus sent a storm which sent them to the lotus eaters, who gave them an addictive fruit (drugs) that made Odysseus's men want to stay there.
  • Finally reaching the Cyclopes' Island they ate Polyphemus's cheese without permission, they were caught and trapped in the cave by a boulder.
  • Odysseus lectures Polyphemus on the importance of Xenia.
  • Polyphemus eats a couple of Odysseus's men.
  • Odysseus gives the Cyclops strong wine which makes him fall asleep, telling Polyphemus that his name is nobody to confuse him.
  • When the Cyclops falls asleep Odysseus blinds him with a sword, Cyclops calls out for help but nobody understands him. 
  • The men hide underneath the sheep to escape the cave.
  • Odysseus reveals his identity to the Clyclops who then curses him to Poseidon whilst throwing boulders at Odysseus and his men.
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Book 10

  • Odysseus and his men reach the Island of Aeolia where they meet Aeolus  who gives them a bag of wind. 
  • Odysseus falls asleep, his men open the bag because they thought Odysseus was hiding treasure from them. 
  • The winds rushed out and sent them back to Aeolus who dimisses them as unlucky.
  • They reach the Laestrygonians, all of their ships are destroyed apart from Odysseus's one because he left it outside the harbour.
  • They reach Circe's Island and split up Eurylochus's group go to Circe first where all except him are turned into pigs. 
  • Odysseus is told this and goes off to bring his men back. 
  • Hermes stops Odysseus on the way and gives him a drug to make him immune from evil, also instructions on how to approach Circe.
  • Odysseus confronts Circe, she turns his men back, they have sex, Odysseus and men stay there for a year. 
  • Circe tells Odysseus that he must sail to the underworld, pour offerings to the dead and Teiresias to hear a prophecy.
  • Before Odysseus leaves Elpenor falls off the roof and dies breaking his neck because he was hung over. 
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Book 11

  • Circe sends Odysseus and his men a favourable breeze to help them get to the underworld.
  • They reach the underworld.
  • Odysseus pours honey and milk as libations to the dead, with a touch of water and sprinkle of white barley.
  • Praying to the dead he promises to sacrifice a barren heifer in Ithaca with treaures on top.
  • Then makes a seperate offering to Teiresias which is the finest jet-black sheep he owns.
  • The spirits of the dead arrive, Elpenor is first and requests to be buried with his oar placed on top. 
  • Then Anticleia Odysseus's mother arrives, Odysseus didn't know she was dead and is shocked. 
  • Odysseus speaks to Teiresias who tells him about Penelope's loyalty, what he must do to kill the suitors and about. his future
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Book 11 pt 2

  • Anticleia drinks blood which allows her to embrace Odysseus.
  • She tells him she died of heartbreak missing him, and that his father Laertes is on a farm alone and depressed.
  • Odysseus meets many other women mostly Queens.
  • He breaks his story to talk to Alcinous about gifts.
  • Back to the story Odysseus meets Agammenmon who tells him about Clytemnestra killing him and not to trust women.
  • He then meets Achilles.
  • Then Ajax who he had a conflict with about keeping Achilles' armour.
  • Then other people and someone called Heracles. 
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Book 12

  • They go back to Circe's Island to bury Elpenor.
  • Circe tells them where to go next, Circe also tells them they will reach Thrinacie the sun gods island but they must leave everything alone.
  • Another favourable wind and they left, Odysseus repeats Circe's information to his men.
  • They reach the sirens, Odysseus is tied to the mast of the ship and his men given wax to block their ears.
  • They reach Scylla and avoid Charybdis, Odysseus ignores Circes advice and arms himself against it, Scylla takes six of his strongest men.
  • They finally reach the sun gods Island, Odysseus tells them they should stay clear but Eurylocus starts a rebellion causing them to stay.
  • Although swearing an oath not to kill any cattle once Odysseus falls asleep his men disobey this. 
  • Due to this they are sent an omen, the animal skins crawl about, Zeus sends a storm that keeps them on the Island longer. 
  • Once they finally leave Zeus strikes the vessel with lightening killing eveyone but Odysseus.
  • He manages to escape Charybdis by hanging onto the fig tree and letting it eat his boat.
  • This is when he drifts to Calypso's Island, where the story to the Phaeacians ends. 
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Book 18

  • Odysseus disguised as a beggar has an arguement with Irus, a real beggar.
  • Antinous suggests they have a physical fight to win goats paunches stuffed with fat and blood & the chance to join them regularly at dinner.
  • Odysseus makes them take an oath to promise they won't join in the fight with Irus against him.
  • Odysseus reveals his athletic body and Athene fills out his muscles. 
  • They fight and Odysseus wins.
  • Odysseus tells Amphinomus that blood will be shed before the suitors leave.
  • Athene makes Penelope more valued by her family & beautiful to the suitors.
  • Penelope tells Telemachus off for allowing the fight to happen.
  • Penelope persuades the suitors to bring her gifts.
  • Melantho insults Odysseus and he threatens her.
  • Eurymachus throws a stool at Odysseus but misses.
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Book 19

  • Telemachus acting on Odysseus' order tells Eurycleia to lock the maids away and hide the weapons.
  • Odysseus and Penelope argue with Melantho.
  • Penelope talks to Odysseus the beggar and he lies to her.
  • Eurycleia believes the beggar is similar to Odysseus, then she recognises the scar on his foot.
  • Odysseus grips her throat & threatens to kill her so she won't reveal his identity.
  • Penelope tells Odysseus the beggar her forshadowing dream of the suitor's death.
  • Penelope tells the beggar of her plan to test which one of the suitors can string the bow and shoot it through the axes.
  • Then Penelope goes to her room to cry for Odysseus until Athene makes her sleep. 
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Book 20

  • Odysseus can't sleep because he is debating whether to kill them all now or wait.
  • Athene tells him to put trust in her as she is a goddess.
  • Penelope prays for death.
  • Odysseus asks for a good omen and Zeus delivers.
  • The maids clean the house in preperation for the competition. 
  • Melenathius attempts to argue with Odysseus.
  • Odysseus tests Philoteus the cowherd and finds he is still loyal.
  • Telemachus shows authority over the suitors and Antinous insults him.
  • Athene instigates a fight by causing a suitor to throw a cow hoof at Odysseus.
  • Athene causes blood to splatter the suitors, makes them laugh and causes ghosts to fill the palace as a bad omen to the them. 
  • Theoclymenus the seer predicts that the suitors will face catosprophe.
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Book 21

  • Penelope sets up the bow and arrow challenge after being prompted by Athene.
  • Eumaeus and Philoetius cry for Odysseus and Antinous insults them.
  • Telemachus attempts to string the bow but fails.
  • The other suitors fail.
  • Odysseus reveals himself to Philoetius and Eumaus and they cry.
  • Eurymachus fails so Antinous suggests they sacrifice to the god's and try to string it the next day.
  • Odysseus tells the suitors he will string the bow and they insult him.
  • Telemachus tells Penelope to go to her room.
  • Odysseus the beggar strings the bow and shoots it through the target easily.
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Book 22

  • Odysseus kills Antinous first and the other suitors try to fight but all die.
  • Melanthius finds the weapons and hands them to the remaining suitors.
  • Eumaus and Philoetius tie Melanthius up.
  • Athene assumes the form of Mentor and helps them kill off the rest of the suitors.
  • Telemachus spares the life of the bard and the herarld.
  • Eurycleia leaves to tell the maids to come to the great hall.
  • Odysseus hangs the maids who behaved like bad servants.
  • They slice off Melanthius' nose, ears, hands, feet off and leave his genitals for the dogs to eat.
  • Eurycleia leaves to tell the loyal serving women that Odysseus is back and they embrace him.
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