A summary of the outline of the narrative of the Odyssey. This summary is brief but provides a quick and simple order of events that will serve well as a basis to refer back to in your studies.
Book 1
- Debate on Olympus whether help should be given to Odysseus by Athena and
Hermes.
- Penelope will not give up hope on the return of Odysseus despite Ithaca flooding with
suitors competing for her hand.
- The suitors cause mayhem at Ithaca - they take advantage of its wealth and supplies.
- rules of hospitality.
- Telemachus (son of Odysseus) stands against the suitors and decides that he will
embark on a journey to find his father.
- Meanwhile, Penelope is working on a death shroud - this is significant because it is
tradition that when this is finished Penelope must marry one of the suitors. However,
she undoes her work at night to prolong remarrying.
Book 2
- Telemachus rounds up the suitors and tells them they have to leave - yet they argue
that they will stay until Penelope finishes the death shroud - she has been working on
it for the past four years.
- By undoing her work, Penelope is keeping her faith in the return of Odysseus.
- Zeus sends down to eagles which signal hope for the return of Odysseus.
- Athena councils Telemachus to go out and search for information by disguising
herself as him to round up ships and men for the journey. Athena has literally set up
his journey. This is an example of the gods driving the narrative.
Books 3-4
- Telemachos with Athena have gone to Pylos where they witness a sacrifice of bulls to
Posiedon.
- Athena tells Telemachus to keep an eye for Nestor and to ask bold questions about
his father’s whereabouts.
- Nestor does not have a lot of information - but tells about Agamemnon and advises
that he goes to Sparta to speak to Agamemnon’s brother Menelaus.
- In book 4, Telemachus meets with Menelaus and Helen - and he recounts how he
knows that Odysseus is alive from an encounter with Proteus in which he demands
to know what has happened to Agamemnon and Odysseus.
- The suitors learn of Telemachus’ return to Ithaca and plan to assassinate him - but
Penelope learns about this plot.
Book 5
- On Mount Olympus, Athena asks Zeus for continued intervention to which he agrees
- in addition Hermes goes down to Calypso’s island and tells her to set Odysseus
free.
- This is the first time we meet Odysseus in a rather sorry state. - Odysseus has
evidently been through a lot.
- A ship is built for Odysseus to leave - this is where his skills are seen.
- Yet, Poseidon summons a storm to shipwreck Odysseus and he is now stranded on
Scheria .
, Books 6-7
- Odysseus meets Queen Arete and begs her for help - King Alcinous agrees to help
but is not aware of Odysseus’ identity.
- Is Odysseus being deceptive by keeping his identity unknown while asking for help?
Book 8
- Book 8 opens with King Alcinous aided by Athena - calling on his people to build a
ship for Odysseus to leave.
- A great feast is put in place in honour of Odysseus.
- Demodocus (a bard) sings about Agamemnon and Odysseus’ great verbal battle in
the Trojan War - Odysseus begins to weep, however this appears odd as no one yet
knows of his identity.
- Alcinous suggests an athletic competition to divert attention. - Odysseus is far
superior than the others.
- Odysseus reveals his identity.
Book 9
- Odysseus recounts his journey after Troy. - After Troy he and his men went to
another city to loot its wealth. Yet Odysseus warned that they should not stay for long
as they were driven off the island by its inhabitants.
- When they fled the wind blew their ship to the land of the lotus eaters. - when his
crew ate the flowers they did not want to leave.
- Shortly after Odysseus and his men encounter Polyphemus (cyclops) who traps them
in a cave.
- Odysseus and his remaining men stab the cyclops in the eye while he slept. Along
with Odysseus’ deception they manage to escape.
- Odysseus gloats of his glory which leads Polyphemus to ask his father Poseidon to
not let him go home.
- Odysseus hubris to foregrounded.
Book 10
- Odysseus and his men sail to Aeolia, home of Aeolus (master of the wind). They stay
here for a month. They are given a pouch of wind to blow them on their course.
- The crew get close to Ithaca but one of the men opens the pouch which takes them
off course again.
- They end up on the land of the Laestrygonians - giant cannibals.
- They escape and encounter Circe on the island of Aeaea - however more men are
lost.
- Circe turns the crew into pigs and Odysseus turns to Hermes for help.
- The men stay there for a year after they are turned back into humans and Odysseus
sleeps with Circe - Circe tells Odysseus he needs to go to the Land of Dead to see
Tiresias.
Book 11
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