Book 13-24 Odyssey Summary – Flashcards

Odysseus leaves Phaeacia and sets sail for Ithaca, but Poseidon gets angry and destroys the Phaeacian ship when it's sailing back to Phaeacia. Athena talks with Odysseus in Ithaca, tells him what he needs to do, and turns him into an old beggar

Odysseus goes to see Eumaeus, the swineherd, and tells him the fake story about who he is (the story has parallels to other stories in the book) and that Odysseus will return.

Athena visits Telemachus and tells him to leave Menelaus and return to Ithaca. Telemachus takes Theoclymenus, the fugitive prophet, with him

Telemachus goes to Eumaeus and tells him to go to town and tell Penelope he has returned and to have her housekeeper tell Laertes. Athena makes Odysseus look like himself again and he tells Telemachus who he is and they then plot the suitor's deaths. The suitors notice Telemachus is back and Antinous says to kill Telemachus here at the palace, but Penelope overhears and yells at Antinous for trying to hurt her family when he owes them.

Telemachus goes back to palace, Eumaeus and Odysseus (in beggar form) run into Melanthius, and Odysseus' dog, Argos, dies outside the palace when Odysseus returns. Odysseus goes up to all of the suitors and begs for food and when Antinous hurls a stool at him, Penelope gets angry and asks to see the beggar later that night.

Irus and Odysseus fight over who gets to beg at the palace and the suitors urge them on and taunt them with food for the winner. Penelope gets angry with Telemachus for not doing anything about the suitors abusing Odysseus and later Eurymachus and Odysseus get in a fight and he throws a stool at Odysseus, but Amphinomus calms everyone down.

Odysseus, Telemachus, and Athena prepare to kill the suitors and Odysseus and Penelope talk (so that he can test her). He makes up a story that he's from crete and Odysseus stayed at his house and then tells Penelope of Odysseus' journey home and that he will soon return. The maid notices Odysseus' scar and we learn how he got it and later Penelope tells the suitors that she will have a contest (shoot odysseus' bow through axes) and that she'll marry whoever wins.

Athena and Zeus give Odysseus hope and lift his spirits. Athena made the suitors act crazy and one of them threw a oxen hoof at Odysseus, which makes Telemachus angry. Theoclymenus warns the suitors and says they can't escape their disaster.

Odysseus' bow contest-- the suitors must shoot it through 12 axes. Telemachus tries it and gives up, even though he could have done it, because he didn't want to act superior to the suitors. The suitors couldn't bend the box and tried to heat it to make it easier. Odysseus proves who he is to the cowherd and swineherd and asks them to fight for him. After all of the suitors failed to string the bow, Odysseus takes it and does it.

Fight between Odysseus and the suitors. Odysseus first kills Antinous, and when he's about to kill Eurymachus, he says to spare him and the rest because he has already killed the person who made them do everything, but he shows no mercy. Odysseus gets scared when the suitors begin to put on armor and get weapons (from Melanthius), but then Athena comes and gives him a pep-talk/scolding. After all the suitors are dead, Telemachus asks to spare the bard and the herald. Odysseus then kills the maids at the end because they slept with the suitors

Eurycleia tries to tell Penelope that Odysseus is back, but she doesn't believe her and thinks she's mad. Both Odysseus and Telemachus say that Penelope has a cold heart because she doesn't go near Odysseus at first. They plan to make the people of Ithaca think they're having a wedding feast so they won't be suspicious. Penelope orders the bed to be removed from their bedroom, and Odysseus responds and makes her believe him by telling the story of their bed (how he made it and how it can't be moved because a tree stump is one of the bedposts). Athena slows Dawn and makes their first night together longer.

The suitors go to the house of the dead, where Achilles and Agamemnon are talking about their fates (look at achilles' funeral) and the suitors are concerned they won't have a proper burial. Odysseus goes to see Laertes and waits until he starts to cry before telling his father who he is. He proves it's him with his scar and by showing Laertes the trees he was given as a boy. Eupithes, the father of one of the suitors, told the others that they need to get revenge on Odysseus, but Medon says not to because gods are on his side and Halitherses said not to attack as well. Athena disguised herself as Mentor, and once they all started fighting, she said to stop and to have peace.