They put to sea and sail towards the river Oceanus and get to spot Circe told them to go. They do the deed and sacrifice the sheep as she instructed, and the ghosts begin to appear. First there is Elpenor whose body was still at Circe’s house, then came Teiresias, and told what Odyessues was to expect on the way home. Namely that he would be the only one to survive and would find trouble at home in form of the suitors. After Teiresias left then came a long line of wives, daughters of heroes and heroes themselves, including Achilles, Agamemnon, and Ajax. Odysseus was panic stricken and he and his men left for Circe’s island.
Next Odysseus come to the island of Aeolus where they stay for a month. Aeolus sends them away with the four winds in a bag; however the men don’t know this, they sail on and are to the point where they can see the smoke raising from Ithaca. The men being jealous of Odysseus, saying look at the treasure he brings home and we have none, and they open the bag. The four winds escape, and they end up at the island of Aeolus again, where Aeolus sends them away with no further help.
They sail on and come to rocky Lamas where the Laestrygonians live. The other eleven ships go into the harbor while Odysseus stays just outside. Odysseus sends three men to look for the people of the place, they find them, and they were not welcomed. These people turned out to be ogres, Antiphates began to eat one the men, the other two run back to the ship. A hue and cry is raised by Antiphates and thousands come from everywhere. From the hill above the harbor they throw rocks and spear the men in the ships below. All are wiped out, none survive, and only Odysseus and his men are left.
Next they come to the Aeaean island where Circe lives, she is cunning goddess. Odysseus scouts out the land and sees smoke from Circe’s house. On the way back to the ship he kills a stag from their dinner that night. In the morning Odysseus calls the men together and divides them into two groups, he leads one group and the other he sends to Circe’s house. When they get there Circe turns them into pigs except one who returns to ship to tell the others what had happened. Odysseus goes to Circe’s house on the way he is met by Hermes, and Hermes gives him instructions on how to deal Circe. Odysseus gets her to change men back to themselves again, then after a year they leave. Circe tells them first they must go the house of Hades to inquire of Teiresias, and gives instructions on how to go about that.
Odysseus begins to tell of his journey that brought him to the land of the Phaeacians. After leaving Troy the next city they come to is Ismarus, city of the Cicones, and they sacked the city. Once doing that they took their booty and went back to the ships and instead of leaving right away they stay, drinking and eating. There is reprisal in the morning as Cicones that lived inland come to avenge their fellow citizens. Odysseus and his ships get away but with losses, half dozen men from every ship. Next they reached the land of the Lotus eaters, whoever ate if the lotus did not want to go home, instead they wanted to stay. Odysseus had to drag his comrades who had eaten the flower back to the ships, and they put to sea in a hurry.
After that they come to the land of the Cyclops, and the episode with Polyphemus. Odysseus and his men come to the Cyclops cave, his men want to take what they could of the cheese and lambs and leave. They did not; Odysseus wanted to stay and met the fellow who lived there. This turned out to be a deadly mistake, Polyphemus started to eat some of the men, two at a time. Odysseus then proceeds to make pointed pole, tricks Polyphemus into drinking wine and tells him is name is Noman. Polyphemus passes out drunk from the wine, and Odysseus and his men blind Polyphemus with the pole. The Cyclops is crying out in pain and agony that his neighbors come and say “Polyphemus what ails you? to which he replies “Noman is killing me by force and fraud.” The other Cyclops say “if Noman is killing you, you brought this on yourself” and they leave. The Greeks did have a sense of humor. Odysseus and his men get away by clinging on to the underbellies of sheep. Odysseus taunts Polyphemus as they sail away, the Cyclops tears off the top of a mountain and throws it at them, and drives them back to shore. They get away again and this time, further out, Odyesseus taunts Polyphemus again and this time the Cyclops throws huge boulders at the ship. This time Odysseus and his men are able to get away.
Odysseus begins to tell of his journey that brought him to the land of the Phaeacians. After leaving Troy the next city they come to is Ismarus, city of the Cicones, and they sacked the city. Once doing that they took their booty and went back to the ships and instead of leaving right away they stay, drinking and eating. There is reprisal in the morning as Cicones that lived inland come to avenge their fellow citizens. Odysseus and his ships get away but with losses, half dozen men from every ship. Next they reached the land of the Lotus eaters, whoever ate if the lotus did not want to go home, instead they wanted to stay. Odysseus had to drag his comrades who had eaten the flower back to the ships, and they put to sea in a hurry.
After that they come to the land of the Cyclops, and the episode with Polyphemus. Odysseus and his men come to the Cyclops cave, his men want to take what they could of the cheese and lambs and leave. They did not; Odysseus wanted to stay and met the fellow who lived there. This turned out to be a deadly mistake, Polyphemus started to eat some of the men, two at a time. Odysseus then proceeds to make pointed pole, tricks Polyphemus into drinking wine and tells him is name is Noman. Polyphemus passes out drunk from the wine, and Odysseus and his men blind Polyphemus with the pole. The Cyclops is crying out in pain and agony that his neighbors come and say “Polyphemus what ails you? to which he replies “Noman is killing me by force and fraud.” The other Cyclops say “if Noman is killing you, you brought this on yourself” and they leave. The Greeks did have a sense of humor. Odysseus and his men get away by clinging on to the underbellies of sheep. Odysseus taunts Polyphemus as they sail away, the Cyclops tears off the top of a mountain and throws it at them, and drives them back to shore. They get away again and this time, further out, Odyesseus taunts Polyphemus again and this time the Cyclops throws huge boulders at the ship. This time Odysseus and his men are able to get away.
Last week I was in downtown Seattle and of course I had to take some pictures. The Seattle Public Library St. James cathedral This is a park that goes over the freeway This is a park near our home Sometimes its best to let sleeping dogs lay
BOOK 8 In the morning Alcinous and Odyesseus go to the place of assembly, and the towns people start to gather. Then Alcinous makes a speech about giving Odyesseus escort an home, ship is then drawn into the water and the oarsmen chosen. After this they have a feast and Demodus the bard comes to sing. about the heroes and Troy, Odyesseus starts to weep. The only one who notices is Alcinous, and he calls an end to the feast and that the games should start. With the games starting Laodamas, goes and asks Odyesseus if he would like to participate, in the process insults Odyesseus. Odyesseus lets Laodamas know that he can compete in the games and he picks up a discus , one heavier than the Phaeacians were using, and throws it further than any of them. After this show the dancing starts and the bard begins to sing again. The bard sings about Ares and Aphrodite, that story was scandalous to say the least, talk about your sins will find you out. When the singing and dancing is done Alcinous asks the chief men to bring cloaks, shirts and talents of gold and Euryalus make a formal apology to Odyesseus. The crowd goes back to the house of Alcinous, and Arete has her maids give Odyesseus a bath. He talks awhile with Nausicaa and then supper is served. During supper Odysseus talks with Demodocus and asks him to sing about the night the Greeks took Troy, again Odysseus is moved to tears. Again Alcinous asks the bard to leave off singing and asks Odysseus to tell of his home, and about his wanderings.
