Intro:
Odysseus lived on the island of Ithaca, just west of Greece, and was the only child of King Laertes and Queen Anticleia, becoming king when his father decided to lead a simple life and be a farmer. The Trojan War started around the time Odysseus became King, circa 1250 BCE. Odysseus' wife Penelope gave birth to their son Telemachus, who grew up during the 10 years Odysseus was away fighting, and the additional 10 years he spent sailing home. His story is well-known through The Odyssey, outlining his treacherous journey home while the sea god, Poseidon, torments him throughout the long voyage. (7)
The Quest:
Ordinary World:
Odysseus is newly King of the Island of Ithaca after his father becomes a farmer (7)
Call to Adventure:
Odysseus must go fight in the Trojan War (7)
Meeting the Mentor:
Athena is his guardian who guides and advises Odysseus, sending aid and protection when he needs it (7)
Crossing the Threshold:
His voyage home starts after 10 long years of fighting (7)
Odysseus is newly King of the Island of Ithaca after his father becomes a farmer (7)
Call to Adventure:
Odysseus must go fight in the Trojan War (7)
Meeting the Mentor:
Athena is his guardian who guides and advises Odysseus, sending aid and protection when he needs it (7)
Crossing the Threshold:
His voyage home starts after 10 long years of fighting (7)
Tests, Allies, Enemies + Approach + Ordeal:
Odysseus made enemies of the sea god Poseidon when he blinded his son Polyphemus the Cyclops during his first test. Poseidon torments Odysseus throughout his voyage home because Zeus, King of the Gods, won't allow him to kill Odysseus. (7)
Test 1: The Cyclopes - On the journey home, Odysseus and his 12 ships were blown off course and landed on an island full of cyclopes. The natives were unknown to Odysseus and his crew, so they went exploring and came across a cave filled with livestock and children. When the cyclops Polyphemus returned to his cave, the sailors remained hidden. However, it wasn't long before the cyclops found the men, killing two of them instantly and eating them. Odysseus and his men were trapped in the cave until the cyclops moved the boulder blocking the entrance, so Odysseus devised a plan to free them. Following the deaths of two more sailors, Odysseus made a spear out of a tree trunk he found in the cave, and planned to impale Polyphemus. After presenting the cyclops with the very strong wine they had originally intended as a peace offering, the Odysseus introduced himself as Nobody and asked if the cyclops would let them leave. The cyclops gave Nobody a gift, saying that he "would eat Nobody after he had eaten the other men." While the cyclops was sleeping, four of Odysseus' men stabbed the spear deep into Polyphemus' eyeball. When he started screaming "Nobody is trying to kill me," the other cyclopes who heard his cries went home. Odysseus and his men snuck out of the cave underneath the livestock. Once on the ship, Odysseus taunted Polyphemus, who threw a boulder at the ship. When Odysseus said he was the one who blinded the cyclops, not Nobody, the cyclops became furious because it was foretold a man named Odysseus would blind him. Polyphemus then asked Poseidon for vengeance on Odysseus, killing his men and delaying his return home, to which Poseidon obliged. (7)
Test 2: The Lotus Eaters - The next test took place on the island of the Lotus Eaters and were 10 days off course. Odysseus sent his men ashore to gather supplies and 3 to scout the area. The 3 who spoke with the natives while scouting were offered the addictive lotus plant that made the natives "lethargic and simpleminded." They soon became forgetful and never returned to the ship. Odysseus finally found the 3 men in a lotus-induced bliss, and had to tie them to the ship to prevent them from remaining on the island while the ships pulled away from shore. (7)
Test 3: The Island of Circe - When Odysseus and his crew landed on the island of Aiaia, the encountered the dread goddess Circe, mistress of drugs and potions. While looking for food and water, Circe lured the crew into her lair where they were so enchanted by her beauty they drank her potions and she turned them into swine with a touch of her wand. One sailor escaped and warned Odysseus, who then ventured into Circe's lair. He ran into the god Hermes on the way, making an ally who gave Odysseus a protective plant called 'moly' that would prevent him from transforming, too. When he enters her lair, she gives him her potion, but Circe doesn't see him slip the 'moly' into the goblet. When she goes to tap Odysseus with her wand, he brandishes his sword, catching her off guard. She surrenders immediately and turns all 22 pigs back into men. She gave the men full access to food, water, and other commodities on the island. Circe also told Odysseus to go see the seer Teiresias in the House of Hades in order to finally appease Poseidon. (7)
Test 4: Scylla and Charybdis - Scylla is a 6-headed man-eating sea monster who snatches up sailors using her long necks, and her sister Charybdis is a giant whirlpool the sucks in and spews out ocean water to crush ships. Odysseus and his crew had to sail between them in the Messenia Strait in order to reach the House of Hades. The gave Charybdis a wide birth, and as a result lost 6 men to Scylla since all the focus was on Charybdis. (7)
Test 5: The Sirens - The House of Hades is in the Underworld, and in order to reach the entrance Odysseus had to sail past the island of the Sirens. Anyone who heard the Sirens' song was doomed to sail into rocks and die, so Circe suggested the crew plug their ears with wax. Odysseus wanted to hear their irresistible song, so he was tied to the ship's mast and gave his crew explicit instructions not to untie him until they were well out of earshot of the Sirens. Odysseus was the only mortal to hear their song and live. (7)
Test 6: The Underworld - Once they reached the Underworld, Odysseus and his crew made a blood sacrifice at the House of Hades to draw in the shade of the seer Teiresias, except other shades like Heracles and Odysseus' mother Antikleia showed up. Circe said the only way for Odysseus to appease Poseidon was by talking to Teiresias, and the dead seer told Odysseus that he would return home safely and that Poseidon's bitterness would end. (7)
Test 7: Return to Circe's Island - The crew had to return to Circe's Island so they could give a proper burial to a crew member who died the last time they were on the island. They had seen this crew member, Elpenor, in the House of Hades, and he begged Odysseus to return to bury his body. Odysseus fathered 3 sons while on the island, Agrius, Latinus, and Telegonus. When it was time to leave, Circe reminded Odysseus to avoid the Island of Helios, just as Teiresias did in the House of Hades, because great danger awaits those who land there. However the warning was in vain, so the goddess sent them away on strong winds. (7)
Test 8: The Island of Helios - The island of Thrinacia, also called the Island of Helios, is home to the sun god's sacred cattle as well as other livestock not meant for consumption. Despite Circe's warning, unfavorable winds sent Odysseus's ship to the island. Odysseus made his crew swear not to kill any of the livestock because if they were cursed by helios as well as Poseidon then they couldn't return home. Two nymphs that were step-sisters of Helios guarded the livestock and kept a close eye on the sailors. One of the crew members convinced the other men to kill the sacred animals, and as a result all were killed except for Odysseus who didn't participate in the sacrifice. The punishment for defiling the sacred herd was death, and since the nymphs informed Helios, everyone died. (7)
Test 9: Calypso - On the island of Ogygia there lived a nymph named Calypso. By the time Odysseus reached her island, he lost all his ships and crew members. Calypso fell in love with Odysseus and he stayed on the island with her for 7 long years; they had 2 sons together. He wished for a way off the island, wanting to return home to his wife and son instead of remaining with Calypso forever as an immortal. Since Athena was his guide and guardian, she reminded Zeus that Odysseus had been on Ogygia for 7 years. Zeus sent Hermes with a message for Calypso telling her to let Odysseus leave and to provide him with supplies to build a new ship. Calypso not only gave Odysseus the supplies to build a seaworthy craft, but also gave him fair winds to help send him on his way. (7)
Test 10: Phaeacians - After leaving Calypso's island, Poseidon notices Odysseus on open seas and uses his trident to smash his makeshift raft to pieces, leaving only a few timbers to float on. The sea goddess Leucothea told Odysseus to ditch his raft and clothes and swim for the island of the Phaeacians. She gave him a magic veil that would keep him afloat until he reached the island. Poseidon destroyed the remaining parts of the raft and sent the winds on Odysseus. Eventually Athena calmed the storm, using Boreas the north wind to guide Odysseus to the island. After three days he reached the island, swam into the inlet and crossed a river, throwing the magi veil back into the sea as instructed. From there, Athena disguised herself as a Phaeacian girl and helped Odysseus fall asleep. She also entered the dreams of the Phaeacian Princess Nausikaa. In the dream, Athena appeared as the friend of the princess, urging her to clean her unwashed clothes in the river the next morning. The Princess does as she's told, and her father lets her go because he wants her to look nice for eligible suitors. The queen gave her daughter food, wine and olive oil so she and her handmaidens could bathe after washing their clothes. Athena planned it so that when the girls were playing and washing the clothes, their laughter would awaken Odysseus. Odysseus approaches the princess without bowing, and she stays and listens to his story, judging him to be a good man. Her handmaidens gave him a tunic and olive oil to wash up, and Athena made him appear taller and stronger once he reemerged. The princess led him back to the city, instructing him to go to the palace and see her mother, because if he was favored by the queen he would get all the help he needed. Athena in disguise continued helping Odysseus, telling him the queen's backstory and to be bold when asking for assistance. He knelt in front of the queen asking for assistance, and the king and queen have a celebration in his honor. All the Phaeacians gave him gifts and prepared a ship, readying him for departure. He promised the princess he would pray to her like a god since she saved his life. (7)
Odysseus made enemies of the sea god Poseidon when he blinded his son Polyphemus the Cyclops during his first test. Poseidon torments Odysseus throughout his voyage home because Zeus, King of the Gods, won't allow him to kill Odysseus. (7)
Test 1: The Cyclopes - On the journey home, Odysseus and his 12 ships were blown off course and landed on an island full of cyclopes. The natives were unknown to Odysseus and his crew, so they went exploring and came across a cave filled with livestock and children. When the cyclops Polyphemus returned to his cave, the sailors remained hidden. However, it wasn't long before the cyclops found the men, killing two of them instantly and eating them. Odysseus and his men were trapped in the cave until the cyclops moved the boulder blocking the entrance, so Odysseus devised a plan to free them. Following the deaths of two more sailors, Odysseus made a spear out of a tree trunk he found in the cave, and planned to impale Polyphemus. After presenting the cyclops with the very strong wine they had originally intended as a peace offering, the Odysseus introduced himself as Nobody and asked if the cyclops would let them leave. The cyclops gave Nobody a gift, saying that he "would eat Nobody after he had eaten the other men." While the cyclops was sleeping, four of Odysseus' men stabbed the spear deep into Polyphemus' eyeball. When he started screaming "Nobody is trying to kill me," the other cyclopes who heard his cries went home. Odysseus and his men snuck out of the cave underneath the livestock. Once on the ship, Odysseus taunted Polyphemus, who threw a boulder at the ship. When Odysseus said he was the one who blinded the cyclops, not Nobody, the cyclops became furious because it was foretold a man named Odysseus would blind him. Polyphemus then asked Poseidon for vengeance on Odysseus, killing his men and delaying his return home, to which Poseidon obliged. (7)
Test 2: The Lotus Eaters - The next test took place on the island of the Lotus Eaters and were 10 days off course. Odysseus sent his men ashore to gather supplies and 3 to scout the area. The 3 who spoke with the natives while scouting were offered the addictive lotus plant that made the natives "lethargic and simpleminded." They soon became forgetful and never returned to the ship. Odysseus finally found the 3 men in a lotus-induced bliss, and had to tie them to the ship to prevent them from remaining on the island while the ships pulled away from shore. (7)
Test 3: The Island of Circe - When Odysseus and his crew landed on the island of Aiaia, the encountered the dread goddess Circe, mistress of drugs and potions. While looking for food and water, Circe lured the crew into her lair where they were so enchanted by her beauty they drank her potions and she turned them into swine with a touch of her wand. One sailor escaped and warned Odysseus, who then ventured into Circe's lair. He ran into the god Hermes on the way, making an ally who gave Odysseus a protective plant called 'moly' that would prevent him from transforming, too. When he enters her lair, she gives him her potion, but Circe doesn't see him slip the 'moly' into the goblet. When she goes to tap Odysseus with her wand, he brandishes his sword, catching her off guard. She surrenders immediately and turns all 22 pigs back into men. She gave the men full access to food, water, and other commodities on the island. Circe also told Odysseus to go see the seer Teiresias in the House of Hades in order to finally appease Poseidon. (7)
Test 4: Scylla and Charybdis - Scylla is a 6-headed man-eating sea monster who snatches up sailors using her long necks, and her sister Charybdis is a giant whirlpool the sucks in and spews out ocean water to crush ships. Odysseus and his crew had to sail between them in the Messenia Strait in order to reach the House of Hades. The gave Charybdis a wide birth, and as a result lost 6 men to Scylla since all the focus was on Charybdis. (7)
Test 5: The Sirens - The House of Hades is in the Underworld, and in order to reach the entrance Odysseus had to sail past the island of the Sirens. Anyone who heard the Sirens' song was doomed to sail into rocks and die, so Circe suggested the crew plug their ears with wax. Odysseus wanted to hear their irresistible song, so he was tied to the ship's mast and gave his crew explicit instructions not to untie him until they were well out of earshot of the Sirens. Odysseus was the only mortal to hear their song and live. (7)
Test 6: The Underworld - Once they reached the Underworld, Odysseus and his crew made a blood sacrifice at the House of Hades to draw in the shade of the seer Teiresias, except other shades like Heracles and Odysseus' mother Antikleia showed up. Circe said the only way for Odysseus to appease Poseidon was by talking to Teiresias, and the dead seer told Odysseus that he would return home safely and that Poseidon's bitterness would end. (7)
Test 7: Return to Circe's Island - The crew had to return to Circe's Island so they could give a proper burial to a crew member who died the last time they were on the island. They had seen this crew member, Elpenor, in the House of Hades, and he begged Odysseus to return to bury his body. Odysseus fathered 3 sons while on the island, Agrius, Latinus, and Telegonus. When it was time to leave, Circe reminded Odysseus to avoid the Island of Helios, just as Teiresias did in the House of Hades, because great danger awaits those who land there. However the warning was in vain, so the goddess sent them away on strong winds. (7)
Test 8: The Island of Helios - The island of Thrinacia, also called the Island of Helios, is home to the sun god's sacred cattle as well as other livestock not meant for consumption. Despite Circe's warning, unfavorable winds sent Odysseus's ship to the island. Odysseus made his crew swear not to kill any of the livestock because if they were cursed by helios as well as Poseidon then they couldn't return home. Two nymphs that were step-sisters of Helios guarded the livestock and kept a close eye on the sailors. One of the crew members convinced the other men to kill the sacred animals, and as a result all were killed except for Odysseus who didn't participate in the sacrifice. The punishment for defiling the sacred herd was death, and since the nymphs informed Helios, everyone died. (7)
Test 9: Calypso - On the island of Ogygia there lived a nymph named Calypso. By the time Odysseus reached her island, he lost all his ships and crew members. Calypso fell in love with Odysseus and he stayed on the island with her for 7 long years; they had 2 sons together. He wished for a way off the island, wanting to return home to his wife and son instead of remaining with Calypso forever as an immortal. Since Athena was his guide and guardian, she reminded Zeus that Odysseus had been on Ogygia for 7 years. Zeus sent Hermes with a message for Calypso telling her to let Odysseus leave and to provide him with supplies to build a new ship. Calypso not only gave Odysseus the supplies to build a seaworthy craft, but also gave him fair winds to help send him on his way. (7)
Test 10: Phaeacians - After leaving Calypso's island, Poseidon notices Odysseus on open seas and uses his trident to smash his makeshift raft to pieces, leaving only a few timbers to float on. The sea goddess Leucothea told Odysseus to ditch his raft and clothes and swim for the island of the Phaeacians. She gave him a magic veil that would keep him afloat until he reached the island. Poseidon destroyed the remaining parts of the raft and sent the winds on Odysseus. Eventually Athena calmed the storm, using Boreas the north wind to guide Odysseus to the island. After three days he reached the island, swam into the inlet and crossed a river, throwing the magi veil back into the sea as instructed. From there, Athena disguised herself as a Phaeacian girl and helped Odysseus fall asleep. She also entered the dreams of the Phaeacian Princess Nausikaa. In the dream, Athena appeared as the friend of the princess, urging her to clean her unwashed clothes in the river the next morning. The Princess does as she's told, and her father lets her go because he wants her to look nice for eligible suitors. The queen gave her daughter food, wine and olive oil so she and her handmaidens could bathe after washing their clothes. Athena planned it so that when the girls were playing and washing the clothes, their laughter would awaken Odysseus. Odysseus approaches the princess without bowing, and she stays and listens to his story, judging him to be a good man. Her handmaidens gave him a tunic and olive oil to wash up, and Athena made him appear taller and stronger once he reemerged. The princess led him back to the city, instructing him to go to the palace and see her mother, because if he was favored by the queen he would get all the help he needed. Athena in disguise continued helping Odysseus, telling him the queen's backstory and to be bold when asking for assistance. He knelt in front of the queen asking for assistance, and the king and queen have a celebration in his honor. All the Phaeacians gave him gifts and prepared a ship, readying him for departure. He promised the princess he would pray to her like a god since she saved his life. (7)
Reward:
Odysseus was finally able to return home, and brought with him many gifts from the island of the Phaeacians (7).
Road Back:
Odysseus finally returns to Ithaca after being away for 20 long years at sea (7).
Resurrection:
Seeing as this is Odysseus's final test, he has to eliminate all the suitors who are trying to win over his wife and steal his wealth and land. They wanted to kill off his son Telemachus so they don't have to split the wealth after the wedding, except Odysseus kills all of the suitors so that doesn't happen. (7)
Return with the Elixir:
After 20 years of fighting, Odysseus had finally regained his family and kingdom (7).
Odysseus was finally able to return home, and brought with him many gifts from the island of the Phaeacians (7).
Road Back:
Odysseus finally returns to Ithaca after being away for 20 long years at sea (7).
Resurrection:
Seeing as this is Odysseus's final test, he has to eliminate all the suitors who are trying to win over his wife and steal his wealth and land. They wanted to kill off his son Telemachus so they don't have to split the wealth after the wedding, except Odysseus kills all of the suitors so that doesn't happen. (7)
Return with the Elixir:
After 20 years of fighting, Odysseus had finally regained his family and kingdom (7).
So What?:
The rhetoric of the story of Odysseus is that in order to reach the moral of the story, Odysseus must go on a quest. His quest doesn't follow the pattern exactly, but I manipulated the story for illustrative purposes to make it fit the best I could. Since Odysseus' story starts with the Trojan War, his call to action was much earlier in the story, except his actual quest takes place on the voyage home (7). Each stop he makes along the way isn't a "test" per-say, but each stop represents some sort of challenge he and his crew had to overcome in one way or another (7). Overall, the story does, for the most part, follow the "Hero's Journey" outline, just like many other epic adventure tales (5). Regardless of how well his story fits into the standard "Hero's Journey" mold, Odysseus had to go on this quest to teach the moral of the story. The moral of the story is not to anger the gods, because bad things will happen if you do. This is seen not only with Poseidon throughout the story, but also with Helios briefly (7). Since the purpose of the story is to warn people against disobeying the gods, the serious, and somewhat gloomy tone really helps deliver the message, letting people know the story isn't just something to brush off (back when stories like this were relevant).
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