Book 24 - Warriors, Farewell

We went to my father's house, and when we arrived, I sent Telemakhos and the herders into the house while I searched for my dad in the orchards. I found my father tending to a young fruit tree; he wore clothes fit for a farmer, not a king. I debated running up to kiss and hug him and telling him all about my travels, or interrogating and testing him before revealing myself. I went for the second option and I went up to him asking what island this is and why he looks so kingly but is working the field instead, and I lied about housing Odysseus a few years back. At this, his eyes filled with tears, and he talked about how his family was completely loyal to him while he was away and the suitors were taking all his stuff. He scooped up some earth with tears in his eyes, and this sad scene made me twinge inside, and I just had to tell him. So I leaped up and threw my arms around my dad and kissed him, telling him that I was Odysseus, and I proved it by showing him the boar's tusk scar and recounting the events surrounding it. His knees gave out from under him, and he clutched me as he prayed to the gods for thanks. We talked and walked up to his house where Telemakhos and the herders were waiting and making lunch. When we got there, I helped with lunch while my father was bathed and clothed in clothes fit for a king. Soon we were all seated, and as we started eating, Dolios and his sons appeared, and realising who I was, they ran up to me and kissed my hands and asked whether Penelope knows I'm here. I invited them to lunch, and we all ate and talked. Meanwhile, news of the suitor's bloody death blazed throughout the town like wildfire. They buried the bodies, then held town council, in which they decided to avenge their sons and kill us. Athena came down to us in the form of Mentor just as we saw the suitors' families coming over the fields to kill us. We prepared for battle, and as both mini-armies met in the fields, Athena called out in the middle of the field for us to stop. The Ithakans' faces paled, and they wanted to run home, but Athena held them in place. She had us make a pact of peace with terms set by herself. And there was peace under my rule.

Picture from: http://www.mjausson.com/2004/walk04Jul04.html

Book 23 - The Trunk of the Olive Tree

I sent Eurykleia to get Penelope, who was angry to have been woken from the sweetest sleep she'd had in many years. And Eurykleia told her to come downstairs because I was there waiting for her, but she just denied this fact, telling Eurykleia that it was one of the meanest things she could do to her. When Eurykleia finally persuaded her to come downstairs, I was sitting by a column, and we just stared at each other, Penelope not showing any feeling so as not to be hurt again by a fraud. Telemakhos asked her why she didn't go up and greet her husband after seeing him after 20 years; and she replied that she was still weary, but they'd know each other if it was truly him. I told Telemakhos to leave her in peace because we now had to worry about the families of the slain suitors coming to kill us. I thought for a while, then decided on a plan: I sent the remaining, faithful, maids to get dressed in their prettiest dancing clothes and for the men to bathe. We'd have a party with music, and the hall would sound merry so that any passer-by would think we were celebrating a wedding, and that no death was near. And then before any of the mourning families could come kill us, we'd slip away to the woods. So everyone got dressed, and we danced all night to the harper's music. After the dancing, I asked Eurykleia to set up a bed. Penelope told her to move the bed I had made out of the trunk of the olive tree that this house was built around, and I got really angry, talking about its importance and the work that went into it. This seemed proof enough to Penelope that I was indeed Odysseus. she ran up to me and hugged and kissed me, crying the whole time. We had the maids make our bed, and after we got re-aquainted, we spent the rest of the night telling each other the stories of the past 20 years. I also told her about the prophecy I was given in the underworld, and when we were done, we finally slept. In the morning we awoke, having had the best nights sleep in ages. I told all the women to lock themselves in the upper floors of the house and not open to anyone, while we went to find my father at his orchard, covered in a cloud of smoke by Athena...

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Book 22 - Death in the Great Hall

Then I shrugged off my rags and shot an arrow at Antinoos, who dropped his wine glass and his dead body landed on the floor, food falling with him to soak in the blood. I stood on the table, looking around and soaking up the fear that was radiating from each suitor. I told them that I was Odysseus and I was back to kill them for bringing dishonor on my family and house. Amphinomos charged at me in anger, sword in hand, but Telemakhos threw his spear at him, and it hit right between the shoulder blades, and pierced straight through to the heart. I rained a shower of arrows down upon them, and many suitors fell. I took a break to instruct Telemakhos to get us four men a helmet, spear, and shield each from the storeroom. He left and came back with the items as I showered the suitors with arrows once more. And once I had run out of arrows, we all put on the shields, spears, and helmets, ready for the suitors to charge. But they realised that they'd need weapons to fight us, and they sent Melanthios to get them what they needed. He went into the unlocked store room and brought back weapons and shields, but when I realised what was happening, I sent the two herders to tie him high up and lock him in the storeroom until we'd either won, or the suitors came to get him. The herders went as father and son faught against the suitors. At that moment, Athena came in the form of Mentor and the herders came back. The suitors desperately tried to get Mentor on their side, but Athena was sticking with us. She didn't want to help us quite yet, though, and she watched from the rafters above while we faught. The swineherd and Telemakhos were grazed by the suitor's weapons, and the cowherd was pierced (but not fatally). At this point, Athena decided to join, and she created the aegis above us all, which made the suitors cower in fear. And we attacked, killing every single suitor around us as they gave up hope for survival. We spared two people that Telemakhos trusted as "not loyal to the suitors", but by the time we were done, everyone was dead and the great hall was flooded by blood. I sent Telemakhos to get Eurykleia. She came to me, and I sent her to get the 12 unfaithful maid-servant-sluts. They came out crying and I made them clean up the dead bodies and take them outside. When the hall was scrubbed of blood and cleared of suitors, I sent the 12 sluts into a dead-end alley where I had Telemkahos hang every singe one of them. I called Eurykleia once more, and told her to get the rest of the maids to make the hall smell nice with fire and brimstone. All the maids came out and hugged and kissed me, glad to see me home, and thankful for the death of the suitors...

Picture from: http://www.alarie.de/gallery/details.php?image_id=39&l=english

Book 21 - The Test of the Bow

Athena made Penelope go down into the treasure vault and pick out the huge bow that Odysseus had won from Iphitos and used many times in the hunt. She sobbed and brought it up to the hall, with maids carrying a basketfull of axeheads behind her. She told the suitors that whoever strung the bow and sent an arrow through a line a 12 axe-helve sockets would get to marry her. She asked Eumaios to bring the bow and axes forward, and as he lay them at the suitors' feet, he and the cowherd sobbed. Antinoos made them go outside to cry, and I followed them outside. Within the hall, every suitor tried to string the bow, but all failed. And outside, I asked how loyal the herders would be to Odysseus if he jst happened to come home. They told me that they'd be completely loyal and fight with him, and their loyalty drove me to tell them who I was. We all fell about crying and hugging, but we stopped because someone would wonder what was up if they saw us. I told them my plan to kill the suitors, and they agreed to help by locking all the women away, locking the house perimeter, and fighting with me. We went back inside as Eurymakhos picked up the bow to string it, but, like all the other suitors, he failed too. Antinoos didn't go (he probably didn't want to look like a fool with not being able to string the bow) and instead he called for feasting again. When all the suitors sat down, I asked if I could try my hand at the bow, and all the suitors refused, thinking about the possible embarrassment if I actually managed to string the bow. But Telemakhos, my son and master of the household, told Eumaios to hand me the bow and string, and as the suitors shouted insults at him, he brought me the bow and string. With master craftsmanship and strength, I looked the whole bow down, checking for decay in the many years I had been abroad. Finally deciding that there were no imperfections, I strung the bow with ease, to the gasps of the suitors. I then chose from the arrows near me and shot the arrow straight through the axes. While I was doing this, Eumaios had called Eurykleia to his side and told her to lock all the women away, and no matter how many shouts and clashes of arms they heard, no one should unlock the doors. She ran away to close up the women while the swineherd and cowherd locked up the gates, windows, and doors surrounding the palace. And when I had shot the arrow through the axe-heads, I turned to Telemakhos and told him that it was time to cook the lordship's mutton and Telemakhos, my son, dropped his head, stood up, belted his sword on, picked up his spear, and stood next to his chair a few feet behind me, ready to murder the suitors...

Picure from: http://www.navajosandpainting.net/Bows_spears.php

Book 20 - Signs and a Vision

I made my bed in the entry way and fell asleep, but not after long, twenty young servant girls crept, giggling, out of the house to go among the suitors and sleep with them. This angered me so much, but I managed to control myself. While I slept, Penelope was awake crying and praying to Artemis that she can be killed now and spared the pain, and in the morning, this crying and praying woke me up. I packed up my make-shift bed and went outside to pray to Zeus for us to kill the suitors and live. While I was out there, I overheard the 1st maid out of the morning, and as she was grinding grain, she was praying to Zeus for the death of the suitors and return of Odysseus, and this loyalty brought me great happiness. All the other maids woke and came outside as Telemakhos woke. When he came out from his tower, he asked Eurykleia to make sure that I had been treated well. And she replied that I had been fed and bathed, and that I had requested not to have a bed, and satisfied, Telemakhos left the hall. The Eurykleia called to all the maids to clean the house as best as they could and cover all the furniture and beds in red. I met the swineherd in the great hall, and we talked a little about life, and then Melanthios came and insulted me more. Philoitios came and said hello, welcoming me and telling me how he wished for Odysseus to come home because the suitors were horrible and he would have to be forced to live somewhere else. I promised him that Odysseus was coming home. I sat down as all the suitors came in for breakfast and Telemakhos stood up and told them not to lay a hand on me. But Athena wanted them to insult us to annoy us, so she made Ktesippos taunt me and throw a cow foot at me, but io dodged it easily. Outraged, Telemakhos stood up and defended me, telling him that he shouldn't treat a guest like that and that he would kill him if he did that again. Then Theoklymenos, the prophet's son, told all the suitors that they would die soon (because he had just had the prophecy). And all the suitors fell about laughing, so Theoklymenos left to go stay at Peiraios' home. The suitors set to work provoking Telemakhos, but he just ignored them and watched me and we thought murderous thoughts together from across the room; and while all this went on, Penelope just sat there facing us, father and son, and watched on in amazement...

Picture from: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~steve/islay/cemetery/cemindex.htm

Book 19 - Recognitions and a Dream

The suitors were gone, and Telemakhos and I hid the armor in the basement, with the help of Athena, so that the suitors couldn't get to them. I was then called into Penelope's chamber, and as she came down the stairs, she looked like Artemis and Aphrodite. She asked who I was, but so as to not give my identity away, I switched topics to her own roots and troubles. She told me about the suitors and how she wouldn't marry them even if Odysseus never comes home because she could never marry anyone other than him. But she still pressed for my identity, so I made up a quick story about how I had travelled around the world a lot, and while on my travels I had met Odysseus, and I had also found that he was already on his way home and carrying many treasures (which was true for the most part). She wished it was true, as I'd heard her say many a time since I've been home, but she also hoped that I wasn't lying. To prove I wasn't lying, she asked to to tell her what Odysseus was wearing, and I told her exactly what I put on the day I left for Troy, and this truth made her cry more, and the pain of longing for Odysseus got worse. She asked if I wanted a bed to sleep in tonight and a good bath with new clother, but I replied that I've slept on hard ground for the past years of my life, and I would carry on doing so, but a nice bath would be appreciated, but only by one of her oldest and wisest hand maids. She called Eurykleia, the very person who had nursed me since my birth, and when she saw me, she swore I was Odysseus. But I was ready for this and told her that I'd been told her this many times before, and she bathed my feet. I forgot about a scar I got when I was a kid, and when she saw it, she tried to show Penelope that it was me, Odysseus, but Athena made her not care. I grabbed Eurykleia and made her swear not to tell anyone, and she did. And before Penelope went to bed, she asked me about a dream she had had in which an eagle came down and killed 20 fat geese, and as it left, it told Penelope to be glad because the geese were the suitors and the eagle was Odysseus. I told her that this wasn't just a dream, and it would come true because it was a sign from the gods. With that, Penelope went to bed and cryed until Athena showered sweet sleep upon her eyes...

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Book 18 - Blows and a Queen's Beauty

As I sat by the windowsill, my begging time finished, the usual beggar came and threatened to kill me if I didn't leave. I tried to make peace with him, but I ended up taking his threat and we started a fight. The suitors, finding us fighting beggars very amusing, decided to give food and honor to the winner, and death to the looser, and they came around us to watch. I punched the man's jaw and broke it, then I dragged him out of the palace and told him not to come back. The suitors, amazed, gave me food and wine, and I realised one of them was nice, so I told him a summary of the death to come, as if I was prophesizing. Then Penelope spoke up and decided to go to her chamber and fall asleep, and while she slept, Athena made her more beautiful by putting ambrosia on her face. She awoke and went downstairs and talked to Telemakhos about how the beggar should've been treated better as a guest, and why the suitors are acting so un-homely. Telemakhos responded that he wished that the suitors would be punched like that. Then the suitors talked to her, telling her how beautiful she was, but she just responded that she missed Odysseus, and this speech warmed up my heart. And at this speech, all the suitors sent for gifts for Penelope and then gave themselves up to dancing and singing merrily. I went up to the maids and told them to take Penelope to her chamber and look after her, and I would wait among the suitors until they left, then I'd go see her; but the maid that was sleeping with Eurymakhos came forward and told me I was drunk, to which I replied that she was an ignorant slut and if Telemakhos heard what they had said, he would cut their arms and legs off. And them knowing this was true ran off crying to their chambers. I then watched the suitors as they taunted me and I replied cleverly, and then more taunting and some death threats. They threw stuff at me, and Telemakhos told them they were drunk and to go home, and momentarily struck by his manner, they decided to finish their wine, offer libations to the gods, and went home.

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Book 17 - The Beggar at the Manor

When dawn came, Telemakhos went into town to check on the guest he had brought with him and to show his mother that he was ok. He also asked the swinherd to bring me into town a little later so that I could beg for food from the suitors. Telemakhos got home and once Penelope had hugged and kissed him, he told her to go bathe, change into a dress, and pray to Zeus for revenge. He then went into the square to find Theoklymenos and brought him home for lunch. And they ate while Penelope silently sat spinning a fine wool yarn. When they'd finished eating, Penelope asked what news Telemakhos had found of Odysseus. He told her his journey, how he found out that Odysseus was being held hostage by a nymph and how he was glad to have escaped death by the suitors. Then Theoklymenos, the prophet's son, told Penelope that he had had a glimpse at where Odysseus is and that he is on the island, but Penelope just wished for that to be true. Meanwhile, the suitors were crowding in for dinner after a day of discus throwing and javelin practice. While the prepared dinner, I and the swineherd were coming down from the hut, and on the way we met the shepherd, a man loyal to the suitors, who made fun of me and the swinherd and made my heart and temper flare up in anger, but I controlled myself and ignored his insults as he walked past us to the palace. We arrived at the palace where we met my old dog who was neglected and covered in fleas, dying of misuse and old age, and once he had wagged his tail and seen his master after 20 years, he laid his head down and died. The swineherd went into the palace while I waited outside for a while so as not to arrive with him. I went inside after a while and waited at the window. Telemakhos sent the swineherd over to me with a loaf of bread but he also told me to go beg among the suitors. So I did, and most of them gave me some good bread to fill up my bag, except for Antinoos who decided to throw a foot stool at me, which hurt rather a lot. And by going through the men, I knew who was nice and who wasn't, and this could help me decide how to bring death upon them. I went to the window once more, when Penelope sent the swineherd to bring me into her study because I had travelled the world so much I might have news of Odysseus. But when the swineherd came to tell me, I told him to tell Penelope that I'd come once everyone had gone to bed for it would look bad if a beggar was alone with her in her room, and with this Penelope agreed. So the swineherd went home for the night and I waited for the suitors to go so that I could go talk with my wife...

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Book 16 - Father and Son

When Telemakhos arrived, without even a growl from the watchdogs, I and the swineherd were just talking, but when he came in, the swineherd hugged and kissed him, for he was so glad that Telemakhos had escaped death at the hands of the suitors. The swinherd asked if I could have protection from Telemakhos and stay at the palace, and Telemakhos replied that it would be unsafe for me to stay up there and that he would clothe me and sail me wherever I wanted, but that I'd have to stay here for safety. I told Telemakhos that, with no disrespect intended, instead of just running away from the suitors he should stand up and fight because even if he went alone and died, at least he died honorably and in his own home rather than in far off lands. Telemakhos explained his situation a bit more, then sent the swineherd to his mother to tell only her that he had arrived home safely, but not to tell any other Akhaians because they wanted to kill him. The swineherd left, and soon Athena appeared as a wise old women to everyone but me (I knew it was Athena) and she beckoned me outside and when I went to her, she told me to tell Telemakhos who I am and what I'm planning to do. And with that she tipped her golden wand on me and I became young again, with a pure white cloak and fresh knit tunic, no beard, and a sun-kissed sailor's air about me. I walked back into the cabin and Telemakhos thought I was a god because I had changed so drastically, and I said I wasn't but I was his father, Odysseus, and I cried and embraced him. But he didn't think it was me and said that only spirits or those helped by gods could change so drastically. I replied that it was I, the one and only, and that Athena was helping me with the changes and Telemakhos sat down, bewildered. He then threw his arms around me and we both weeped. When we finally stopped crying, Telemakhos asked how I arrived here, and I told him that the Phaiakians brought me here while I slept and with a huge amount of treasures hidden in a cave at the shore. I also told him that we were going to kill the suitors. And he wondered how, and we had a little discussion about the gods and how we were going to do this. Back at the palace, both the crew and the swineherd told Penelope that Telemakhos was home. The crew sailed down the beach, where the suitors met them, wondering how Telemakhos escaped their grasp, and telling the crew how they meant to kill Telemakhos so that he could be gone for good. Then one suitor spoke up, saying how they shouldn't kill one of royal blood and they should consult the gods; if they say yes, they'll kill Telemakhos, if no, then don't kill him, and every suitor agreed. And Penelope knew they wanted to kill Telemakhos and when the suitors poured into the palace, Penelope came and told them that she knew and asked why they plotted so. And one suitor was bold enough to stand up and tell Penelope straight lies about how they would nevertouch Telemakhos, and when he was done she silently went to her chambers and wept until Athena sent her to sleep.

The swineherd approached, and Athena quickly turned me old once more. Telemakhos greeted him first, asking about news from town, but the swineherd had rushed there and home and had had no time for town talk. We ate pig for dinner and drank lots of wine and sat down and talked. When we finally couldn't talk anymore, we took the gift of sleep and left talking until the morning.

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Book 15 - How They Came to Ithaka

Guest Blogger: Telemakhos

I couldn't sleep, and my insomnia was greatened when Athena came and told me that my father was back on Ithaka and I should go home. It also didn't help when she told me that the suitors had set up a trap for me and were ready to murder me on my return before I reached land. But Athena then put to rest my fears when she told me that the suitors were to die instead, rather ironic really. So when dawn approached, we told the king that we were staying with that I had a longing for home and had to leave immediatly, and so as to honor his guests' wishes, he sent us off with 3 extremely meaningful gifts. We left Menelaos' house with our team of racing mares pulling us closer and closer to home. We only stopped to sleep that night, and when we got to the palace of Nestor, I asked his son, as a wish of a guest, that I should be brought straight to the boat and leave for home, because his father was sure to slow me down if he new I was here. Nestor's son agreed to this, but before we set off a strange man came up to me, the son of a prophet, called Theoklymenos and asked who I was. I replied truthfully, and he told me that he had killed a cousin, so everyone in his homeland-area was after him and on his tail right now, and the only way for him to live is if he comes with us on the ship. And since he longed for the sea, and his life depended on it, I couldn't refuse and I invited him aboard, and we set off...

Odysseus Blogging:

I ate with the swinherd once more and I told him that I might go to the port, see if I could get something from a little begging, and possibly even go to see Queen Penelope and tell her my news of Odysseus. And this made Eumaios furious and he replied telling me that I shouldn't go beg, and that he could look after me longer until Telemakhos came home and could send me home with good clothing and food, and I thanked him for letting me stay longer. I asked him how he ended up working for Odysseus and he replied with a long story about how men came to his island of Syrie and stole away one of the women of the house and she took him with her, but while on the ship home, Artemis killed her and he was left alone. And when his story finished, I told him how sorry I was for him, but glad that he got a nice home eventually, and we talked all night.

Back to Telemakhos:

We came upon the island and rowed into shore, and once we had landed we ate breakfast. I stood up and told everyone that they were going to go into town and I would join them later, and the new passenger asked what he should do, and I replied that I would invite him to my house if it wasn't horrible, but it was, so I told him to go as a guest to Eurymakhos' house. But the gods sent a message that he should stay with us, so I called on Peiraios to take the guest up to my house. All the men boarded the ship and headed to town while I stayed on land and put my sandals on and took up my spear. Swiftly on foot I went to the swineherd's house...

Picture from: http://www.goravani.com/art/Copper_spear.html

Book 14 - Hospitality in the Forest

I went up into the high hills to find where the swineherd lived. This man was the most loyal worker of Odysseus, and he lived with his herds in a little shack that he built himself. When Odysseus got there, the swineherd was making himself some sandals from oxhide, but I couldn't get to him because of the wolf-like guard dogs who would've torn me to pieces if I hadn't sat down and the swineherd had noticed me. He scattered the dogs and invited me, the beggar, into his house and I thanked him graciously. To this he answered a short story about how his master Odysseus was one of the greatest men in the world, and so much nicer than the suitors are. With this told, he slaughtered to small pigs and roasted them, giving one to me and one for himself, he then filled up wine bowls for both of us, and we talked over this small, but amazing lunch. He told me more about how amazing Odysseus was and how much he missed him, and I tried to tell him that Odysseus (I) was alive, but so many people had come supposedly bearing news of Odysseus, but they all ended up lying just to get great food and shelter. The swineherd then asked me to tell where I was from, and I made up a huge story about "myself" in which I went through many troubles, the loss of my crew and much greed from them, not being near my son and wife, etc. and as I told it, I realised that the story was my own, just with different actors playing the parts. We managed to talk so long past lunch that by the time we were finished, it was dinner time, and the swineherd's four helpers had started to herd up the pigs into their pens and they trudged in for dinner. Then the swineherd had them kill the biggest and juiciest pig just for me. They cut off the parts for the gods and burnt them, thanking the gods and praying for the safe homecoming of Odysseus. Once all the sacrificing and praying was done, he put the best part of the pig infront of me, since I was the guest, and I thanked him. Then we talked more, and I told a story in which "Odysseus" gave me a cloal because I was cold (the whole story was a hint to them to give me a cloak for I would need one to travel around in these rags without freezing), and when I was done, the swineherd told me that I could sleep over and have some of the blankets while I slept, but since they were very poor, they only had one set of clothes and therefore had no cloak to spare. With this he rose and laid out a bed of skins infront of the fire for me, and I lay down with the soft blanket over me. Everyone went to sleep except the swineherd, who went outside with his huge cloak to guard him against the wind, and slept with the very swine he guarded, and it warmed my heart to have such a hard working man under my wing.

Picture from: http://acharlie.tripod.com/shepherd.html