I found the hut of my swineherd and my swineherd just happened to be outside. I must praise Eumaeus for his hospitality, because even though he did not recognize me as his master, Odysseus, he still invited me into the hut. He gave me a filling meal and I listen to him talk about me, unbeknownst to him that I was in front of him. Eumaeus let me stay there for the night and even lets me borrow some clothes so that I would not freeze when I ventured outside.
I slept through the whole voyage, even when we docked in Ithaca earlier in the morning. Apparently the crew carried me off the boat, along with my gifts and then they took off for back home. I woke up this morning with my surrounding all fuzzy. At first, I thought the Phaeacians had duped me and brought me to a land unknown. Thank goodness a shepherd convinced me that I really was in Ithaca.“I heard of Ithaca, when I was in Crete beyond the seas, and now it seems I have reached it with all these treasures.” (Book 13) Without telling the shepherd who I truly was, the shepherd told me it was time to get rid of the suitors that had taken over my palace. I was told to hide in the hut of my swineherd, Eumaeus. The shepherd tells me news of my dear son Telemachus and how he has gone to search for any news concerning me. With this new knowledge, the shepherd/immortal makes me into an old wanderer, someone who no one will recognize.
Finally finished with telling the Phaeacians my journey from Troy to where I stand now, the King finally packs the ship that will be taking me home with gifts. As soon as the sun will set, I will be on my way home. I will be able to finally see my wife, my palace, my son and my people. If only I could get some sleep.
Passing the island of the Sirens’, we had to pass through Scylla, the six headed monster, and Charybdis, an enormous whirlpool. Scyalla unfortunately was able to obtain and devour six of my men, while Charybdis threatened to overtake us. Finally we were able to make it through the two of them and we reached Thrinacia, the island of the Sun. We stayed there for a month and during this period of time, we went through all of our provisions. On the day we ran out of provisions, my men decided to disobey me and slaughter the Sun’s cattle when I was asleep.”“As long as corn and wine held out the men did not touch the cattle when they were hungry; when, however, they had eaten all there was in the ship, they were forced to go further afield, with hook and line, catching birds, and taking whatever they could lay their hands on; for they were starving.” (Book 12) I knew things were going to go wrong from that point on. While sailing, a storm appeared and destroyed our ship and sent us all barreling towards the bottom of the sea to our deaths. Only I survived this feat; however I was swept all the way back to Charybdis, the enormous whirlpool and barely make it out alive. From there, I was floating on a raft of broken wood of my old ship and managed to make it to the island of Calypso’s home.
We returned to Circe’s island home to bury Elpenor properly. Here was when I spent my last night with Circe; she confided in me and told me everything that I was going to face on my journey home. The next day, I informed all my men of the fate that we were about to face. We approached the island of the Sirens. Oh their voices and intoxicating words. I had my men tie me up to the mast of the sail, while I had them plug their ears with beeswax so that they would not hear the tantalizing words. I was the only one who had to endure the SIrens’ songs. “Therefore, take me and bind me to the crosspiece half way up the mast; bind me as I stand upright, with a bond so fast that I cannot possibly break away, and lash the rope’s ends to the mast itself. If I beg and pray you to set me free, then bind me more tightly still.” (Book 12) Apparently, I begged and begged to be let go but thankfully, my men listened to my previous instructions and did not let me go. Thankfully.
I continue to meet more and more spirits. I come faced to face with the spirit of Agamemnon. He recalls how his wife had him murdered as soon as he returned home from the war. Then I meet Achilles’s spirit. He asked me about his son that he left behind. Oh the sorrow that seeped through me. Then I came to face Ajax’s spirit. He was a comrade and soldier who took his own life after he lost a contest against me over who got to fight Achilles. He refused to talk to me and slipped past me. I was able to come in contact with the spirit of Heracles, Orion, King Midas and many more. I saw the pain that Sisyphus had to endure. Constantly pushing the boulder up the hill, only to have it roll down as soon as he reached the top. I witnessed the hunger and thirst that Tantalus endured; having water and grapes in his reach but never being able to grasp them. I could not take it any more, all the pain, suffering and death; I ran out and sailed away.
All I want to do is sleep, but the Phaeacians want me to continue my story. If only they let me rest. If only.
I traveled to the River of Ocean. I followed Circe’s intructions and performed a sacrifice to attract the souls of the dead. To my surprise, one of the first souls that I speak to is Elpenor, the young, drunken crew member that fell off Circe’s roof. “ ‘Sir,’ he answered with a groan, ‘it was all bad luck, and my own unspeakable drunkenness. I was lying asleep on the top of Circe’s house, and never thought of coming down again by the great staircase but fell right off the roof and broke my neck, so my soul came down to the house of Hades” (Book 11) He begged us to go back to Circe’s island home and give him a proper burial. I told him that I would, it is the least I could do. Finally I spoke to Tiresuas, who then tells me that the God of the Sea, Poseidon, is furious at me for blinding his son Polyphemus. He then goes on to tell me my future; I will return home, reclaim my wife and my kingdom from the obnoxious suitors and then to please Poseidon, I will travel to a distant land. He also warned me not to touch the flock of the Sun when I reach Thrinacia, for if I do, I will endure more hardship than planned. I then went on to talk to the spirit of my mother and many famous men and heroes.
We then began to travel towards Aeaea, the home of the witch-goddess, Circe. In the beginning, I knew she was going to be difficult. She drugged my men and turned them into swines.”They were like pigs—head, hair, and all, and they grunted just as pigs do; but their senses were the same as before, and they remembered everything.” (Book 10) Right when I was about to rescue them, Hermes came down and told me to eat the herb moly so that I would not be bewitched by Circes. With this knowledge, I was able to overpower her and force her to turn my men back into human form. We spent a year with her; myself more intimately with her than the others. My men finally persuaded me to continue our journey home. I asked her to direct us back to Ithaca, in which her response was that we had to sail to Hades and speak to the spirit of Tiresias. Just as we were about to depart the next day, I found out that my most youngest crew member decided to intoxicate himself and fall asleep on Circe’s roof, in which he fell off that morning.
We came across the land of the Laestrygonians, a race of powerful giants. While there, the King and Queen took my scouts and made them into their dinner. We fled as fast as possible, but they started to throw boulders at our ships, sinking all of them except the main ship, mine.
My Journey 