Our Myths

In Greek mythology, Odysseus was a legendary hero, King of Ithaca and the main protagonist of Homer's epic poem the ‘Odyssey’. The events of this tale are widely believed to have occurred during the late Bronze Age around 11th century BCE, along the Mediterranean coast.

 

Odysseus went to Troy to restore honour to Greece by retrieving and returning Queen Helen of Sparta to her homeland, after she had eloped with Paris, a Persian Prince.

 

The Odyssey describes the ten-year long return journey, for Odysseus and his crew, from Troy to his home island of Ithaca. The journey is both adventurous and challenging. Odysseus experiences extraordinary physical and emotional trials, brought on by the   supreme and powerful gods.

 

What makes Odysseus a hero, is not just his superhuman physical strength, but also his mental agility and cunningness. He has an extraordinary ability to make calculated decisions and manoeuvres, getting him out of trouble and back to safety. The Odyssey is not only a gripping adventure about Odysseus’ physical return to Ithaca, but also a story of his journey of self-discovery through life’s trials and tribulations.

  

And so, the Odyssey begins…. 

After the ten-year war in Troy ended, Odysseus and his men begin their journey back to Ithaca. Their twelve ships set sail in tranquil waters, as they had a decade earlier.

 

1. As Odysseus and his crew travelled, they needed supplies and respite from life at sea. They made an unwelcomed stop at Cicones, where they raided the town and ransacked the villagers’ homes. In response, whilst asleep, the villagers attacked Odysseus’ men, killing many.

 

2. After returning to sea, Odysseus caught the unfavourable attentions of the gods. Zeus, the King of Gods, released a wild storm. Odysseus and his men took refuge on the land of the lethargic Lotus-Eaters. The euphoria from the narcotic lotus was so blissful that Odysseus’ men forget their desire to return home. Odysseus dragged his men, one by one, back on-board their ships and their journey continued.

 

3. Not long after, they came across a cave belonging to Polyphemus the Cyclops. They made themselves at home and helped themselves to Polyphemus’ food. Seeing this infuriated Polyphemus. In retaliation, the Cyclops smashed the heads of two men and devoured others.

 

Escaping the cave alive required Odysseus’ cunningness and swiftness. Odysseus managed to make Polyphemus drunk and then blinded him by plunging a burning stake into his eye. Odysseus then escaped with his six men by clinging to the bellies of sheep let out to pasture. As he made his escape, Odysseus announced to Polyphemus that it is he who blinded the Cyclops.

 

The Cyclops told his father, Poseidon. Poseidon punished Odysseus for blinding his beloved son by sending him and his men multiple storms, forcing them off course.

 

4. Aeolus, the master of the winds, gave Odysseus a leather bag containing all the winds except for the West Wind, ensuring his safe and quick return home. The sailors foolishly opened the bag expecting to find gold and silver.

 

5. With angry storms from Poseidon and no winds for support, they found themselves further away from home. They landed on the island of the bloodthirsty, man-eating giants, the Laestrygonians. Witnessing the giants, Odysseus and his men fled for their ships, but the Laestrygonians pelted the ships with boulders and sank all but Odysseus’ ship.

 

6. With only one ship remaining, Odysseus sailed to the island of Aeaea, home to the powerful Circe, who turned half of his men into swine. Odysseus, who was protected by the herb moly (a gift from Hermes), pleaded with Circe to restore his men back to their human form. Circe fell in love with Odysseus. He agreed to become her lover, only if she transformed his men back to humans. Odysseus stayed with Circe for one year before resuming his journey.

 

7. Odysseus visited the Underworld to seek knowledge, on how to return to Ithaca, from the blind prophet Tiresias. The first soul he met was Elpenor, one of his men who died breaking his neck, after a drunken fall from a rooftop. He begged Odysseus to return to Circe's island and give his body a proper burial.

 

The second spirit Odysseus met, was his own mother, who died of grief and longing for him. Odysseus was unaware of his mother's death and was bereft. Even though he could see her spirit, he grieved the loss of his mother. She told him news of his wife’s suitors and that he must return home.

 

Achilles was the third spirit he saw. Odysseus congratulated him for being the highest rank in the underworld, to which Achilles responded, “I'd rather serve as another man's labourer, as a poor peasant without land, and be alive on Earth, than be lord of all the lifeless dead.”

 

8. They approached the island of the bird-like creatures, the Sirens. As instructed by Circe, Odysseus escaped the alluring sounds of the Sirens by plugging his men's ears with beeswax and binding himself to the mast of the ship. This enabled Odysseus to hear the sweetness of their songs, without being lured and destroyed by them.

 

9. After escaping the Sirens, they entered a narrow strait with Scylla the six-headed monster on one side and the whirlpool Charybdis on the other. Odysseus was forced to sacrifice six men for the survival of the others.

 

10. Odysseus and his men landed on the island of Thrinacia, the home of the sun god, Helios. Ignoring all prophecies, that they are not to harm or eat any of the sun god’s prized cattle, they slaughtered the sacred cattle. This sacrilege act was punished by a shipwreck in which all but Odysseus were drowned.

 

11. Odysseus was then washed ashore on Calypso’s island of Ogygia. Calypso promised him an eternal life if he remained with her on the island. Detained and unable to return home to Ithaca, Odysseus sought assistance from the gods. All the gods, excepting Poseidon, gathered on Mt Olympus. With Athena’s persuasive arguments, Zeus agreed to send his son Hermes immediately to Ogygia, in order to liberate the King of Ithaca from Calypso. After seven long years as her lover, Odysseus is finally released.

 

12. Alone, tired and shipwrecked, Odysseus found himself on Phaeacia (Corfu). The Phaeacians provided Odysseus with a boat so he can finally sail back home to Ithaca.

 

13. After 20 years away, Odysseus landed on the shores of Ithaca. Waiting for him was goddess Athena. Athena disguised Odysseus as an old beggar so he could safely enter his palace.

 

14. Finally alone with Penelope, Odysseus the beggar, offered convincing evidence that he knew her husband. Penelope remained suspicious of his identity. Eurycleia, an aged and loyal servant who nursed both Odysseus and Telemachus when they were babies, was assigned the duty of bathing the guest’s feet. Only reluctantly did he allow Eurycleia to wash his feet. As she put them in a basin of water, she noticed a scar on one of his feet. She immediately recognized him as Odysseus.

 

15. Penelope, Odysseus’ wife, requested the suitors participate in an archery competition using Odysseus’ bow. The man, who was able to string her husband’s bow and shoot an arrow through twelve axe shafts, would win her hand in marriage. Odysseus was the only one skilled enough to string the bow and perform the task. The beggar succeeded in the challenge.

 

16. Penelope realised the beggar was Odysseus. Before she could accept him as her husband, she put him through one more test. She asked him to move their marital bed, knowing it was not possible. He objected knowing the bed couldn’t be moved because one leg was a living olive tree. Odysseus’ identity was now convincingly revealed to Penelope and his son Telemachus.

 

17. Odysseus finally sought revenge on Penelope’s suitors because they had wasted a lot of his wealth, while living in his palace during his absence.