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Odyssey summary book 13
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A concise summary of book 13 of the Odyssey
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Book 13 summary: The Odyssey Odysseus finishes his tale
Alcinous assures him that he thinks that he will reach his homeland without any
trouble from here on out
He suggests to the people present that they should git Odysseus as well a tripod and
cauldron via collection. Everyone agrees with this idea
Everyone went to bed
In the morning, Alcinous took all the gifts and personally stowed them upon the ship
Then everyone settled down to a feast
Alcinous slew an ox as a sacrifice for Zeus and Demodocus sang and played his lyre
Odysseus longed to be on his way home however and asked to leave as soon as the
sun set
He asks Alcinous to make his toast now and see him safely off as well as wishing
everyone good health and luck
Alcinous asked his squire, Pontonous to mix wine for an offering to Zeus
Odysseus gave his cup to Arete and wished to her that she was happy and had a
happy home and family
When Odysseus departed, arete sent him off with a party of maid servants
The nobles who escorted him took care of his baggage and made a bed for him in the
ship so that he could sleep while travelling
Odysseus fell asleep as soon as they set off
When the sun rose again, they reached Ithaca and moored the ship in a cove called
Phorcys, where, at the head of the cove, grows an olive tree and is home to the
Naiads
The Phaeacians with Odysseus, carried him from the ship, laying him down on the
sand and surrounded him with his gifts, hidden so that they would not be stolen
They then left
Poseidon is angry at the Phaeacians for helping Odysseus and wants revenge, saying
that he will wreck their ship and surround them with a ring of mountains
Zeus suggests instead that he turn the ship to stone as it approaches Phaecia and
Poseidon does so
The Phaeacians are shocked and Alcinous explain that this is a prophecy from his
father
As a result, he orders everyone to never help strangers again and to sacrifice twelve
choice bulls to Poseidon
Odysseus wakes up but due to the mist that Athene has covered Phaecia with (so
that Odysseus cannot be recognised and can’t recognise anything) he does not know
where he is
He wonders if the people here are savages or are instead kind and curses the
Phaeacians for leaving him alone in, what he perceives as, an unknown land
He prays that they are punished by Zeus
Athene appears to Odysseus as a young shepherd and he asks her where he is
She describes the island to him before telling him that he is on Ithaca
He makes up a story of how he got here, saying that he is in exile for the murder of
Idomeneus’ son, Orsilochus and that he asked the Phaeacians for aid
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