odysseus second journey

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Odysseus' Journey Timeline

This is a timeline of Odysseus' Journey From Ithaca to the Trojan War Then Back Home

by: Emilia Irovic

Leaving Ithaca to the Trojan War

There was a call to war of the Achaeans (Greeks) against the people of Troy. This war, the Trojan War, started because Paris, the Trojan prince, abducted (or eloped with) Helen, the wife of Menelaus. Menelaus convinced his brother, Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae, to lead an expedition to find her.

Odysseus left Ithaca and his wife, Penelope, and infant son, Telemachus, to fight in the Trojan War.

The Trojan War

Odysseus had the idea of building a large wooden horse on wheels big enough to fit a bunch of Greek soldiers to hide inside it to ambush the Trojans. The Greeks used his idea to won the war.

After the war was won, Odysseus took all his treasures and the his men (supposedly around 528 soldiers) and was headed back to Ithaca in a fleet of 12 ships.

The Journey Home

After leaving Troy, Odysseus and his men arrive at the island of the Lotus-Eaters. Odysseus sends his men out to find food and they begin to eat the Lotus Flowers. Odysseus must recover them and drag them back to the ships so they can continue their journey home.

Afterwards, Odysseus and his men land on the island of the Cicones to raid it for supplies but the Cicones retaliate and kill 72 of Odysseus' men.

While still on the island of the Cicones, Odysseus and his men come across a Cyclops' cave and is lured in by the wine and cheese. Polyphemus, the Cyclops, traps them inside the cave and kill several of Odysseus' men. Odysseus ends up blinding Polyphemus while his men sneak out under sheep and Polyphemus calls upon Poseidon, his father, to not let Odysseus to return home.

Odysseus and his remaining men come across an island floating above the sea with a steep cliff and a bronze palace on top. This island is the island of Aeolia, home of the god, Aeolus, the god of wind. Aeolus gives Odysseus all the bad winds so they can return safely home.

Odysseus' men get curious and go against his orders of not touching the bag and ends up releasing the bad winds. These winds sends them to unknown waters and they are lost at sea.

Odysseus and his men come across a race of powerful giants who's king, Antiphates, and queen decide to turn Odysseus' scouts into dinner. Odysseus and his men flee for their ships but the giants throw boulders at the ships. Only Odysseus' ship gets away.

Odysseus and his men reach the island of Circe and split into two groups. Eurylochus and his group of twenty-two men hear singing coming from Circe's house and enter her home. Circe turns the men of this group into pigs and only Eurylochus escapes to report it to Odysseus.

Still on the island of Circe, Odysseus goes off by himself and meets the god Hermes, who is disguised as a young man, who gives him a magic herb--moly--that can protect him from Circe's magic. Odysseus confronts Circe and when she uses her magic on him, it doesn't work. Circe then asks Odysseus to stay with her which makes Odysseus suspicious. Odysseus makes Circe take a solemn oath to not harm him. Circe eventually turns Odysseus' men back to normal and they stay on Circe's island for a year.

Odysseus travels to the land of the dead, guided by Circe's instructions, to seek advice of the prophet Teiresias. Teiresias tells Odysseus 3 things:

• stay away from the cattle of Helios
• make a sacrifice to Poseidon
• he will have a peaceful old age

Before leaving the Land of the Dead, Odysseus talks to many people such as famous heroes, his mom, people he fought with in the war, and Agamemnon and Achilles. Agamemnon, who was killed by his wife, gives Odysseus advice about women and Achilles tells him that life is better than death. After talking, he fears the glance of the Gorgon monster and rushes back to his ship.

After leaving the Land of the Dead, Odysseus returns to the island of Circe to retrieve his men and prepare themselves to make their way past the Sirens in which Circe had warned them about.

Odysseus puts beeswax into the ears of his men to keep them from hearing the Sirens' dangerous song, while Odysseus is tied securely to the mast so he can hear the song of the Sirens. They pass by safely and lose no one.

The next feat Odysseus and his men must overcome is getting past Scylla and Charybdis. Circe advised Odysseus to cling to the walls near Scylla and lose six of his men rather than risking his whole ship to Charybdis. She advised him to sail as quickly as possible rather than trying to fight Scylla. Odysseus is not happy about this because he would rather not lose any of his men but Circe practically tells him to "suck it up" and play it safe. Odysseus does this (without telling his men about it to avoid panic) and they get past, losing six men.

Next, Odysseus and his men comes to Thrinacia, the island of the Sun, Helios. Odysseus wants to avoid it completely but Eurylochus insists they need to stop there to rest. They are kept there for a month because of a storm and for a while they are able to survive on the provisions of the ship, but when they run out Eurylochus convinces the other men to disobey Odysseus' orders and they slaughter the cattle of Helios. Odysseus was sleeping the entire time and when Helios finds out, he has Zeus destroy their ship.

Odysseus ends up drifting on the sea without any of his men left and is brought to Ogygia, the island of Calypso. Calypso, a nymph, keeps him on her island for years and years, but all Odysseus wants is to go home. Calypso offers Odysseus eternal life, but he refuses and is still miserable. Hermes is sent to the island to help Odysseus and to convince Calypso to let him go. Calypso eventually agrees and Odysseus is able to build a boat and set off for home once again.

Poseidon, seeing Odysseus at sea again, is furious and brings a violent storm and down on Odysseus and his boat is destroyed. Odysseus drifts to the island of the Phaeacians and is found by the daughter of Alcinous and Arete, Nausicaa. Odysseus is able to talk to Alcinous and Alcinous agrees to help him get home

The Phaeacians take Odysseus home to Ithaca and on their way back, they and their ship are turned to stone by Zeus to punish them for helping Odysseus return home.

After 10 years at war, and 10 years of traveling home, Odysseus is finally home at Ithaca but before he can officially return to his household, he must kick the suitors out of his house. With Athena's help, Odysseus, disguised as an old man from Crete, is able to infiltrate his own home and participate in an shooting challenge that his wife, Penelope came up with, and re-win the hand of his wife.  

      Odysseus is finally home with his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus. This concludes his journey.

Home — Guides — The Odyssey — Journey of the Odyssey: review and analysis of the plot

Plot summary

• Introduction
• All Plot summary
• Full Summary
• By Sections
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• Hospitality
• Pride and Temptation
• Fate and Free Will
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• Character Map
• Odysseus Strengths and Weaknesses
• Hero’s Journey
• Biography of author

The Odyssey: Plot Summary

Table of contents, full book summary, plot summary by chapters.

The Odyssey tells the story of the Greek hero Odysseus and his ten-year journey home from the Trojan War.

The poem begins with Odysseus’ son Telemachus, who is living on the island of Ithaca with his mother Penelope and a host of unwelcome suitors who are vying for her hand in marriage. Telemachus is distraught over his father’s absence, and he sets out on a journey to find him. Meanwhile, Odysseus is stranded on the island of Ogygia, where he has been held captive by the nymph Calypso for seven years.

With the help of the goddess Athena, Telemachus travels to Pylos and Sparta, where he seeks advice from the wise king Nestor and the beautiful queen Helen, respectively. Meanwhile, Odysseus is finally released from Calypso’s grasp and begins his journey home. However, he faces many obstacles along the way, including the wrath of Poseidon, who is angry with him for blinding his son, the Cyclops Polyphemus.

Odysseus and his men are also confronted by the sorceress Circe, who turns some of them into pigs, and by the Sirens, whose enchanting songs lure sailors to their deaths. They narrowly avoid disaster when they pass through the narrow straits of Scylla and Charybdis, and they land on the island of Thrinacia, where they are warned not to harm the sacred cattle of the sun god Helios.

However, Odysseus’ men ignore the warning and slaughter the cattle, incurring the wrath of the gods. As punishment, they are shipwrecked and all but Odysseus are killed. He washes up on the island of the nymph Calypso, where he is held captive for seven years.

Eventually, the gods intervene and Hermes is sent to order Calypso to release Odysseus. With the help of the sea god Poseidon, Odysseus builds a raft and sets out to sea. He is shipwrecked again, this time on the island of the Phaeacians, where he is welcomed by the king and queen and tells them his story. They are so moved by his tale that they offer to help him return to Ithaca.

The Phaeacians provide Odysseus with a ship and a crew, and they set sail for Ithaca. However, when they arrive, Odysseus is still disguised as a beggar, and he must devise a plan to defeat the suitors and regain his throne. With the help of his son Telemachus, the goddess Athena, and his loyal swineherd Eumaeus, Odysseus is able to defeat the suitors and reclaim his kingdom.

The Odyssey: Book 1 Summary

Book 1 of The Odyssey opens with the Greek gods in council on Mount Olympus. The goddess Athena, a fierce champion of Odysseus, pleads with Zeus to intervene and free the hero from Calypso’s island. Zeus agrees and sends the messenger god Hermes to order Calypso to release Odysseus. Meanwhile, Odysseus has been stranded on the island for seven years, longing to return to his wife Penelope and their home in Ithaca. The book also introduces Odysseus’ son Telemachus, who is struggling to maintain control of their home while fending off the suitors who are courting his mother. Athena disguises herself as a family friend and visits Telemachus, urging him to find out what happened to his father and to confront the suitors. The book ends with Telemachus setting sail for Pylos to seek information about his father’s fate.

The Odyssey: Book 2 Summary

Book 2 of The Odyssey begins with Telemachus arriving in Pylos and being welcomed by King Nestor. Nestor tells Telemachus of his own experiences in the Trojan War and of the bravery of Odysseus. However, Nestor is unable to offer any information about Odysseus’ whereabouts, and Telemachus sets out for Sparta to visit King Menelaus, another veteran of the Trojan War. Menelaus and his wife Helen give Telemachus a warm welcome and tell him more tales of Odysseus’ bravery. Menelaus also reveals that he has recently seen the prophet Proteus, who informed him that Odysseus is still alive and being held captive by the goddess Calypso. Telemachus is heartened by this news and returns to Ithaca with a renewed sense of purpose. Meanwhile, back in Ithaca, the suitors plot against Telemachus, believing that he is a threat to their plans to win Penelope’s hand in marriage.

The Odyssey: Book 3 Summary

Book 3 of The Odyssey sees Telemachus arriving in Pylos and being welcomed by King Nestor. Nestor tells Telemachus of his own experiences in the Trojan War and of the bravery of Odysseus. However, Nestor is unable to offer any information about Odysseus’ whereabouts, and Telemachus sets out for Sparta to visit King Menelaus, another veteran of the Trojan War. Menelaus and his wife Helen give Telemachus a warm welcome and tell him more tales of Odysseus’ bravery. Menelaus also reveals that he has recently seen the prophet Proteus, who informed him that Odysseus is still alive and being held captive by the goddess Calypso. Telemachus is heartened by this news and returns to Ithaca with a renewed sense of purpose. Meanwhile, back in Ithaca, the suitors plot against Telemachus, believing that he is a threat to their plans to win Penelope’s hand in marriage.

The Odyssey: Book 4 Summary

Book 4 of The Odyssey begins with Telemachus returning to Ithaca and seeking out the help of his father’s loyal friend, the swineherd Eumaeus. Together, they hatch a plan to confront the suitors and restore order to their home. Meanwhile, Athena travels to Sparta to persuade Telemachus to return home. She disguises herself as Mentor, an old friend of Odysseus, and gives Telemachus a warning about the suitors’ plans to ambush him upon his return. She then urges him to return home and take action against the suitors. Telemachus agrees and sets sail for Ithaca. Upon his arrival, he is greeted by Eumaeus, who brings him to the palace to confront the suitors. The book ends with Telemachus meeting with Penelope and reassuring her that he will protect their home and honor his father’s legacy. Meanwhile, Odysseus remains trapped on Calypso’s island, longing to return home to his wife and son.

The Odyssey: Book 5 Summary

Book 5 of The Odyssey begins with Zeus ordering the release of Odysseus from Calypso’s island. The goddess reluctantly agrees and provides Odysseus with the tools and materials he needs to build a raft to escape. As he sets sail, Poseidon, the god of the sea, unleashes a storm that destroys Odysseus’ raft and nearly drowns him. However, the goddess Ino appears to him and gives him a magical veil that will keep him safe in the water. Odysseus manages to swim to the island of the Phaeacians, where he is rescued by the princess Nausicaa and brought to her father’s court. There, he is welcomed and treated as a guest, and he begins to tell the story of his adventures to his hosts.

The Odyssey: Book 6 Summary

Book 6 of The Odyssey continues with Odysseus telling his story to the Phaeacians. He describes his encounter with the Cyclops Polyphemus, who nearly kills him and his men before they manage to blind him and escape. He then tells of his encounter with the sorceress Circe, who turns his men into pigs but is ultimately convinced by Odysseus to release them. He also tells of his journey to the underworld, where he speaks with the spirit of the prophet Tiresias and learns of the obstacles he will face on his journey home. The Phaeacians are fascinated by Odysseus’ tales and offer him gifts before sending him on his way. As he sets sail, he is once again guided by the goddess Ino, who helps him safely reach the island of Ithaca. There, he disguises himself as a beggar and seeks out the loyal swineherd Eumaeus, with whom he forms a plan to take on the suitors and reclaim his home.

The Odyssey: Book 7 Summary

Book 7 of The Odyssey begins with Odysseus being welcomed as a guest by the Phaeacians. The king, Alcinous, arranges for a feast and entertainment to honor his guest, including a performance by the blind bard Demodocus. As Odysseus listens to Demodocus’ song, he becomes emotional and reveals his true identity to the Phaeacians, recounting his many adventures and struggles on his journey home. The Phaeacians are moved by Odysseus’ story and offer to help him return home, providing him with a ship and supplies for his journey.

The Odyssey: Book 8 Summary

Book 8 of The Odyssey sees Odysseus departing from the land of the Phaeacians and making his way towards Ithaca. Along the way, he encounters the god Poseidon, who is still angry about Odysseus’ blinding of his son, the Cyclops Polyphemus. However, the goddess Athena intervenes and guides Odysseus safely to Ithaca, where he disguises himself as a beggar and seeks out his loyal swineherd Eumaeus. Meanwhile, the suitors continue to plague Penelope and her household, and they plot to ambush and kill Telemachus upon his return to Ithaca. However, the goddess Athena intervenes and sends a sign to Penelope, reassuring her that her son will return safely. The book ends with Odysseus and Eumaeus devising a plan to take on the suitors and reclaim their home.

The Odyssey: Book 9 Summary

Book 9 of The Odyssey sees Odysseus and his men continuing their journey, facing new challenges and obstacles along the way. They land on the island of the Cyclops, where they encounter the giant Polyphemus. Despite Odysseus’ attempts to negotiate with Polyphemus, the Cyclops eats several of his men and traps the rest in his cave. Odysseus devises a plan to blind Polyphemus and escape, which he successfully carries out. However, as they sail away from the island, Odysseus taunts Polyphemus, revealing his true identity and earning the wrath of the Cyclops, who calls upon his father Poseidon to seek revenge.

The Odyssey: Book 10 Summary

Book 10 of The Odyssey sees Odysseus and his men facing new challenges and dangers as they continue their journey. They land on the island of Aeolus, who gives Odysseus a bag of winds to help him sail home. However, his men open the bag, releasing the winds and blowing them off course. They next land on the island of Circe, who turns Odysseus’ men into pigs. With the help of the god Hermes, Odysseus is able to resist Circe’s magic and convince her to release his men. They stay on the island for a year before Circe advises Odysseus to visit the underworld and seek guidance from the prophet Tiresias. There, he speaks with the spirits of several famous figures from Greek mythology, including his mother and Achilles. Tiresias warns him of the dangers he will face on his journey home and advises him to appease the gods with sacrifices upon his return. Odysseus and his men then make their way back to Circe’s island, where they stay for another year before finally setting sail once again.

The Odyssey: Book 11 Summary

Book 11 of The Odyssey sees Odysseus continuing his journey through the underworld, speaking with the spirits of famous figures from Greek mythology. He speaks with the prophet Tiresias, who warns him of the dangers he will face on his journey home and advises him to make sacrifices to the gods upon his return. He also speaks with the spirits of his mother, other famous heroes, and the shade of the Cyclops Polyphemus, who curses him. After leaving the underworld, Odysseus and his crew return to Circe’s island, where they stay for another year. She advises Odysseus to continue his journey, warning him of the dangers ahead. They then make their way to the island of the Sirens, who lure sailors to their deaths with their enchanting songs. Odysseus orders his crew to plug their ears with wax and ties himself to the mast so he can hear the Sirens’ song without being drawn to his death.

The Odyssey: Book 12 Summary

Book 12 of The Odyssey sees Odysseus facing new challenges and obstacles as he continues his journey home. They pass through the strait of Scylla and Charybdis, two dangerous sea monsters that threaten to capsize their ship. Odysseus loses several of his men to Scylla’s six heads, but they manage to escape and continue their journey. They then land on the island of Helios, where Odysseus’ men disobey his orders and kill the sacred cattle of the sun god. This angers Helios, who demands that Zeus punish Odysseus and his men. As they sail away from the island, Zeus sends a thunderbolt to destroy their ship, killing all of Odysseus’ men except for him. He washes up on the island of Calypso, where he is held captive for several years until the goddess Athena intervenes and convinces Zeus to allow him to return home. Hermes delivers the message to Calypso, who reluctantly agrees to release Odysseus and provide him with the materials to build a raft and sail back to Ithaca. The book ends with Odysseus setting sail and facing new challenges and dangers on his journey home.

The Odyssey: Book 13 Summary

Book 13 of The Odyssey begins with Odysseus finally making it back to Ithaca after his long journey. However, he does not reveal his identity to anyone and instead seeks the counsel of the swineherd Eumaeus, who offers him hospitality. Eumaeus tells Odysseus about the suitors who have taken over his palace and are courting his wife Penelope. Meanwhile, Athena disguises herself as a young man and visits Telemachus, Odysseus’ son, in Sparta to encourage him to return home and stand up to the suitors. Telemachus sets sail for Ithaca, and Athena guides him to the swineherd’s hut where he is reunited with his father. Odysseus reveals his true identity to his son, and they begin to plan their revenge against the suitors.

The Odyssey: Book 14 Summary

In Book 14 of The Odyssey, Odysseus disguises himself as a beggar and makes his way into his own palace to assess the situation with the suitors. He is mistreated by the suitors and ignored by his own servants, but his old nurse Eurycleia recognizes him by a scar on his leg. Odysseus threatens her with death if she reveals his identity, and she agrees to keep his secret. He also speaks briefly with Penelope, who is cautious but welcoming to the beggar. The suitors continue their feasting and revelry, and Odysseus begins to plot his revenge with Telemachus. Athena appears to Odysseus in the guise of a servant and urges him to take action against the suitors. Odysseus and Telemachus plan to use the weapons in the storeroom to attack the suitors and regain control of the palace. The book ends with the arrival of a new suitor, who is treated poorly by the others and is insulted by the disguised Odysseus. The stage is set for the confrontation between Odysseus and the suitors.

The Odyssey: Book 15 Summary

In Book 15 of The Odyssey, Athena intervenes to encourage Telemachus to visit the swineherd’s hut and return home to confront the suitors. Telemachus takes Athena’s advice and visits the hut, where he meets his father Odysseus. They discuss their plan to take on the suitors and reclaim the palace. Odysseus reveals his true identity to Eumaeus, who is overjoyed to see his master returned after so many years. The next day, Odysseus and Telemachus travel to the palace and are met by the abusive suitors. They endure insults and violence, but they bide their time, waiting for the right moment to strike back.

The Odyssey: Book 16 Summary

In Book 16 of The Odyssey, Odysseus meets with his loyal swineherd Eumaeus and sends him back to the palace with a message for Penelope. Meanwhile, Telemachus returns to the palace and is greeted warmly by his mother. The suitors are angry that Telemachus has returned, but he stands his ground and warns them to leave his home. Athena appears to Penelope in a dream and encourages her to talk to the beggar in the palace, who is actually Odysseus in disguise. Penelope is hesitant, but she eventually talks to the beggar and is moved by his story of his supposed travels and hardships. She tests the beggar by offering him a place to sleep, and he reveals his knowledge of the palace and the suitors. The next day, Odysseus and Telemachus reveal themselves to the loyal servants in the palace and begin to prepare for the final confrontation with the suitors. Odysseus makes one final journey to the hut of the swineherd Eumaeus to prepare for battle, and Athena once again appears to him, promising victory in the upcoming battle.

The Odyssey: Book 17 Summary

In Book 17 of The Odyssey, Telemachus arrives back at the palace and finds his father, disguised as a beggar, sitting outside. Odysseus reveals his true identity to Telemachus, and they plot together to take revenge on the suitors. Odysseus and Telemachus hide the weapons in a storeroom and await the arrival of the suitors. One of the suitors, Antinous, discovers their plot and confronts them, but Odysseus manages to disarm him with his words. The rest of the suitors arrive and begin to feast, but they are interrupted by the arrival of a bard. Odysseus asks the bard to sing a song of the Trojan War, and the bard obliges, unaware of the underlying tensions in the room. Odysseus secretly signals to Telemachus, who retrieves the weapons from the storeroom. The book ends with the suitors completely unaware of the danger they are in, setting the stage for the upcoming battle.

The Odyssey: Book 18 Summary

In Book 18 of The Odyssey, Odysseus, disguised as the beggar, is insulted and abused by the suitors in the palace. He endures their taunts and violence, biding his time and waiting for the right moment to strike back. Penelope, meanwhile, is also feeling despair, and she prays to Athena for guidance. Athena answers her prayer and sends a divine sign, filling Penelope with renewed hope. The suitors continue their revelry, unaware of the danger that looms. One of the suitors, Irus, challenges Odysseus to a fight, but Odysseus easily overpowers him. The suitors are impressed by Odysseus’ fighting prowess and offer him food and drink, which he accepts. Later that night, the suitors retire to their beds, but Odysseus is unable to sleep, consumed with thoughts of the upcoming battle. Athena appears to him in a dream and reassures him, telling him that victory is certain. The book ends with Odysseus drifting off to sleep, ready to face the suitors and reclaim his home.

The Odyssey: Book 19 Summary

In Book 19 of The Odyssey, Odysseus and Telemachus devise a plan to defeat the suitors. Telemachus hides the weapons while Odysseus speaks with Penelope and the suitors. Penelope presents a challenge for the suitors: whoever can string Odysseus’s bow and shoot an arrow through twelve axe-helve sockets will become her new husband. After the suitors fail to string the bow, Odysseus, still disguised as a beggar, requests to try. He effortlessly strings the bow and shoots an arrow through the sockets. With the help of Telemachus, he kills the suitors and saves his home.

The Odyssey: Book 20 Summary

In Book 20 of The Odyssey, the servant Eurycleia recognizes Odysseus and helps him prepare for battle. She promises not to tell anyone that he has returned. Meanwhile, the suitors are angry that they cannot defeat the beggar who has just defeated them in the archery challenge. They plan to ambush him, but Penelope intervenes and tries to reason with them. They ignore her and continue their plan. However, they are no match for Odysseus, who easily defeats them with the help of Telemachus and a loyal servant.

The Odyssey: Book 21 Summary

In Book 21 of The Odyssey, Penelope announces that she will marry the man who can string Odysseus’s bow and shoot an arrow through twelve axe-helve sockets. She does not know that Odysseus has already done this and that he is in the room disguised as a beggar. After the suitors fail to string the bow, Odysseus requests to try. He effortlessly strings the bow and shoots an arrow through the sockets. With the help of Telemachus, he kills the suitors and saves his home.

The Odyssey: Book 22 Summary

In Book 22, the epic climax of The Odyssey takes place. After stringing his bow with ease and executing all the suitors, Odysseus reveals his identity to his loyal servants, Eumaeus and Philoetius, and orders them to lock the doors of the hall to prevent any of the suitors’ allies from aiding them. He then calls upon his son, Telemachus, to help him take revenge on the treacherous maidservants who had been aiding the suitors. After the massacre, Odysseus reveals himself to the suitors’ families, convincing them that the suitors were the ones who brought their own deaths upon themselves by their own wickedness.

The Odyssey: Book 23 Summary

In Book 23, the story of The Odyssey comes to a conclusion as Odysseus is finally reunited with his wife, Penelope. She is initially wary of him, fearing that he may not be who he claims to be, but he finally convinces her of his identity by revealing a secret detail about their bed. They embrace and recount their tales of the past 20 years. Athena then intervenes and makes peace between the families of the suitors and Odysseus, putting an end to the bloodshed that has plagued Ithaca for so long. Odysseus then sets sail once again, on a journey to make offerings to the gods and to seek further adventures.

The Odyssey: Book 24 Summary

In Book 24, the shades of the suitors visit Hades, where they are met by Achilles, who expresses his disdain for their cowardice and treachery. Meanwhile, on Ithaca, the parents of the suitors mourn for their lost children, while the families of Odysseus and his loyal servants rejoice in their victory. Hermes leads the spirits of the suitors to the Underworld, where they are tormented by the spirits of the dead. The shade of Agamemnon, king of Mycenae and a former ally of Odysseus, offers a warning to the hero about the dangers of trusting women. Finally, Odysseus goes to visit his aged father, Laertes, who has been living in seclusion. After proving his identity to him, they embrace, and Odysseus mourns for all the men he has lost throughout his journey, including his comrades and the suitors.

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Greek Gods & Goddesses

Odysseus Journey Map

The Greeks celebrate their victory over Troy at the beginning of the Odyssey, forgetting that it was not their own strength that won the city, but rather the will of the gods.

In light of this neglect to give credit where it is due, Athena and Poseidon become very angry. They begged Zeus to make the Greeks suffer, and he agreed. Poseidon drowned many of their boats and made them go off-track with waves from the ocean.

However, this story is about Odysseus’ voyage in particular. He confronts not only perils set before him by fate or gods, but also common challenges that all people face such as fear, stupidity, and maliciousness of others. Here, we take a look at the Odysseus Journey Map in order. With some details about each of the locations.

• Cicones 
• Lotus Eaters 
• Cyclops 
• Island of Aeolia 
• Laestrygonians 
• Circe 

Teiresias and the Land of the Dead

• Circe  
• Sirens 
• Charybdis 
• Scylla 
• Calypso 
• Phaeacia 

The Greeks have won the Trojan War and are now journeying back to their homeland. Led by Odysseus , they could not have predicted the series of lengthy, dangerous events they would encounter along the way.

The first stop on their journey was the land of the Cicones, where they looted and pillaged to their heart’s content.

Lotus Eaters

The Lotus Eaters lived on an island where the lotus flower grew. These flowers caused anyone who ate them to forget their home and desire nothing but to stay on the island forever.

The Greeks ran into trouble when they landed on the island of the Cyclops. This one-eyed, giant creature kept the Greeks captive in his cave until they finally escaped by blinding the Cyclops.

Island of Aeolia

The next stop was the island of Aeolia, where they met the god Aeolus . He gave Odysseus a bag full of wind to help them on their journey.

Laestrygonians

The Laestrygonians were a race of giants who lived on an island and attacked the Greeks with huge boulders. Many Greek ships were destroyed and only a few men escaped.

Odysseus and his remaining men landed on the island of Circe , where they were turned into animals by the witch Circe. They were eventually turned back into humans and spent a year on the island before leaving.

Odysseus journeyed to the Land of the Dead to speak with the prophet Teiresias. The first spirit to visit Odysseus is that of the man they lost on Aeaea. This soul begs his former captain to go back and give him a burial. Next, the blind prophet Tiresias appears to him. He tells Odysseus that Poseidon is punishing the Achaeans because they blinded his son Polyphemus . Odysseus also speaks with his mother.

Upon returning to this land, Odysseus and his men partake in a burial ritual for one of their fallen comrades. Afterwards, Circe spends her last night with Odysseus.

The Sirens were creatures who sang such beautiful songs that sailors would crash their ships into the rocks just to listen. Odysseus had his men plug their ears with wax and tie him to the mast so he could hear the song without being drawn in.

Charybdis was a creature who lived under the water and would spew out a whirlpool every few days. The Greeks barely escaped her clutches.

Scylla was a creature with six heads who lived on a cliff overlooking the water. She would reach down and snatch up sailors as they passed by.

This is where they met the sun god, Helios. The Greeks angered him by eating his cattle and he punished them by causing a storm that destroyed their ship.

Odysseus was the only one who survived the storm and he washed up on the island of Calypso . She fell in love with him and held him captive for seven years.

Odysseus was finally rescued by the Phaeacians and taken back to their land. He told them the story of his journey home and they provided him with a ship to take him the rest of the way.

He finally arrived home to his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus. After twenty years, he was finally reunited with his family.

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Story of Odysseus: The Brilliant Hero of Greek Mythology

In Greek mythology, the name Odysseus is synonymous with bravery, cunning, and resilience. The epic story of Odysseus chronicled in Homer’s poem Odyssey , has captivated audiences for centuries. From his humble origins to his perilous adventures and triumphant return home, the life of Odysseus is a testament to the strength of the human will and the power of perseverance.

This blog post will delve into the origin, life, and death of the legendary hero Odysseus, shedding light on his remarkable exploits and the impact he left on Greek mythology.

Table of Contents

Beginning story of odysseus.

Odysseus was born on the island of Ithaca, nestled in the crystal waters of the Ionian Sea. He was the son of Laertes and Anticlea, both of noble lineage. From an early age, he displayed exceptional intelligence and a natural aptitude for leadership. It is said that even as a child, he would outsmart his playmates with clever tricks and riddles. These qualities would shape his destiny and set him on a path of extraordinary adventures. 

The Trojan War

One of the most significant events in Odysseus’ life was his participation in the Trojan War . As a skilled warrior and strategist, he played a vital role in the ten-year-long conflict. Odysseus is best remembered for devising the idea of the Trojan Horse, a wooden structure that allowed the Greek army to infiltrate the city of Troy and ultimately claim victory. His strategic brilliance and courage earned him the respect and admiration of his comrades.

The Journey Home (The Odyssey)

After the fall of Troy, Odysseus and his men embarked on an arduous journey back to Ithaca. This journey, known as the Odyssey, would last for ten long years and take him through numerous trials and tribulations. During his journey, Odysseus and his crew encounters various mythical creatures and has to overcome several challenges that tested his resolve and resourcefulness. 

• The Lotus Eaters: On his journey home, Odysseus and his men land on the island of the Lotus Eaters. Here, some of his men eat the intoxicating lotus fruit which causes them to lose all desire to return home. Odysseus forcibly retrieves them and continues their journey.
• The Cyclops Polyphemus: On another island, they encounter the Cyclops Polyphemus. The Cyclops traps them in his cave and eats several of Odysseus’s men. Odysseus blinds the Cyclops with a wooden stake and they escape while clinging to the undersides of the Cyclops’ sheep.
• The Island of Aeolus: Aeolus, the keeper of the winds presents Odysseus with a bag containing all of the winds, and he stirs up a westerly wind to guide Odysseus and his crew home. However, just as home is in sight, the men open the bag while Odysseus sleeps, thinking it contains gold. All of the winds fly out and they are swept back to Aeolus.
• Circe: On Circe’s island, Odysseus’s crew are turned into pigs after eating food laced with one of her magical potions. With the help of Hermes, Odysseus resists Circe’s magic and she agrees to change his men back to their human form.
• Song of the Sirens: Later in their journey, they have to sail past the Sirens whose enchanting song can lure sailors to their deaths. Odysseus fills the men’s ears with beeswax and has himself tied to the mast so he cannot steer the ship onto the rocks.
• Scylla and Charybdis: To return home they must navigating past Scylla (a six-headed sea monster) or Charybdis (a dangerous whirlpool), Odysseus choose to pass through Scylla because less dangerous, nevertheless he loses six men.
• The Cattle of Helios: Against advice not to, Odysseus’s crew slaughters and eats cattle sacred to sun god Helios. As punishment, Zeus sends a thunderbolt which destroys the ship and all the greek warriors except for Odysseus.

The Return to Ithaca

Eventually, after a decade of trials and tribulations, Odysseus finally returned to Ithaca. However, he found his kingdom in disarray. Suitors had overrun his palace, vying for the hand of his faithful wife, Penelope. Disguised as a beggar, Odysseus devised a plan to reclaim his throne and eliminate the suitors.

With the help of his son Telemachus, the goddess Athena and a few loyal allies, Odysseus executed his plan with precision and brutality. Odysseus revealed his true identity to the suitors and engaged in a battle that resulted in their defeat. Odysseus had triumphed once again, proving himself to be a true hero, reestablishing his reign and reuniting with his beloved Penelope.

The Death of Odysseus

After reclaiming his throne, Odysseus is said to have lived a peaceful and prosperous life in Ithaca. However, his fate took a tragic turn in his later years. According to some accounts, he met an untimely death at the hands of Telegonus, his son with Circe. Mistaking Ithaca for another island, Telegonus accidentally killed his father with a poisoned spear.

Story of Odysseus, the greek hero, continues to capture our imagination with his extraordinary journey. From his cunning tactics during the Trojan War to his tenacious struggle to return home in The Odyssey, Odysseus exemplifies the qualities of a true hero, demonstrated unwavering determination and unmatched intelligence. Though his life ended tragically, his legacy lives on as a symbol of courage, resourcefulness, and the indomitable human spirit.

Story of odysseus serves as a timeless reminder that even in the face of insurmountable odds, one can overcome adversity through courage, wit, and steadfastness.

The Trojan War: The Epic Conflict in the Ancient City of Troy

Greek Mythology: Exploring the captivating Ancient Tales and Their Modern Influence

Story of Medusa: a Tragic Snake-Haired Gorgon from Greek Mythology

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The legendary story of Odysseus

The word Odyssey has come to mean a journey of epic proportions. The word comes from Homer's epic poem The Odyssey , written in the 8th century BC and it is a sequel to Homer's other epic poem, The Iliad , which describes the last days of the great Trojan War. The Odyssey speaks of Odysseus' adventures that delay by a decade the return to his beloved homeland, Ithaca .

The Odyssey was probably a popular story transmitted down the generations orally, with Homer writing down the story in one narrative. The story is told by Homer in a flashback format and narrates the legendary journey of king Odysseus to return home, to his palace and family, after the Trojan War had ended.

Discover the myth of Odysseus

Odysseus, a legendary man.

According to Homer, Laertes and Anticleia were the parents of Odysseus. He was married to Penelope and they gave birth to a son, Telemachus. Odysseus was often called "Odysseus the Cunning" because of his clever and quick mind. Autolycus, his grandfather, was a famous skilled thief in the Peloponnese . The Romans transformed the name Odysseus to Ulysses and that is how he is mostly known today all over the world.

Odysseus had a proud and arrogant character. He was the master of disguise in both appearance and voice. He also excelled as a military commander and ruler, as is evident from the role he played in ensuring to the Greeks the victory over Troy, giving thus an end to the long Trojan War.

The fall of Troy

All began the day Paris of Troy abducted Helen, wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta. Enraged, Menelaus called upon all kings of Greece, including Odysseus, as all had once vowed to defend the honour of Helen, if someone ever tried to insult her. Odysseus, however, tried to escape the promise made to Menelaus by feigning insanity. Agamemnon, the brother of Menelaus proved Odysseus to be lying and henceforth the legendary warrior set out for Troy, along with Agamemnon the lord of men, Achilles the invincible, Nestor he wise and Teucer the master archer, as they were called.

Ten years had passed since the Greeks attacked Troy and they were all still there, outside the strong walls, fighting with the locals, who proved themeselves brave warriors. In the tenth year of the war, Odysseus the Cunning, the most trusted advisor and counsellor of king Agamemnon, the leader of the Greeks, devised a plan to deceive the Trojans. He wanted to make them believe that the Greeks had lost their nerves and had returned back to Greece.

In the middle of the night, the Greeks deserted Troy leaving only a gigantic wooden horse on wheels outside the gates of the city. When dawn broke, the Trojans were surprised to see no Greek army surrounding them, only a wooden horse. They indeed believed that the Greeks had gone and had left this horse as a gift to the gods, to give them a good sea trip. Thus they wheeled the wooden horse into their city and started revelry to celebrate the end of the war.

However, unknown to the Trojans, Odysseus had built a hollow into the wooden horse to hide there a few Greek warriors. This plan was the only way to gain entry to the city that had held its defences for so many years. Now that they were inside Odysseus and his men went out the dummy horse and slaughtered the unsuspecting guards. Then they opened the city gates and allowed the entire Greek army, who were hiding some miles away, to enter the city. Thus, thanks to the plan of Odysseus, the Greeks won the Trojan War. With the war over, Odysseus and his men set sail for their homeland, Ithaca, but in the end only one of them would come back.

The long journey home

The journey home for Odysseus and his fellows would be long and full of adventures. Their eyes would see all the strange of the world and Odysseus would come home with more memories and experiences than any other person in the world.

The Cicones

Odysseus and his legion set sail from Troy aboard twelve ships. Tranquil waters facilitated the movement of the ships and they were well out to sea. After a few days, they sighted land and Eurylochus, second-in-command to Odysseus, convinced him to weigh anchor, go ashore and devastate the city with the assurance that they would not be harmed.

Seeing the ships weigh anchor and thenceforth the warriors coming ashore, the Ciconians, the local residents, fled to the nearby mountains. Odysseus and his men plundered and looted the empty city. However, the men of Odysseus resisted his efforts to get them back aboard the ship immediately and after a hearty meal accompanied by wine that flew like water, they fell asleep on the shore.

Before the first light, the Ciconians returned with their fierce neighbors and set upon the warriors, killing as many as they could. Odysseus and his men beat a hasty retreat to their ships but heavy damages had already been inflicted on their number. Berating himself for having listened to Eurylochus and thereafter losing so many valuable men, Odysseus and Eurylochus fought with each other but they were separated by their fellow-men and peace was once again established amidst the warriors.

The Lotus-Eaters

Rounding to the south, Odysseus and his men were blown off-course, towards the land of the Lotus-Eaters. While Odysseus was scouting around the land, some of his men mingled with the natives and ate the local lotus grown on the land. Soon, everything went hazy and the men found themselves under the heavy influence of some intoxicant that caused them to fall asleep.

The lotus flowers they had eaten were narcotic in nature and made them forget all about their family and homeland. These men wanted to stay on this land and eat lotus for the rest of their lives. They refused to go home. Desperately, Odysseus and some other men had to carry them back to the ship. Without delay, they set sail and upon waking these men had to be bound to the masts to prevent them from jumping into the sea and swimming back to the shore to consume the lotus flower that they had got so addicted to.

Polyphemus the Cyclops

After sailing for many weeks without further adventure, the warriors chanced upon a strange land. Odysseus and a handful of his men went ashore to search the land.

A few minutes walk from the ships brought them to the mouth of a gigantic cave. Curious, the warriors entered the cave and found it to be the habitation of some gigantic being. Further on, they found flocks of sheep inside the cave and being hungry, they slaughtered a few of them and feasted on their flesh. Unknown to them, this was the lair of Polyphemus the Cyclops and this land was the home of the gigantic Cyclopes.

Returning to his cave, Polyphemus blocked the entrance with a huge rock, as he usually did. Odysseus and his men ran towards the entrance but they were dismayed at the sight that greeted them. Here was a huge rock preventing their escape from a being that was even bigger than the rock. Laying his only eye on the warriors, Polyphemus asked who they were. Without revealing their identity or mission, Odysseus told Polyphemus they were sea-farers who had lost their way and had come ashore looking for food.

Unhappy that his sheep had been killed and eaten by these men, Polyphemus refused them to exit his cave. Every day he made a meal of two brave warriors, dashing their brains out on the walls of the cave and chewing them raw. Unable to bear this act of cruelty, Odysseus devised a plan to get them out. He had with him a gourd of strong wine and one day he offered it to Polyphemus, who grabbed it and poured it down his throat greedily. The wine made the Cyclops drowsy and within minutes he fell asleep. Odysseus and his remaining men took a red-hot poker from the fire-place and thrust it into the Cyclop's only eye, blinding him.

The sleeping giant awoke in shock, howling in pain and bellowing in rage, demanding to know who had done this. Yet again Odysseus presence of mind proved of the very essence and he shouted out that his name was "Nobody". Polyphemus, now on his feet and stumbling around created such a commotion that his fellow Cyclops came running to his lair to see what had happened. When they stood outside the cave and asked Polyphemus what had happened, the Cyclops said that Nobody had blinded him. The other Cyclopes laughed out loud, called him an idiot and told him there was nothing they could do for "Nobody" had hurt him.

The following morning, Odysseus and his men strapped themselves to the belly of the sheep and in this manner, they escaped when Polyphemus let his flocks out of his lair to graze. Once outside, the warriors ran to the safety of their ships. Odysseus, however, priding his brilliance, could not resist taunting Polyphemus. The moment they set sail, he shouted out to the Cyclops that it was he, Odysseus, who had blinded him. Enraged and unable to see, Polyphemus threw a massive rock in the direction of the voice. Luckily for Odysseus, it fell short of its target for else his ship would have been smashed. Polyphemus cried out to his father, the sea-god Poseidon, to avenge this ignominy and hereafter Odysseus became a sworn enemy of Poseidon.

The Bags of Aeolus

Fleeing the land of the Cyclopes, Odysseus found his ships nearing Aeolia, home of Aeolus, the god of the winds. Aeolus used to blow the wind over the sea and the land. After hearing of Odysseus' journey home, Aeolus gave him a bag full of winds that would guide him home safely. Odysseus set sail the seas once again and spent many sleepless nights guarding the bag until one day, too tired and overcome with fatigue, he fell asleep.

Curiosity overcame a couple of his men who had been awaiting the opportunity to grab the bag to see what their leader was guarding with his life. They got their chance the moment Odysseus fell asleep, as they were approaching the shore of Ithaca. Without a minute of hesitation, the two sailors opened the bag. The winds caught in the bag escaped and created a furious storm that drove the ships backwards. Sensing something wrong in the motion of the ship Odysseus awoke with a start only to find himself back at Aeolia. This time, Aeolus declined to give again the gift of the winds and a heartbroken Odysseus set out once again on the arduous journey back to Ithaca.

The Laestrygonians

Out of the darkness of night, an island was raising in the distance. This was Telepylos, an island with natural defences in the form of the cliffs and with only one narrow passage in. Each ship passed into the calm harbor surrounded by cliffs with the exception of Odysseus, who for some reason anchored it in the turbulent waters outside.

Two warriors went ashore to explore the island and they came across a girl who took them to her father. Nearing the castle, they saw a gigantic woman who called out to her husband. A giant man, her husband, came running out and snatching up one of the men devoured him alive. The other ran for his life and the entire race of giants that inhabited the land gave chase to him. At the harbor, Odysseus' men ran for cover but the giants smashed their ships with massive rocks and speared them alive. Only Odysseus managed to escape on his ship with some sailors on it since he had anchored it outside the island.

Circe the Enchantress

Having barely saved their lives, Odysseus and the men aboard the one surviving ship landed on the island, Aeaea, home to the powerful Circe, enchantress and powerful sorceress. With the help of strong magic and unknown to the warriors, Circe had already envisioned their arrival on her island. Some fellows of Odysseus who had been sent to explore the island, walked into the palace of Circe and saw her sitting on her magnificent throne, surrounded by wild animals who were once men. The beautiful enchantress, with one touch of her stick, turned the mighty warriors into pigs.

With the help of god Hermes, Odysseus drank a certain herb that protected him from Circe's magic. When she saw him, the sorceress found her spells to be ineffective and on his demand that his men be turned back into human form, the sorceress agreed but only if Odysseus shared her bed-chamber. Odysseus consented and moreover, he and his men spent a whole year on this island. At the end of that year, Odysseus decided to depart from Aeaea and continue his way home. Circe, having the ability to predict the future, gave him instructions on what to do afterwards. She advised him to go to the Underworld and meet the blind prophet Tiresius to ask him for instructions.

The Journey to the Underworld

No alive man had ever entered the Underworld. But brave Odysseus decided to do so, in order to continue his journey and reach Ithaca at last! Odysseus and his men made sacrifices to god Hades by the shores of the River Acheron and Odysseus alone took the path to the dark Underworld. Tiresius appeared to Odysseus and the blind prophet told him that in order to get home he had to pass between Scylla and Charybdis, two great monsters.

Leaving Hades, Odysseus and his men sailed for many days without sight of land. Not before long, though, strange disquieting sounds reached the ears of the men aboard the ship. The sounds tugged at their hearts and made them want to weep with joy. Odysseus at once realized that they were approaching the Sirens that Circe had warned him about.

The sorceress had told him to block every man's ears with wax for if any were to hear the song of the Sirens, he would surely jump off the ship, go close to the Sirens and the winged monsters would kill them. Odysseus did exactly that with his men, but he himself wanted to hear their strange song. He thus ordered his sailors to tie him up to the mast so he could not jump into the sea in an attempt to meet the Sirens.

With their ears blocked with wax, the men heard nothing and the ship passed near the Sirens. Suddenly, Odysseus wanted to get free of his bonds and swim towards the Sirens for their song had just become clear and it was very beautiful and captivating. But the ropes were very tight and fortunately he could not untie himself. His fellows could hear neither the Sirens neither the screams of their leader, who was praying them to untie him. As the ship was sailing away from the shore, the song of the Sirens was fading out.

Scylla and Charybdis

Following the advice of Tiresius, Odysseus chose the route that would take him on one side close to Scylla, a six-headed monster who had once been a woman and on the other side Charybdis, a violent whirlpool. Tiresius had advised Odysseus to sacrifice six men to Scylla so they might pass through without losing any more men.

Approaching the mouth of the strait between Scylla and Charybdis the warriors shrank back in fear for on either side were violent deaths. Only Odysseus was quiet, sad that he would have to lose six brave warriors but he was ready to do so, in order to save the others. As they passed by Scylla, she picked up six men and allowed the rest to pass through safely. Odysseus never forgot the screams of the men he had to sacrifice and to the very end of his days he lamented his betrayal. He had not informed a single warrior of his motive. Then his ship passed from Charibdys but managed to survive.

The Cattle of Helios

Weary and tired from the ordeal, Odysseus ordered his ship to weigh anchor at the island of Thrinacia. This island was sacred to the sun god Helios whose cattle grazed freely here. Even though Odysseus had been warned by Tiresius and Circe not to harm any of the cattles, his men defied him and set about slaughtering and feasting on them.

Immediately Helios complained to Zeus, vowing to take vengeance by sending the sun down to Hades, never to rise again. Zeus in response sank Odysseus ship with a thunderbolt as it was leaving Thrinacia and destroyed every man aboard with the exception of the valiant leader. Somehow, a floundering Odysseus was swept past Scylla and Charybdis and washed up ashore on an unknown island.

Seven years with Calypso

The island that Odysseus found himself was Ogygia and it was there where he spent seven years with the nymph Calypso, who found him unconscious on the beach. She promised him immortality in exchange for his love, but soon Odysseus sensed once again the desire to see Ithaca and his family, his unfortunate wife and his son who would have grown up till then.

Even a beautiful and powerful goddess like Calypso couldn't fill this feeling of the unaccomplished that Odysseus was always carrying into his heart. However, Calypso had fallen in love with him and wouldn't let him go. On the behalf of Zeus, Hermes appeared before Calypso and told her to let Odysseus go. One day finally, on a raft that he built himself, Odysseus set off for Ithaca with a wooden float but once again he was caught in the middle of a storm and shore to another strange land.

Meanwhile on Ithaca

Telemachus, the son of Odysseus who had just turned twenty, decided to set out in search of his long-gone father. His mother had woes of her own. She was constantly plagued by suitors asking for her hand, since ten years had passed from the end of the Trojan War and her husband had not returned. Day after day, she fended off their advances with an ingenious trick. She told the suitors that she was weaving a burial shroud for Odysseus' father and only when it was complete, would she even think to marry anyone of them.

Penelope's trick was to weave the cloth in the daytime and undo it at night, so the suitors were kept waiting indefinitely, until her husband would return. However, a chambermaid betrayed her to the suitors and soon they were back, asking for her hand and the kingdom of Ithaca.

Knowing that his mother was successfully keeping her 108 suitors away, Telemachus decided to set out on his quest. Aided by goddess Athena and along with some of his faithful warriors, he went to Sparta to meet Menelaus and ask him if he had any news from his father. Unfortunately, Menelaus knew nothing and Telemachus disappointed returned to Ithaca.

The Phaeacians

The land of the Phaeacians, which the historians believe is modern Corfu, was where Odysseus found himself after a terrible storm. Nafsica, the local princess, found Odysseus exhausted and naked on the shore and led him to the palace of her father. While in the court of King Alcinous and Queen Arete, he heard the bard Demodocus sing of the Trojan War.

Odysseus was overcome with grief at hearing stories about the war and of the Trojan Horse that had been his invention. It was then that the emotions came crashing down on him and he broke down into tears. The people gathered around him asked who he really was and why the story affected him. It was then that Odysseus revealed his true identity and his struggles to reach Ithaca.

After listening to his ordeals, the Phaeacians gave him their fastest ship, the best of their provisions and bid him good luck on his way home. And so it was that the hero finally returned to Ithaca, eager to see his wife Penelope and son Telemachus, from both of whom he had been separated for two whole decades.

Finally on Ithaca

The arrival of Odysseus on Ithaca went unnoticed and, in the guise of a beggar, he approached the palace. He first met his old servants and his beloved son, Telemachus. From them, he learnt about the suitors that have been bothering Penelope for so long. Odysseus, still in the form of a beggar, he met his wife, who didn't recognize him.

He told her about her husband's bravery and how he had helped in winning the Trojan War. These tails brought tears to her eyes. Calming herself, she approached the suitors who were always hanging around the palace and set them a simple task. Penelope would marry any one of them who could string Odysseus' bow and shoot an arrow through twelve axe-handles joined together.

The suitors pushed and shoved each other to be the first to succeed but little did they know that the task they faced was impossible. Stringing the bow that belonged to Odysseus was not an easy task for it required not brute strength but dexterity. One by one, each suitor tried his luck but to no avail. Finally, Odysseus picked up the bow, stringing it with ease and in one fluid motion letting fly an arrow that pierced all the twelve axe-handles. After that, there was chaos.

Revealing his true identity, Odysseus began massacring the suitors and, aided by Telemachus and the swineherd Eumaeus, they had soon cleared the court of all 108 of them. The suitors were killed and the maid-servants, who had made themselves the pleasure slaves of the suitors, were all hung. When Penelope heard the massacre, she run to the court. Fazed by the sudden spate of events, she refused to believe that this strange beggar was indeed her long lost husband Odysseus, so she set up another test for him.

In front of Odysseus, Penelope ordered the palace servants to remove the bed from her bed-chamber to the hall outside. On hearing this, Odysseus bristled with anger and opposed the idea, saying that this bed had been fashioned out of a living oak by his own hand and none, save a god, none in the whole world could move it. Joyful, Penelope rushed to Odysseus and hugged him, with big tears in her eyes, for she was reassured that this man was her beloved husband returned to her. Only Odysseus knew the secret about their bed and his words were the proof she needed to believe him.

The real end

This, however, was not the end of Odysseus' journey. Prophet Tiresius had forewarned him that once he had reasserted himself as King of Ithaca, he should travel inland holding the oar of a ship. Indeed, after a few years, Odysseus crowned Telemachus King of Ithaca and left him and his wife Penelope to travel on the opposite inland.

Many days did he wander with the oar in hand seeking for people who would not know what it was but wherever he went, people recognized it as an oar. One day, far inland, opposite the shores of Ithaca, Odysseus came across those people who had never seen the sea and hence did not know what an oar was. There it was that Odysseus finished his life travel and took a local princess for his bride. For many years, he lived amongst these people and it was here that he breathed his last, far from the sea, his family and his beloved Ithaca.

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How Long was Odysseus with Circe?

His stay with Circe was one of the longest stops on Odysseus’s ten-year journey, but how long did he stay with the enchantress of Aeaea?

The Odyssey recounts the ten-year long voyage of the king of Ithaca after the Trojan War. The war itself had lasted a decade, and it would take just as long for Odysseus to return to his kingdom, wife, and child.

Much of this time, however, would not be spent on a ship. Odysseus had two lengthy stays with magic-using goddesses during his long journey.

The first of these was with Circe , who is usually described as an enchantress rather than a goddess. She used spells and potions to trap men on her island, but with Odysseus she was forced to act differently.

The king of Ithaca spent a full year in Circe’s company. Homer claimed the time was so pleasant that Odysseus almost forgot his mission to return to his family entirely.

He returned to Circe’s island once more during his trek, but stayed for only a few days before setting sail once more. According to some writers, however, after his death the hero was given a second chance to enjoy the peace of Circe’s island home.

Odysseus’s Time With Circe

The enchantress Circe was one of the most memorable characters encountered by the hero of the Odyssey . While she initially posed a threat to the crew, she ended up being a great benefactor.

When Odysseus and his men first landed on her island, Aeaea, they saw chimney smoke coming from within the forest. He sent men to investigate, but only one returned.

Eurylochus ran back to the ship after some time with a horrifying tale. The men had come to house with a multitude of wild animals lounging in the yard and were met by a beautiful woman who invited them in for a meal.

Eurylochus had been the only one to hang back, staying out of the mysterious woman’s sight. While the other men had been eager for a good meal after months at sea, the youngest member of the crew had mistrusted the unusual place.

He had waited for his comrades outside, but the men had not emerged from the house. Instead, Circe had driven a herd of crying pigs out to the yard and locked them behind a fence.

The crewmen who had remained at the ship wanted to set sail at once when they learned that their companions had fallen prey to a sorceress, but Odysseus would not leave without rescuing his men.

Rather than risk more of his crew’s lives, Odysseus went to the house alone. On the way, he was met by Hermes who told him how to avoid falling victim to Circe’s spells.

Odysseus took an herb called moly to counteract the potion of forgetfulness Circe hid in her food. When she pulled out her wand, he challenged her with his sword.

To save her own life, Circe invited him into her bed. He agreed, only after making her swear that she would never again try to harm him.

Circe had been told before that the king of Ithaca would be the only man to ever resist her spells. Knowing Odysseus’s identity, she welcomed him as a guest instead of a captive.

Circe restored the men, making them all younger and stronger than they had been before. She showed them to a comfortable cave, which they made their home.

Odysseus remained with Circe in her home. They lived as husband and wife for a year and the hero was so content that he almost forgot his duty to return home to Penelope and their son.

His men reminded him, however, and after a year of comfort they prepared to set sail again. Circe was disappointed to see him leave, but helped him on his way.

In addition to giving him provisions for the journey, she told him how to proceed. Knowing his way had been blocked by supernatural means, she advised him to sail to the Underworld to learn how to proceed and taught him the magic needed to survive the trip.

Odysseus did as she instructed and returned to Aeaea to rest before continuing to Ithaca. Although he returned to Circe, it was a short stay.

She also told him of the next dangers he would face, the passage between Scylla and Charybdis . Her insight helped the majority of the crew survive that danger.

According to some later writers, Odysseus spent a year of his life with Circe but returned to her island after his death.

Circe had born a son named Telgonus when Odysseus lived with her. When he set off to find his father years later, he tragically killed him in a case of mistaken identity.

Telgonus, Penelope, and Telemachus took the Ithacan king’s body to Aeaea.

Some writers claimed that Circe and his family buried Odysseus on the island. Out of respect for their loyalty and love, Circe made Penelope and Telemachus immortal.

Another version of the story said that Circe used her magic to bring Odysseus back to life and his son, Telemachus, married one of Circe’s daughters. The family lived on Aeaea for several years.

When Telemachus and Circe were both killed, though, Odysseus took his own life in grief.

My Modern Interpretation

The year Odysseus spent on Aeaea was one of two long periods spent in one place during his journey. His stay with Calypso lasted for seven years, meaning he spent a total of three years at sea during his ten-year journey.

To Homer, his year with Circe was the more pleasant of the two, however. Circe was a gracious and welcoming hostess once she learned of Odysseus’s identity.

More importantly, she was unlike Calypso in that Odysseus was never her captive. While Calypso had the means to build a raft and let Odysseus leave her island, she hid this from him until forced to do so by Zeus .

The year Odysseus spent on Aeaea was described by Homer as so peaceful and pleasant that he almost forgot any intention to leave. With Calypso, however, Odysseus had been depressed and longed for home.

In later times, however, this favorable view of Circe changed. Writers painted her not as a benevolent figure how aided Odysseus on his journey, but as a wicked and dangerous seductress.

Even in ancient Greece, philosophers who read Homer’s works sometimes had a negative view of Circe. Socrates, for example, saw the episode as a loss of self-control.

The crew of Odysseus’s ship had been turned to pigs because they heedlessly accepted Circe’s food. Even though he knew Circe could be dangerous, Odysseus too had been lured by the comforts of her home.

Some writers claimed that gluttony was not the only vice the men fell victim to. The herb of forgetfulness had been put into their wine, leading to an interpretation that they had given in to drunkenness and become bestial as a result.

Over the next thousand years, the character of Circe was interpreted more as a femme fatale than a helpful hostess. Renaissance writers accused her of prostitution and claimed Odysseus had fallen into the sin of lust during his year with her.

Homer painted the year spent with Circe as the most safe and pleasant part of his long voyage. He drew a clear contrast between the respect Circe showed in helped Odysseus make his way and the possessive nature of Calypso.

In the modern era, however, the view of Circe is much different. Influenced by later writer’s definitions of sin and vice, readers today are more likely to see Circe as a dangerous influence who lured Odysseus away from his family.

According to Homer, one year of Odysseus’s decade-long journey was spent with the enchantress Circe.

While she initially posed a threat to the crew, she soon became a gracious hostess and benefactor to the Ithacan king and his men. While they were free to leave at any time, Odysseus enjoyed a year of comfort with the goddess.

When his men reminded him of his duties, he agreed to leave Aeaea. He visited once more for a brief rest before continuing on his perilous journey home.

According to some stories, Odysseus was brought back to the island after his death. Some claimed he was taken there for burial, while others maintained that Circe brought him back to life and they spent a few years as a family unit.

The year spent with Circe was depicted much differently by Homer than the seven years Odysseus spent on the island of Calypso. While the enchantress helped him on his way and made his time with her pleasant, the nymph kept him as an unhappy prisoner to her obsessive love for him.

In later years, however, this view of Circe changed. Now she is often interpreted as a seductress who made Odysseus and his men forget their homes and families while lost in the vices of gluttony, drunkenness, and lust.

My name is Mike and for as long as I can remember (too long!) I have been in love with all things related to Mythology. I am the owner and chief researcher at this site. My work has also been published on Buzzfeed and most recently in Time magazine. Please like and share this article if you found it useful.

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Travels of Odysseus

Use this geotour to follow Odysseus and his crew as they encounter nymphs and narcotics, cyclopes and sirens.

English Language Arts, Geography, Human Geography

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The Odyssey is an epic , an adventure story attributed to the Greek poet Homer . Most historians think The Odyssey was composed in the 7th or 8th century B.C.E. The Odyssey tells the adventures of the Greek hero Odysseus, a veteran of the Trojan War . ( The Odyssey is a sequel to Homer's other epic, The Iliad , which tells the story of that war.) Cursed by Poseidon, god of the sea, but favored by Athena, goddess of wisdom, Odysseus sails the eastern Mediterranean for 10 years before reaching his home and family on the island of Ithaca. Use this geotour to follow Odysseus and his crew as they encounter nymphs and narcotics , cyclopes and sirens .

Geography of The Odyssey

No map of The Odyssey is definitive. “You will find the scene of Odysseus’ wanderings when you find the cobbler who sewed up [his] bag of winds.” So wrote the ancient Greek geographer Eratosthenes in the 2nd century B.C.E. Nevertheless, countless geographers, classicists, historians, and literary critics have speculated on the landmarks of Homer’s epic. Some speculations are more exotic than others—from the Azores to the Amazon, the Caribbean to Great Britain.

Inspired by The Odyssey

The travels of Odysseus have inspired writers for more than 2,000 years.

• The Roman poet Virgil wrote The Aeneid in the late 1st century B.C.E. The Aeneid is the story of Aeneas, as The Odyssey is the story of Odysseus. Both books tell the legend of the Trojan Horse, and both the Trojan Prince Aeneas and the Greek King Odysseus have adventures throughout the eastern Mediterranean. (Aeneas and his company of Trojans go on to settle in the western Italian region of Latium—where they became the founders of Rome.)
• Ulysses, by James Joyce, was published in 1922. Widely regarded as one of the most important English-language novels of the 20th century, Ulysses is a day in the life of two friends, Stephen Dedalus and Leopold Bloom. As Odysseus met unanticipated adventures as he roamed the Mediterranean for 10 years, so Dedalus and Bloom meet everyday adventures on their errands and strolls through Dublin, Ireland, on June 16, 1904.
• The Penelopiad , published in 2005, is Margaret Atwood’s “parallel novel” to The Odyssey . The Penelopiad tells the story of Odysseus’ wife, Penelope, from her own point of view. She recounts her childhood, her marriage, and how she governed the kingdom alone for 20 years. Penelope, narrating from the underworld of the 21st century, wonders why Odysseus’ stories have survived for so long, when Odysseus himself admits to being an accomplished liar.

The Odyssey

The travels of Odysseus form just one part of The Odyssey . Another part, called the Telemachy, focuses on Odysseus’ son, Telemachus, who left home in search of his long-lost father. The final section of The Odyssey is called the Nostos (“homecoming” in Greek). The Nostos addresses Odysseus’ adventures once he returns to Ithaca: meeting Telemachus, who was an infant when Odysseus left two decades earlier; slaughtering his wife’s suitors—the men who would take Odysseus’ place as king; and, finally, reuniting with Queen Penelope, who had remained a faithful wife for 20 years.

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April 22, 2024

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Odysseus Hero's Journey in Homer's Odyssey

In this activity, activity overview, template and class instructions, more storyboard that activities, this activity is part of many teacher guides.

Related to both plot diagram and types of literary conflict, the "Hero’s Journey" is a recurring pattern of stages that the hero encounters over the course of their stories. Joseph Campbell, an American mythologist, writer, and lecturer, articulated this cycle after researching and reviewing numerous myths and stories from a variety of time periods and regions of the world. He found that they all share fundamental principles. This spawned the Hero’s Journey, also known as the Monomyth. The most fundamental version has 12 steps that the hero faces, while more detailed versions can have up to 17.

Teachers may wish for students to collaborate on this activity which is possible with Storyboard That's Real Time Collaboration feature. This can help cut down on the time it takes to complete the entire storyboard while also helping students to develop communication, self-management and leadership skills. Teachers can enable collaboration for the assignment and students can either choose their partner(s) or have one chosen for them. It is suggested that since the Hero's Journey storyboard is 12 cells, it is best if completed by students in groups of 2, 3 or 4.

Odysseus Hero's Journey Example

Hero’s journey project examples and more ideas for the odyssey.

Creating a storyboard that illustrates each of Odysseus’ hero’s journey steps is engaging and creative. However, there are lots of other ways for students to show what they have learned about Odysseus’ monomyth! Check out some of our ideas below:

• Using the timeline layout, make a timeline of Odysseus’ epic journey. You don’t need to include the 12 stages of the hero’s journey for this activity, but be sure to include events in chronological order.
• Create a the hero’s journey chart for another character in literature that you have read and compare that journey to Odysseus' journey. Use our blank template as the hero’s journey graphic organizer to help you plan.
• Make a map of Odysseus’ journey.
• Using one of Storyboard That’s board game templates , create a game based on Odysseus’ hero’s journey for your classmates to play! Think about the setting of the story and use that as the theme of your game.
• Using one of Storyboard That’s biography poster templates, create a poster about the story’s hero, Odysseus.

(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)

Student Instructions

Use the story of The Odyssey and map it to the narrative structure of the Hero's Journey. This can be done in place of The Odyssey plot diagram.

• Depict and describe how the chosen character's story fits (or does not fit ) into each of the stages of the Hero's Journey.
• Finalize images, edit, and proofread your work.

Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 9-10

Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery)

Type of Assignment Individual or Partner

Type of Activity: The Hero's Journey

(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric .)

How To Encourage Collaboration in Activities

Establish specific goals and objectives, make diverse teams, organize brainstorming sessions, set roles and responsibilities, offer rewards and incentives, reflect and learn, frequently asked questions about odysseus hero's journey, what is the call to adventure in the odyssey .

In The Odyssey , Odysseus’ call to adventure is that he is called to fight the Trojans by King Menelaus.

How does The Odyssey follow the hero’s journey?

The Odyssey hero’s journey follows the 12 steps perfectly. Odysseus is called to adventure, causing him to leave his hometown, and must conquer many challenges and obstacles during his epic journey. Eventually, he makes his journey home after his supreme ordeal.

What is the hero’s journey in The Odyssey ?

Odysseus’ journey begins when he is called to fight in the Trojan War. He goes through all 12 stages of the hero’s journey during Homer’s incredible tale of adventure.

How does Odysseus escape the cyclops cave?

This was one of the many obstacles that Odysseus’ faced, because the blind Polyphemus felt the backs of all the sheep when they left the cave to make sure the men were not riding on them. To escape and continue his journey back, Odysseus and his men tied themselves underneath the sheep to hide from the cyclops.

Odyssey, The

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Homer’s Odyssey: The Epic Voyages of Odysseus in 16 Artworks

Troy was destroyed, but the trials of clever Odysseus had just begun. Follow the Odyssey, his ten-year journey with perils at sea and vengeful deities as told through art.

With the city of Troy lying in ruin, the Greeks took to their ships, heading home. Odysseus, the craftiest of the Greeks , who had the favor of Athena and had planned the Trojan Horse, sailed for his home in Ithaca. However, he was destined to journey long and suffer many hardships before finally achieving his homecoming. Set right after the Iliad , Homer ’s second epic, The Odyssey, tells of the ten years Odysseus spent in the attempt to reach Ithaca. This is the story in 16 artworks.

1. Homer’s Odyssey Begins: Fighting the Cicones

Odysseus and his men, sailing in six ships, first put ashore nearby at Ismarus, the land of the Cicones. There they sacked the city and plundered it. Odysseus wished to turn and put to sea at once, but his men delayed and would not listen. They partied and caroused on the shores until other, more powerful Cirons came to the aid of their coastal kindred. They fought throughout the day, but by the time the sun was setting, the Greeks began to falter. Eventually, they fled to their ships, leaving behind thirty-six of their men, killed in action.

2. Into The Land Of The Lotus-Eaters 

After battling a wild storm, the Greeks finally managed to row to shore in the land of the Lotus-eaters. This land is given no name, but the inhabitants of it subsist on a Lotus flower. Odysseus sent a few of his men to investigate. The Lotus-eaters received them peacefully and gave them some of the flowers to eat. The men were instantly overwhelmed, forgot about their homes, and resolved to stay. Odysseus eventually forced them back to the ships and bound them to the benches below, where they lay weeping. He called back all of his men, and they departed at once.

3. Polyphemus and the Island of the Cyclopes

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Upon coming to the land of the Cyclopes, Odysseus was eager to meet with a Cyclops and see whether or not they were truly savages. Taking twelve of his men, they went up to the cave of Polyphemus to greet him. Yet when the giant returned from tending his flocks, the men panicked and hid within his cave. He settled a rock against the cave opening as a door, unknowingly blocking them within. Upon learning of their presence, the Cyclops laughed at Odysseus’s attempts to offer friendship. He immediately ate two of the Greek men.

Polyphemus slept well that night, but Odysseus and his men cowered in fear throughout the night. They could not simply attack him as he slept, as they could not move the stone that blocked the entrance. The giant fed on two more men for breakfast and after a day of tending his flocks in the fields, enjoyed another two for dinner. However, Odysseus managed to get him drunk, and he and four of his men drove a hot wooden spike into his eyes and blinded him.

4. Odysseus Escapes Polyphemus’ Wrath

Polyphemus staggered to the entrance and drew back the stone, but waited by the mouth of the cave to catch Odysseus and his men. Odysseus, therefore, lashed together the thick-fleeced rams in groups of three. Each one of the surviving men clung underneath the middle sheep as they ran out of the cave. Safely out, Odysseus taunted Polyphemus. In his rage, the giant hurled bits of the mountain at the Greek ships, but they sped away and escaped back to where they had left the other ships. Odysseus and his men were yet to learn of the damage they had done, however.

5. The Bag of Aeolus

Polyphemus was the son of Poseidon , the god of the sea. In vengeance for his son’s blinding, Poseidon swore that he would keep Odysseus from reaching his homeland. Even so, they enjoyed some initial success upon leaving the island of the Cyclopes. They were hospitably welcomed on the island of Aeolus, the keeper of the winds. Aeolus bound the roaring winds in a sack and gave them to Odysseus. He left only the west wind to speed the Greeks on their journey home. Unfortunately, some members of Odysseus’s crew convinced themselves that the sack contained gold and jewels, and opened it, releasing the winds and raising a great storm.

6. Circe’s Island 

After barely surviving the storm, they eventually came to the Aenean island of Circe . She was a minor goddess, granddaughter of the great Titan Oceanus, and a skilled enchantress. A group of Odysseus’s men came to her house and found it patrolled by enchanted wolves and lions. Though the men were frightened, the animals welcomed them, rubbing along their legs and fawning upon them. Circe invited the men into the house and plied them with food and drink. Then, when they had relaxed, she turned them into pigs and shut them up in her pigsties. She would have done the same to Odysseus, but Hermes came to him and gave him an herb to make him invulnerable to her enchantments.

Armed with the herb, Odysseus first intimated and then befriended Circe. She not only released the pigs and returned them to their proper forms, but also hosted all of the Greeks, feasting and merrymaking, for a whole year.

7. Odysseus Finds Tiresias in the Underworld  

Finally, Odysseus and his men resolved to go on, and he begged Circe for leave to go. She gave it willingly but told him that he must journey on to Hades and consult the blind prophet Tiresias. Following Circe’s instructions, they sailed to the entrance to Hades and Odysseus performed the proper ceremonies to open the doors to the underworld.

When Tiresias came forth, he warned Odysseus of Poseidon’s continuing vengeance. He also cautioned them not to disturb the sheep and cattle of the sun god on the island of Thrinacia, or else face destruction. When Tiresias had finished, Odysseus stayed awhile, speaking with the ghosts of family and friends. First, he saw his mother, whom he had left living when he departed for Troy and numerous famous women throughout the ages. When the women had gone, the heroes that he had left dead at Troy came forth, Agamemnon, Achilles, Patroclus, and Ajax, and then all the great heroes of mythology. Yet finally, Odysseus tore himself away, and they sailed on toward Ithaca.

8. The Sirens

Their next peril came at the island of the Sirens, two winged females, in the shape of hideous harpies. Yet their voices and their songs were irresistible to the men who passed. They sat surrounded by the bones of those who were foolish enough to come to them. Odysseus’s men plugged their ears with softened wax, and Odysseus ordered his men to bind him to the mast so that he might listen but not be able to go to them.

9. Between Scylla and Charybdis

Past the Sirens, they faced Scylla and Charybdis , two mighty immortal monsters . Charybdis lay under the sea and sucked in ships as a whirlpool, while Scylla lay in wait among the rocks. As they desperately navigated around Charybdis, Scylla pounced from above. She carried off six men, who screamed and cried out to Odysseus as she hauled them away: “Even so did Scylla land these panting creatures on her rock and munch them up at the mouth of her den, while they screamed and stretched out their hands to me in their mortal agony. This was the most sickening sight that I saw throughout all my voyages.”

10. Hyperion’s Cattle

Finally escaping the straits, they came to the island of Hyperion, the sun god, of which Tiresias had warned Odysseus. Odysseus wished to sail past without stopping, but his men, exhausted and hungry, begged him to stop. Reluctantly, Odysseus agreed, reminding them all not to touch any sheep or cattle they may find. They all swore to obey, and at first, they did. However, the winds blew against them, and they remained trapped on the island for a month. As the food supplies dwindled, the men became more desperate. Eventually, they weakened and slaughtered the best of the cattle while Odysseus was away in the island hills.

When he returned and smelled the roast meat, he knew at once that his men and ships were now condemned. When the winds shifted seven days later they sailed away, but the gods came after them with a vengeance, and a great storm came up. Poseidon roused the sea, and the winds howled against them. Zeus hurled thunderbolts that broke the ships to pieces and threw the men into the raging sea. Only Odysseus survived, and washed ashore on the island of Calypso.

11. Imprisoned On The Island Of Calypso

Calypso was a nymph goddess, daughter of the Titans. Finding Odysseus washed ashore, she took him in and cared for him, soon falling in love. Determined to have him as her husband, she kept Odysseus imprisoned on her island for seven years, promising him immortality if he would marry her. Yet Odysseus longed only for home and his wife Penelope , and finally, the gods took pity on him. Zeus sent Hermes to command Calypso to release Odysseus, and she begrudgingly obliged. She helped Odysseus build a raft, but warned him that his hardships were not yet over.

12. Nausicaa and the Phaeacians

So it proved, for when he embarked on the raft, Poseidon spotted him, and sent a storm that tossed the raft about and broke it to pieces. Odysseus was left clinging to one plank of the raft. Poseidon retired to his palace, considering his work done, but Athena brought Odysseus safely to shore. He collapsed from exhaustion in the country of the Phaeacians. The next morning the princess of that land, Nausicaa, sporting with her handmaidens, found him and brought him to the palace.

The Phaeacian king Alcinous welcomed Odysseus and invited him to a great feast. During the course of the night, Odysseus told the long tales of his hardships to his hosts. When he had recovered, the Phaeacians took him upon their own ships back to his homeland in Ithaca.

13. Back To Ithaca

Finally having reached Ithaca, Odysseus disguises himself as an old beggar and receives the hospitality of a young swineherd, Eumaeus. Athena, meanwhile, went to fetch Odysseus’s son Telemachus , who had been seeking news of his father in Sparta . Telemachus made his way to the house of Eumaeus, who was a dear friend of his, and so met Odysseus while he was still in disguise. Athena pulled the disguise from Odysseus, and Telemachus realized that it was his long-lost father. They embraced and wept.

14. Odysseus Meets His Dog

Together they made a plan to eject the wild suitors from Odysseus’s house who had, for ten years, taken over the palace and vied for Penelope’s hand. Odysseus came down to the city still disguised but was recognized by his old dog, Argos: “When he marked Odysseus standing near, he wagged his tail and dropped both his ears, but nearer to his master he had no longer strength to move. Then Odysseus looked aside and wiped away a tear.” Having finally seen his master, the faithful hound finally took his last breath. However, Odysseus’s true identity was not discovered by any other in his house.

15. Odysseus Faces the Suitors  

At the urging of Athena, Penelope decided to hold an archery contest to determine which suitor she would choose. Whichever man could shoot an arrow through twelve axe-heads would be the winner, and gain her hand in marriage. Odysseus was the only one who could complete the challenge and having shot the arrow, he threw off his disguise, and together with Telemachus killed the suitors.

16. Homer’s Odyssey Ends: Odysseus and Penelope Reunited

The Odyssey finally reached its end as Odysseus had succeeded in reaching Ithaca had gotten rid of the suitors, and stood in front of his loving wife. Now, convinced of his identity, Penelope “flew weeping to his side, flung her arms about his neck, and kissed him. Then Odysseus in his turn melted, and wept as he clasped his dear and faithful wife to his bosom.”

8 Times Odysseus was the Smartest Guy in the Room

By Marian Vermeulen BA History and Philosophy Marian has been a devoted student of the ancient world since primary school. She received her BA in History and Philosophy from Hope College and has continued researching and writing on topics of ancient history from the Assyrian Empire to the Roman Empire and everything in between. She enjoys dabbling in historical fiction, but generally finds the actual true individuals of history and their stories more fascinating than any fictional invention. Her other passion is horses, and in her spare time she enjoys starting young horses under saddle and volunteer training for the local horse rescue.

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Homer’s Iliad: The Epic Tale Of The Trojan War

Who Was Homer, and Why Is He Important?

Polyphemus: Who Was the Cyclops That Was Tricked by Odysseus?

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The Odyssey Informative Summary

The Odyssey, attributed to the ancient Greek poet Homer, is an epic poem that recounts the journey of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, as he attempts to return home after the Trojan War. Odysseus’ journey is fraught with danger, as he faces numerous challenges, from treacherous storms and encounters with mythical creatures to the allure of beautiful goddesses and the threat of human treachery.

The poem is divided into two distinct narratives: the first focusing on Odysseus’ adventures at sea and his encounters with mythical beings, and the second on the suitors who besiege his home in Ithaca, vying for the hand of his wife Penelope. Through Odysseus’ trials, the Odyssey explores themes of resilience, cunning, loyalty, and the enduring power of home.

Key Findings:

• The Odyssey’s Authorship:  Samuel Butler, the translator of this text, makes a strong case for the authorship of the Odyssey being a young woman named Nausicaa.
• The Odyssey’s Structure:  The Odyssey is composed of two distinct poems interwoven, suggesting a possible evolution of the narrative.
• The Odyssey and the Iliad:  The Odyssey contains numerous passages borrowed from the Iliad, highlighting the writer’s familiarity with this earlier epic.
• Greek Mythology:  Readers will be introduced to a wealth of figures and stories from Greek mythology, including the gods, goddesses, mythical creatures, and heroes.
• Epic Poetry:  The Odyssey is a prime example of the epic genre, a form of poetry that narrates heroic deeds and adventures. It showcases the use of epic similes, extensive descriptions, and a grand scale of storytelling.
• Resilience and Resourcefulness:  Odysseus’ journey emphasizes the importance of resilience and resourcefulness in the face of adversity. His journey teaches the reader how to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles through cunning, intellect, and a strong will.

Historical Context:

The Odyssey is believed to have been written sometime between 750 and 1000 BC, during a period of significant social and political change in the ancient Greek world. The poem reflects the values and beliefs of this era, particularly the importance of family, loyalty, and heroic deeds.

• Odysseus’ Journey:  Odysseus, the protagonist of the Odyssey, is a Greek hero who embarked on a ten-year journey home from the Trojan War.
• Calypso’s Island:  Odysseus was held captive for seven years on the island of Ogygia by the nymph Calypso.
• The Phaeacians:  The Phaeacians, a seafaring people known for their hospitality, helped Odysseus return home to Ithaca.
• The Cyclops Polyphemus:  Odysseus blinded the Cyclops Polyphemus, son of the sea god Poseidon, which led to Poseidon’s wrath and Odysseus’ prolonged journey home.
• The Sirens:  The Sirens, creatures with enchanting voices, lured sailors to their deaths with their song.
• Scylla and Charybdis:  Odysseus faced the perils of Scylla, a sea monster, and Charybdis, a whirlpool, in the Straits of Messina.
• The Cattle of the Sun:  Odysseus’ crew ate the sacred cattle of the sun god Helios, resulting in their death and Odysseus’ continued suffering.
• The Land of the Lotus-Eaters:  Odysseus and his crew encountered the Lotus-Eaters, a people who consumed a flower that induced a state of apathy and forgetfulness.
• Circe’s Magic:  Odysseus faced the enchantress Circe who turned his crew into pigs. He used an herb called moly to resist her spell.
• The Underworld:  Odysseus traveled to the underworld to consult the blind prophet Teiresias, seeking guidance on his journey home.
• Telemachus’ Journey:  Odysseus’ son, Telemachus, embarked on a journey to Pylos and Sparta in search of news about his father.
• The Suitors:  Many suitors besieged Odysseus’ home, vying for the hand of his wife Penelope.
• Penelope’s Web:  Penelope delayed her remarriage by weaving a shroud, but unravelling it each night, thus keeping the suitors at bay.
• The Wooden Horse:  The Odyssey recounts the story of the Trojan Horse, a stratagem used by the Greeks to conquer Troy.
• Aegisthus’ Treachery:  Aegisthus, who murdered Agamemnon, was later killed by Orestes, Agamemnon’s son.
• The Role of the Gods:  The gods play a significant role in the Odyssey, both aiding and hindering Odysseus.
• The Phaeacian Ships:  The Phaeacian ships were famed for their ability to navigate without rudders and travel at incredible speeds.
• Odysseus’ Cunning:  Odysseus was known for his cunning and intellect, often using trickery to overcome his challenges.
• The Value of Home:  The Odyssey emphasizes the importance of home and the longing for homecoming, a theme that resonates with readers across cultures.
• The Theme of Hospitality:  The Odyssey highlights the importance of hospitality and the consequences of violating the rites of hospitality.

Statistics:

• Odysseus’ Journey Length:  Odysseus’ journey lasted for 10 years.
• Calypso’s Captivity:  Odysseus was held captive by Calypso for 7 years.
• Number of Ships Lost:  Odysseus lost all but one of his 12 ships during his journey.
• The Number of Suitors:  There were over one hundred suitors vying for Penelope’s hand.
• Penelope’s Web Duration:  Penelope tricked the suitors for 3 years by weaving a shroud and then unravelling it at night.
• Number of Men Lost to Scylla:  Scylla devoured six of Odysseus’ best men.
• The Number of Sun God’s Herds:  Helios possessed seven herds of cattle and seven flocks of sheep, each with 50 animals.
• Number of Years in Egypt:  Ulysses spent 7 years in Egypt after being captured.
• Age of Telemachus:  Telemachus was 11 years old when his father left for the Trojan War.
• Number of Years of Odysseus’ Absence:  Odysseus was gone from Ithaca for 20 years.
• Number of Days in the Underworld:  Odysseus spent 3 days in the underworld.
• Number of Men Killed by the Cyclops:  Polyphemus devoured 6 of Odysseus’ crew.
• Number of Days to Sail from the Ogygian Island:  It took Odysseus 18 days to sail from the Ogygian Island to the Phaeacian coast.
• Number of Gifts for Ulysses:  The Phaeacians gave Odysseus a total of 12 gifts, including a chest, a cloak, a shirt, and a talent of gold each.
• The Age of the Wine in Nestor’s House:  Nestor’s house contained 11-year-old wine.
• Number of Years in Alcinous’ House:  Ulysses stayed in Alcinous’ house for a month.
• Number of Oxen, Sheep, and Pigs Sacrificed:  Alcinous sacrificed a dozen sheep, eight pigs, and two oxen for his guests.
• Number of Men in Each Guild at Pylos:  There were 500 men in each of the 9 guilds at Pylos.
• Number of Pigs in Each Stye:  Eumaeus’ pigs were housed in 12 styes, with 50 pigs in each.
• Number of Boar Pigs:  There were 360 boar pigs at Eumaeus’ farm.
• Epic:  A long, narrative poem that celebrates the deeds of a hero, often with supernatural elements.
• Odyssey:  Refers to a long, adventurous journey, often involving hardship and trials.
• Suitor:  A man who is courting a woman, hoping to marry her.
• Nymph:  A female spirit associated with nature, such as rivers, mountains, or forests.
• Cyclops:  A race of one-eyed giants from Greek mythology.
• Sirens:  Creatures with enchanting voices that lured sailors to their deaths.
• Scylla and Charybdis:  Two mythical creatures that symbolize dangerous and inescapable perils. Scylla is a sea monster, and Charybdis is a whirlpool.
• Helios:  The Greek god of the sun.
• Moly:  A magical herb that Odysseus uses to resist Circe’s spell.
• Erebus:  The region of darkness and shadow in the underworld.
• Calypso’s Captivity:  Calypso, a beautiful nymph, held Odysseus captive for seven years on her island, offering him immortality if he stayed. Odysseus resisted her advances, driven by his desire to return home.
• The Cyclops Polyphemus:  Odysseus outsmarted the Cyclops Polyphemus by blinding him with a burning stake and escaping with his men under the bellies of Polyphemus’ sheep.
• The Sirens:  Odysseus, warned by Circe, ordered his men to fill their ears with wax and have him bound to the mast, to listen to the Sirens’ song without succumbing to their fatal allure.
• Scylla and Charybdis:  Circe warned Odysseus of the perils of Scylla and Charybdis, advising him to steer closer to Scylla and avoid Charybdis, even though it meant losing six men.
• The Cattle of the Sun:  Odysseus’ men defied his orders and ate the sacred cattle of Helios, leading to their death and Odysseus’ continued woes.
• Circe’s Enchantment:  Odysseus, protected by the herb moly, resisted Circe’s magic and forced her to release his men.
• The Underworld:  Odysseus traveled to the underworld to consult the blind prophet Teiresias and seek guidance on his journey home. He encountered the ghosts of his mother, Achilles, Agamemnon, and other notable figures.
• Telemachus’ Journey:  Telemachus, driven by a desire to learn his father’s fate, sailed to Pylos and Sparta, encountering Nestor and Menelaus.
• Penelope’s Web:  Penelope’s cunning use of the shroud she was weaving allowed her to delay her remarriage, buying time for Odysseus to return.
• The Trojan Horse:  The Odyssey recounts the story of the Trojan Horse, a stratagem that allowed the Greeks to conquer Troy.

Conclusion:

The Odyssey is a captivating epic that delves into the complexities of human nature, showcasing themes of resilience, loyalty, and the enduring power of home. Odysseus’ epic journey provides valuable lessons on navigating challenges, overcoming adversity, and the importance of family and homecoming. Though filled with supernatural elements and mythological figures, the Odyssey speaks to the universal human experiences of loss, longing, and the unwavering drive to return to one’s roots. Learn More

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How Suni Lee’s health journey changed her gymnastics mindset: ‘This is what I want’

Editor’s note: Suni Lee made her second Olympic squad, highlighting the U.S. Olympic women's gymnastics team for the Paris Games.

MINNEAPOLIS — This week’s U.S. gymnastics trials have all the makings of one of those schmaltzy pieces that are a staple of NBC’s Olympic coverage :

Reigning Olympic champion gets to make a victory lap in her hometown, capped by a trip to a second Summer Games .

If only it were that simple for Suni Lee.         

Lee is in good shape to make the five-person U.S. team for the Paris Olympics. She was fourth at the national championships in early June and has upgraded her routines on uneven bars and floor since then. But a health crisis 15 months ago has upended her life, putting her gymnastics career in doubt and forcing the 21-year-old to confront realities and self-doubts that would challenge people twice her age.

Add to all that the anxiety of competing in front of the hometown crowd, wanting to put on a good show for all the people who have stopped her these last few months to tell her how proud of her they are and how they can't wait for her to compete.

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“Whenever I'm talking to my coaches, I get really sad because I'm never going to be the same. I'm not the same Suni, I’m not the same athlete,” Lee said earlier this year. “And they're like, 'Good. You don't want to be. You're doing everything and more right now, and you should be proud of the way that you've been able to come back from everything because you never thought that you would be in this position.’ And I was like, 'You're so right!’”

“But it's just hard mentally because I was in a really good spot last Olympics getting ready,” she said. “So now it's just kind of hard switching that mental aspect of it.”

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Lee went to Auburn right after winning gold in Tokyo , wanting to have the college experience and to compete at the NCAA level. But she also wanted to make a run at Paris and announced in November 2022 that she’d leave Auburn at the end of her sophomore season.

Before that season could even end, however, Lee developed a kidney disease that caused her to retain so much fluid there were days she couldn’t even put on her grips. She returned to Minneapolis and began working with doctors at the Mayo Clinic, who discovered she was suffering from a second kidney ailment.

Thus began a nearly yearlong nightmare of tweaking medications and Lee feeling as if she had no control over her body. At one point, she said, she’d gained 40 pounds. There were days she could train and days she could only do certain things.

And then there were days she couldn’t even get out of bed.

“You just have to grow up really fast,” Jess Graba, who has coached Lee for almost her entire career, said Wednesday. “She probably is still trying to process that information because this is lifelong. But also it's kind of made us reevaluate what we would normally do and how we would normally do it."

Lee said a phone call she got Jan. 4, the details she wants to keep private, was a turning point for her.

“I was like , 'Oh my gosh, I’m going back into the gym tomorrow and I'm going to be better than I ever was.’ That was the day I was like, 'Yep, this is what I want. And I'm gonna put my mind into it,’” she said.

Lee said she initially put pressure on herself to immediately be in Olympic shape and would get frustrated that she wasn’t. But Graba told her to relax. Don’t think about Paris, he’d tell her, focus instead on what you want to accomplish in the gym for this day or this week.

By the end of February, Lee had returned to competition . It was an inauspicious start — she did only uneven bars and balance beam at Winter Cup and fell off both — but it let her know she could still do this.

She and Graba have been deliberate in their progression since then, slowly adding skills and events with an eye on being at full strength, or close to it, by trials.

“I want Suni to just compete at her personal best,” said Alicia Sacramone Quinn, who is the strategic lead for the women’s high-performance team and sits on the Olympic team selection committee.

“She has overcome a lot of adversity in her personal life and her health,” Sacramone Quinn added. “If she can just have two great days of competition and be happy and healthy, that’s what I want to see from her.”

Lee admits she suffered from “impostor syndrome” after Tokyo — which wasn’t helped by all the awful people on the Internet who told her she’d won by default.

Simone Biles, the Rio Olympic champion who’d won the previous two world titles, had to withdraw with a case of “the twisties,” which caused her to lose track of where she was in the air and put her health and safety at risk. Had Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade stayed in bounds on floor exercise in Tokyo, she’d have finished ahead of Lee.

“When you see it from other people and that many people are saying the same thing over, that I just suck and all this stuff, it’s very hard mentally,” Lee acknowledged.

But if Lee’s health issues have taught her anything, it’s that medals can’t be the motivation. Nor wanting to answer her critics. This is about her and knowing, even after everything, she can do this.

“That's why she came back to get centered after all the health scare: You do this for personal reasons,” Graba said. “And I really could care less about what she accomplishes, other than I want her to accomplish what she wants to accomplish. I want her to do her best.”

It's not a made-for-TV fairytale. As Lee has learned, however, such things don't exist. Real life is harder. No matter what happens, this weekend or in the next month, she knows she had the courage to see her dream through. Not for anyone else.

For herself.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.

The imperfect journey of Philip Humber, the Mets’ highest draft pick this century

Justin Verlander still has a seat in the clubhouse.

The future Hall of Famer, 41, is now 10th on the all-time strikeouts list, chasing 300 wins and another World Series title. He is the oldest player left standing in the majors, 20 years removed from being taken by the Tigers with the second overall pick in the 2004 MLB Draft — and two decades since Philip Humber went third to the Mets.

“I love the fact that he’s still going,” Humber said. “I always enjoyed watching him pitch. More power to him. It’s really neat to see him compete at the age I’m at. That’s awesome.”

Humber, 41, resides in the same state, roughly 200 miles north of Houston, in Tyler, Texas.

It has been nearly 11 years since Humber — the Mets’ highest draft pick since 1995 — has touched a major league mound. It has been eight years since he hung up his spikes and embarked on a second career as a commercial real estate broker.

He was a blue-chipper turned trade chip, who transformed from bust to hero and back again, and came to hate the game he loved. For what it did to him. For what it didn’t do. For how much it demanded of him. For the indifference it returned.

He had no more use for it. But his son did. And so did his son’s friends. And so, they met again, like childhood friends who drifted apart and rediscovered their bond.

“If I spend any time thinking about my career — I have a son that’s 11 and I’ve been coaching his baseball team for about a year now — it’s how can I use my experience and the things I went through to help these young men develop baseball-wise, but also life-wise,” Humber said. “I think it’s been really good for me. It’s something my son and I enjoy doing together. But also with some of the other kids on the team, helping them and their parents keep things in perspective because a lot is expected at a very young age.

“Baseball is gonna be a small window. Everyone is gonna be told at one time or another, ‘You’re not good enough. Your playing time is over.’”

Humber was drafted by New York — twice.

The Yankees took a flier on the ace out of Texas’ Carthage High School in the 29th round of the 2001 MLB Draft, but the right-hander turned down a respectable offer to pitch in college at Rice. Three years later, Humber and his family surrounded a computer in their living room, listening to the draft on MLB.com.

Matt Bush went first to San Diego. Verlander — the only eventual All-Star among the top 11 picks — went next.

Humber went where he wanted.

“They start announcing the name, and everybody starts jumping up and down,” Humber said. “It was a very exciting time. I was so excited about what was to come. I was a bit of a baseball nerd as a kid, so I knew about Tom Seaver and Doc Gooden and Darryl Strawberry and Gary Carter. Nolan Ryan was my biggest guy and I knew that’s where he started, so that was cool to me. I was very enthusiastic that the Mets drafted me. There were a couple teams I would’ve been like, “Ehh, I don’t know if I want to go there,’ but the Mets, that was one where it was like, ‘This is awesome.’

“It was also a very exciting time because you could tell they were about to go after it. They got Pedro [Martinez]. Me and [Carlos] Beltran signed the same day. They had Tom Glavine. You think about the guys on that team: Moises Alou, Shawn Green. Carlos Delgado came. We may win for a long time is what I was thinking and I’m gonna get to be right in the thick of that.”

The future was easy to see for the collegiate national champion: All-Star Games. Cy Young awards. World Series titles.

“That’s how it’ll go,” Humber recalled thinking. “Get right to the big leagues and on your way to the Hall of Fame.”

Humber’s first spring training featured clashes with then-Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson regarding his delivery. His first professional season was cut short by an elbow injury, which required Tommy John surgery.

“We never saw much life on his fastball,” then-Mets general manager Omar Minaya said. “He was a great college pitcher with a good pedigree and a good delivery. He had the ability to pitch up. Then he got hurt and we never saw the real Humber that he was in college.”

Humber — one of the Mets’ three top-10 draft picks of the past quarter-century, along with Mike Pelfrey and Matt Harvey — debuted with the Mets in 2006 as a September call-up, pitching two innings of relief for the NL East champs.

“One of my most vivid memories, I was pitching a meaningless inning in my debut and Pedro was on the rail cheering me in a blowout game, and that meant a lot to me,” Humber said. “He was always open to me asking questions, and I would ask him a lot of questions, playing catch in the outfield. Same thing with Billy Wagner in the bullpen. Tom Glavine was great to me. They all treated me like gold. I just wish I would’ve played with them longer.”

Humber made only one start with the Mets.

It came in the midst of the greatest collapse in team history. With the Mets holding a two-game division lead and five games remaining in the 2007 regular season, Humber was summoned to Shea Stadium on 14 days’ rest — and one month since he had made his most recent start, in Triple-A — as a fill-in for an injury-ravaged rotation.

Humber got through three scoreless innings, and was spotted a five-run lead, but he left with a no-decision after allowing five runs, six hits and two walks in four innings of a 9-6 loss to the Nationals.

“Wild times, man,” Humber said. “They said, ‘Hey, we got this guy, he’s been in big spots before. Maybe it was back in college, but he’s been in big spots. We know he’s gonna throw strikes. Let’s throw him in there and see how it goes.’

“It actually started pretty good, and then I fatigued there. But Shea Stadium in a playoff race, that was cool. You talk about the hair on the back of your neck standing up. I remembered when I walked out there, they were playing, “Feels like the First Time.” The upper deck is full. Everyone’s right on top of you. They don’t make them like that anymore.

“I just wish it would’ve gone better.”

That winter, the Mets acquired the best pitcher in the world. No price — monetary or in prospects — felt too high for Johan Santana, the missing piece for the title contender. Just as Humber returned from his honeymoon in Mexico, he learned on TV that he — along with Carlos Gomez, Kevin Mulver and Deolis Guerra — was being sent to Minnesota.

Humber ultimately threw only nine innings for the team that took him third in the draft, the team whose cap he planned on displaying on his Hall of Fame plaque.

“I wasn’t completely surprised,” Humber said. “If Johan was gonna go somewhere and the Mets were interested, I knew I could be a part of it. … It was kind of bittersweet. You’re looking forward to the opportunity, but you’re kind of sad it didn’t work out with the team that drafted you.”

It didn’t work out with the Twins, either, who let him leave in free agency after two seasons largely spent in Triple-A. It didn’t work out with the Royals — who also found him best suited for the minors — or the A’s, who designated him for assignment before ever sending him to the mound.

After making two major league starts in his first as a pro, Humber went 9-9 with a 3.75 ERA with the White Sox in 2011. In April, he took a no-hitter into the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium.

The next year, he finished the job.

On April 21, 2012, in Seattle, Humber became the 21st player in MLB history to throw a perfect game. Humber, who was making just his second start of the season, entered with 11 career wins, the fewest of any pitcher to accomplish the feat in 90 years.

“It’s something I’m really proud of and thankful for that will always be a part of baseball history,” Humber said.

He received a call from President Barack Obama. He made an appearance on “The Late Show with David Letterman.”

He questioned what he was doing standing besides Sandy Koufax and Randy Johnson for eternity, doing what Nolan Ryan had never done in 27 big league seasons.

He knew others did, too.

Humber was desperate to prove that perfection wasn’t the fluky act of an underachiever, that the best day of his career was the beginning of what the Mets envisioned before the 2004 draft.

The confidence built from retiring 27 straight was smothered by self-inflicted pressure. It was the millions of dollars at stake in that upcoming offseason, when he was eligible for arbitration. It was the wife and newborn son — born 10 days after the perfect game — to take care of. It was the potential he wanted to validate, leading him to press, to push himself harder, to mess with grips and study film far past the point of being helpful.

Humber allowed nine runs in the first outing after his masterpiece. Two starts later, he was pulled in the third inning. By August, he was sent to the bullpen. By the fall, he was placed on waivers, finishing with the majors’ highest ERA (6.44) of any pitcher to throw at least 100 innings.

“There shouldn’t have been [pressure],” Humber said. “But it’s like the rest of your career, trying to capture the same feeling of what it felt like that day. I’m not naive enough to think I’m gonna throw another perfect game, but just to have that type of feel. You start chasing that.

“I probably let things snowball on me mentally. When you’ve had a lot of struggles in your career, it’s good because it hardens you mentally, but there’s some scars there. When it starts to turn and you feel it go downhill, it’s easy to say, ‘Here we go again.’ If I could go back and talk to [myself], I’d say, ‘Relax. Be cool. Get back to your routine. One start is not gonna make or break you.’

“It’s hard trying to be that guy. Just be you.”

He returned home to Texas the next year. It was his final season in the majors.

He went 0-8 with a 7.90 ERA for the Astros in 2013. Humber spent the next season in the minors. In 2015, he joined South Korea’s Kia Tigers. At the next spring training, he hung up his glove, opting for retirement over a minor league assignment from the Padres.

“There had been a lot of ups and downs, and that takes a toll, not just on you, but as a family, going through that with you,” Humber said. “My son was 3 years old and getting closer to school age. I wanted to have a more stable family life rather than, ‘Dad’s in South Korea, let’s FaceTime.’

“I was gonna need to start a new career at some point. I needed to go in that direction more than going to Triple-A and hoping there’s an opportunity during the year.

“I just needed to step away from that environment. I had not let up for 20 years. I am a grinder. I needed to step back and figure out who I am outside of this.”

At 34, Humber returned to Rice’s campus, where he completed his undergraduate degree. Then, he became a commercial real estate broker.

“It was really good for me to have that runway from a standpoint of not being like I gotta get a paycheck right now, so I gotta take whatever’s out there,” Humber said. “I looked at a lot of different things. One of the things that appealed to me about real estate is you eat what you kill. So it’s very similar to baseball. If you’re good at what you do, it doesn’t matter if you’ve been doing it ‘X’ amount of time, you get to move up.”

He doesn’t think about his career much or wonder why it unfolded as it did or what, if anything, he could have done to justify the highest of hopes attached to his draft slot.

“What I’ve discovered through [coaching] is I really like teaching,” said Humber, who ended his career 16-23 with a 5.31 ERA. “It doesn’t have to be baseball. Sharing knowledge with young people, helping them along in their development, it’s an honor to be a part of that. I always tell the parents of the kids on the team, ‘You’re putting a lot of trust in me, and I don’t take that lightly.’ I’m very careful with the words I choose with them.

“One thing I’ve learned is you need to observe a lot before you start offering advice.”

It has been 20 years since Humber joined the Mets, a dozen years since the perfect game, more than eight since he decided he was done.

“I had plenty of opportunities,” Humber said. “I can’t blame anyone but the man in the mirror. It wasn’t for a lack of effort or passion for it. … It didn’t work out the way I envisioned, but it worked out the way it was supposed to.”

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Hailey Kinsel and 'Sister' Break 17-Second Barrier in Calgary

Laura motley lambert | 6 hours ago.

The Calgary Stampede is in full swing and started what is called Pool C on Thursday, July 11. It was the first of three performances for the contestants seeded within that Pool. As a quick reminder, each Pool has 10 contestants competing in each event. All of the cowboys and cowgirls get three full rounds before determining who will move on to the semi-finals.

Former World Champion, Hailey Kinsel and her equine partner, 'Sister' also known as DM Sissy Hayday made their first appearance at the 2024 Calgary Stampede in Pool C. They lit up the crowd and the scoreboard in doing so.

After 2024 Rodeo Houston champion Leslie Smalygo made an almost flawless run and turned in a 17.08, the rest of the field chased her but didn't find the right stuff to catch her. Former NFR qualifier, Summer Kosel rounded three barrels in a beautiful pattern but was still a 17.35 (which is a great run by the way).

The 13-year-old palomino mare Sister had winning on her mind when it was her turn to come running. Everyone knows that sometimes Sister takes a step by the first barrel, but she still has the ability to do that and win. Well, she didn't take that step. She smoked the first barrel and that's when you know the field is in trouble. She went on to turn the second and third barrels in near perfect style.

When the scoreboard lit up the crowd went wild. They had just witnessed their first sub-17 second run of the year. Carlee Pierce and her amazing sorrel horse had put a 16-second run on the board but, it also included a tipped barrel penalty of five seconds, so it didn't count.

Kinsel and Sister clocked a 16.94 to win the round and deposit the $7,000 payday.

The Cotulla, Texas cowgirl and her yellow unicorn have earned a little more than $82,000 on the season so far and currently sit number five in the World Standings.

Kinsel and Sister have two more rounds at Calgary to determine who will move on out of Pool C to the semi-finals. Kinsel would love to repeat her performance from 2018 when she left as the Calgary Stampede Champion. Check back for more coverage throughout the week.

Calgary Pool C Round 1 Results:

Bareback Riding: 1. Dean Thompson, 87 points on Calgary Stampede’s Flap Jack, $7,000; 2. Jacob Lees, 85, $5,500; 3. Lane McGehee, 81.5, $4,500; 4. Garrett Shadbolt, 81, $3,250; 5. (tie) Sam Peterson and Orin Larsen, 80.5, $1,500 each; 7. (tie) Kody Lamb and Jake Stemo, 80 each; 9. Mason Stuller, 79; 10. Jesse Pope, 78.5.

Steer Wrestling: 1. (tie) Bridger Anderson and Trisyn Kalawaia, 4.1 seconds, $6,250 each; 3. Harley Cole, 4.7, $4,500; 4. Tanner Brunner, 4.8, $3,250; 5. Cody Devers, 5.0, $2,000; 6. Kyle Irwin, 5.5, $1,000; 7. Cole Walker, 17.1; 8. (tie) Cash Robb, Tyler Pearson and Ty Miller, NT.

Saddle Bronc Riding: 1. Logan Hay, 89.5 points on Calgary Stampede’s Exciting Bubbles, $7,000; 2. Wyatt Casper, 89, $5,500; 3. Dawson Hay, 86.5, $4,500; 4. (tie) Kade Bruno and Allen Boore, 84.5, $2,625 each; 6. Cole Elshere, 84, $1,000; 7. Ben Andersen, 83.5; 8. Traylin Martin, 80; 9. Brody Cress, 71.5; 10. Ryder Wright, NS.

Tie-Down Roping: 1. Cory Solomon, 8.0 seconds, $7,000; 2. Pecos Tatum, 8.7, $5,500 3. Ty Harris, 9.7, $4,500; 4. Garrett Elmore, 12.0, $3,250; 5. (tie) Macon Murphy, Tyler Milligan, Tom Crouse, Joel Harris, Quade Hiatt and Mary Yates, NT.

Barrel Racing: 1. Hailey Kinsel, 16.94 seconds, $7,000; 2. Leslie Smalygo, 17.08, $5,500; 3. Summer Kosel, 17.35, $4,500; 4. Stevi Hillman, 17.38, $3,250; 5. Wenda Johnson, 17.47, $2,000; 6. Halyn Lide, 17.57, $1,000; 7. Jordon Briggs, 17.71; 8. Sara Winkelman, 17.82; 9. Taylor Carver, 22.66; 10. Kassie Mowry, 27.32.

Bull Riding: 1. Chase Dougherty, 87.5 points on Smoke Bomb, $9,083; 2. Jeff Askey, 86.5, $7,583; 3. Cooper James, 75.5, $6,583; 4. (tie) Clayton Sellars, Jeter Lawrence, Ky Hamilton, Dustin Boquet, JR Stratford, Callum Miller and Tyler Bingham, NS.*(all totals include ground money).

LAURA MOTLEY LAMBERT

Laura Lambert resides in Wiggins, Colo. With her husband, Ricky and two sons, Brayden and Boedy. She attended the University of Northern Colorado while studying economics. She is an accomplished rodeo athlete and barrel horse trainer. Over the years, Laura has been active in journalism in a variety of roles. While continuing to cover western sports and country music, she is currently enjoying expanding her reach into multiple sports including MLB, NFL, PGA and LPGA. You can reach her at [email protected]

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The Golden Bachelorette Sets Premiere Date for Joan Vassos' Love Journey as Bachelor in Paradise Readies Big Return

Joan Vassos is ready for a second chance at finding love after leaving the 'Golden Bachelor' early, and 'Bachelor in Paradise' has been renewed for season 10

Disney/Ramona Rosales, ABC/Craig Sjodin

Save the date!

ABC announced at the TCA Summer Press Tour on Wednesday, July 10, that Joan Vassos will begin her journey to find love when the first season of The Golden Bachelorette premieres on Sept. 18.

Additionally, it was announced that Bachelor in Paradise is officially setting sail for season 10 following a long-awaited return. The new season will arrive on ABC in 2025 and stream the next day on Hulu.

The network revealed in May that Vassos, 61, would step into the Golden Bachelorette role after previously competing on Gerry Turner 's inaugural season of  The Golden Bachelor . She left Turner's season during Week 3 to be with her daughter who had given birth.

"It's a privilege to be a mom to four amazing kids and a grandmother (they call me Jojo) to two beautiful grandchildren. But once a mom, always a mom and sometimes the timing doesn't work out with finding love," Vassos wrote on her Instagram Stories in October after her exit aired. "Everyone at home is doing great and I hope one day I will get the chance at love again."

Before the casting news became public, the Maryland native said on a May episode of the Bachelor Happy Hour: Golden Hour podcast that she hoped to find love again but didn’t want to look for it on dating apps.

"As far as my heart being completely open, I think it's nine-tenths of the way there," Vassos told co-hosts Susan Noles  and  Kathy Swarts . "So, I think I just need to spend a little more time in like an environment like  The Bachelor  environment. I so am not… like I really want to find love. I just don't want to go to the work of going on a dating website.”

Vassos said she hadn’t quite “figured out the formula yet” when it came to dating after the January 2021 death of her husband John. But the private school administrator knows what she wants in a man.

“I'm OK with a bald guy,” she said on Golden Hour . “My husband, my late husband, was bald, and I thought he was very sexy, so that's fine. Got to have all your teeth, that's good. I want somebody who's fit. I want somebody who takes care of themselves. I want somebody who is active.”

Disney/Michael Le Brecht

Vassos left to film her season last month and said in an Instagram Reel at the time that it felt “a little bittersweet ‘cause I’m leaving my family for seven weeks and that’s a little scary.”

The reality star hoped that spending time away from her family would pay off. “In the end, I could maybe have the love of my life and someone to share my great life with,” she shared.

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Vassos has already gotten advice from Turner, 72, on navigating looking for love on TV.

"He's a very, very good friend," she told Entertainment Tonight . "He did this so well. He kind of created the road map that we have now. There's no rulebook, and he kind of wrote it a little bit." 

The mother of four ultimately believes that “this process works.”

“I’ve seen it work for so many couples on The Bachelor , so I believe in the process,” Vassos said to CNN . “If it ends up in engagement, that’s great. If it ends up in, you and I are going to get to know each other better in the outside world, that’s perfect also.”

As for fellow Bachelor spinoff Bachelor in Paradise , fans last saw the summer show make waves in September 2023 and wrapped up that December. It had remained uncertain when the Jesse Palmer -hosted series would return.

Season 9 ended with Kylee Russell and  Aven Jones continuing their relationship outside of Paradise. Kat Izzo  and John Henry Spurlock as well as Eliza Isichei  and  Aaron Bryant got engaged.

The Golden Bachelorette  premieres Monday, Sept. 18 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Bachelor in Paradise returns to ABC in 2025.

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Home > Diversity & Inclusion

The Journey Continues: Toyota Publishes 2024 North American D+I Annual Report

PLANO, Texas (July 11, 2024) – Today, Toyota Motor North America (Toyota) announced the availability of its 2024 Diversity + Inclusion Annual Report, showcasing the company’s ongoing commitment towards fostering limitless possibilities for all throughout the United States (including Puerto Rico), Canada, and Mexico. The annual report, published since 2018, illuminates the human stories that are propelling Toyota towards a brighter future.  

Featuring compelling narratives and key initiatives, such as community outreach, employee resource groups, executive engagement, mentoring and more, the 2024 Diversity + Inclusion Annual Report offers insight into Toyota’s proactive approach in championing diversity and inclusion within its operations and beyond.  

This year’s D+I Annual Report theme, “+ = Us | The Journey Continues,” follows the holistic approach introduced in the 2023 report, which was made by underscoring the multiple facets that make us who we are. Toyota continues its journey to demonstrate its commitment in this area through the Toyota Way values of showing respect for people and working for others.  

Some of the highlights of the 2024 Toyota North America Diversity + Inclusion Annual Report include:  

Creating a Culture of Belonging

• Toyota’s Business Partnering Groups (BPGs) are employee networks, open to all, that facilitate for that allow team members’ ability to connect, grow professionally and contribute to building an inclusive and innovative company culture based on affinities, experiences and allyships. Across North America, there are 116 chapters, 14 affinities and a total of 8,892 members participating in these BPGs. More information about each group can be found here .  
• Diversity Advisory Board Vice Chair, Gil Casellas, shares how his personal and professional experiences influence his role in bringing the “outside in” perspective for Toyota. These lessons can advise Toyota in staying true to the company’s core values. Learn more here .  

Fueling Growth + Learning

• Toyota introduced a new training program called D+I Journeys to develop inclusive leaders through e-learning and workshops, focusing on promoting an inclusive culture of belonging for all. More on the education program can in the Growth + Learning section of the report here .  
• Kimberly Cockrell leads the human resource function at Toyota Motor North America, where she oversees benefits, talent development and other elements that contribute to successful team member engagement. To read her Q&A on team member development, visit the story here .  

Engaging Our Communities

• Toyota USA Foundation kicked off the national expansion of Driving Possibilities, its signature STEM education and community engagement initiative. As of April 2024, the program has launched in six U.S. communities with plans to expand to other locations where Toyota has facilities. Learn more about Driving Possibilities here .  
• Toyota’s Way Forward Fund awarded more than $8 million in grants to 10 organizations in its second round, with a focus on pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) care. The organizations selected have programs to address gaps in TBI funding for children, supporting equality and strengthening the recovery journey for children and their families . Learn more about the Way Forward Fund here .  

Recognition

• Toyota ranked #4 on Fair360’s Top Companies for Diversity® list, marking the third consecutive year the company has achieved this position as the only automotive manufacturer in the Top 10. Explore Toyota’s Fair360 rankings here .  
• Civic 50 named Toyota a top community-minded company in the U.S. for the second consecutive year for both Toyota Financial Services (TFS) and Toyota Motor North America, due to the company’s contributions of know-how , time and resources to communities across the U.S. Previously, TFS earned a spot on the list for seven consecutive years. Learn more about Toyota’s community engagement here .  

To stay informed about ongoing D+I initiatives and for real-time updates or feature stories, visit Toyota Effect .

To explore the 2024 D+I Annual Report, click  here .

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About Toyota  Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 49,000 people in the U.S. who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of more than 34 million cars and trucks at our nine manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 10th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 29 electrified options.

Through its Driving Possibilities initiative, the Toyota USA Foundation has committed to creating innovative educational programs within, and in partnership with, historically underserved communities near the company’s U.S. operating sites.

For more information about Toyota, visit  www.ToyotaNewsroom.com .

Amanda Roark [email protected]

Olivia Boisineau-Beckett [email protected]

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Entertainment | Dry humor: Second Chance Comedy show in…

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Subscriber only, entertainment | dry humor: second chance comedy show in longmont brings levity to addiction.

founded a comedy show centered around overcoming addiction, he aptly named it “Second Chance Comedy.”

The name, while catchy, was also a nod to the universal experience of former addicts with setbacks and relapses. “Second Chance Comedy” highlights the resilience and perseverance required in the recovery journey, while also celebrating the silver lining that comes with new beginnings.

“When I was in addiction, I lost a lot of people in my life and a lot of myself,” Huisman said. “I look at my life now, as someone who is clean, as like a second chance.”

The comedy show will be on stage Friday at the Dickens Opera House, 302 Main St., Longmont, presenting an evening of entertainment that puts humor at the heart of the recovery process.

Featuring a lineup that includes Tara Check, Debbie Scheer, Von Sprecken and headliner Ben Roy, the show brings together talented comedians who have experienced the impact of addiction, either personally or through loved ones. Their performances provide a hysterical — and insightful — perspective on the challenges and victories of the recovery journey.

Before becoming the producer of Second Chance Comedy, Huisman worked as a professional in the tech industry. Though he experienced large-scale success in his career, Huisman was hiding a secret: For most of his teenage years and early 20s, he had been a drug addict.

“When I was working in tech, I was never open, or talked much about my past addiction because of my professional career,” Huisman said. “I was afraid that if something got out, it could put my career in jeopardy. I kept it a secret. With certain people, if you share with them that you have an addiction, there is automatic judgment from them.”

But in his early days doing standup comedy, Huisman decided to break out of his shell and crack a couple of jokes about his experience with addiction. He was pleasantly surprised at how many of his jokes about his past resonated with audience members.

“As time went on, I realized that a lot of people had similar stories to mine, and talking about my addiction on stage was inspiring to people,” Huisman said. “I realized that the more that I opened up, the more people I met had been through similar experiences. When I was in addiction, I thought I was alone — I never would have imagined that this many people were struggling with it, too.”

Huisman said that the goal of Second Chance Comedy is not only to make people laugh but also to help destigmatize addiction. By featuring comedians of all different ages, genders and orientations, audiences will gain a deeper understanding of the diverse experiences of addiction and recovery.

“Just because you have an addiction, it doesn’t mean that you’re a bad person,” Huisman said. “A lot of really good people get caught down this dark path, and they shouldn’t be judged for that. People need help, and that’s what we all need to realize at the end of the day.”

According to the United States National Survey on Drug Use and Health , 46.8 million Americans over the age of 12 struggled with substance use disorders in 2022. That is 16.7% of the population. According to Huisman, those numbers don’t reflect the millions of people who are tangentially affected by addiction — almost always, friends and family members are also profoundly shaped by the impacts of the disease.

Comedian Tara Check brings this oft-overlooked perspective of a family member affected by addiction to the show. For much of her life, Check’s brothers struggled with addiction.

At first, Check said she wasn’t sure if she should participate in the show. As someone who hadn’t dealt with addiction personally, she didn’t want to take up space in a lineup featuring those with firsthand experience.

But as she began to write and perform her jokes, Check realized that her viewpoint was valuable and helpful to others.

“I think the people who are in the throes of addiction are going through something so terrible that, as a bystander, you sometimes feel like what you’re going through isn’t as bad in comparison,” Check said. “But it still really impacts you. I was approached by a woman after the last show whose daughter was struggling with addiction, and she told me that I had given a voice to the family members who maybe hadn’t felt seen yet.”

Check added: “Everyone has a different relationship and experience with addiction. Since we, as comedians, each focus on our journeys with this show, the hope is that someone in the audience connects with us — even if it’s just one of us — and maybe it changes the way they see addiction.”

As someone who bore witness to the tribulations of addiction, in addition to her sarcastic and dry form of observational comedy, Check provides a unique comedic perspective.

“With this set in particular, I’m very much an onlooker to the chaos,” Check said. “In my day job, I’m an engineer, so I take that very analytical way of looking at things and apply it to what’s going on in my family, and take the audience along with me on the journey of what it was like amidst all of that craziness.”

Like Check, Denver-based comedian Von Sprecken also offers up a less traditional point of view on addiction in his comedy. Having witnessed addiction from multiple perspectives — from growing up in an abusive household, to becoming a drug addict and fighting through recovery, then becoming a frontline healthcare worker — Sprecken has seen and experienced many angles of addiction.

“As a patient, provider and surviving family member of people who have dealt with mental health and addiction issues, I originally got into comedy as a way to reach more people and spread awareness about this issue,” Sprecken said. “Humor gets us to let our guard down, question our assumptions, and feel good about topics that are usually associated with bad feelings or shame or guilt.”

Sprecken said that when it comes to talking about a difficult topic, humor is the best way to make a scary subject seem palatable.

“People can be afraid to talk about something dark because it is uncomfortable, and inherently, humans don’t want to experience a bad feeling,” Sprecken said. “But when you take all of the negative emotion out of something, and look at it for what it is at face value — it’s easy to find the humor in something like addiction. Because, objectively, it’s funny. Even if someone in the audience doesn’t relate to my experience directly, or maybe they haven’t experienced addiction, they can still laugh at all of the crazy and desperate antics I would get up to to get my hands on drugs.”

At the end of the day, Sprecken said that Second Chance Comedy is really all about making sure people feel good, have fun and feel a little lighter in a world that can be very dark.

“We’re not a TED Talk or a preachy group or anything like that,” Sprecken said. “We’re just a group of comedians who happen to tell really funny jokes that just so happen to be about addiction. And if we can help make the conversation a little bit easier for people to have, then we’ve done our job as comedians and as former addicts.”

Catch Second Chance Comedy at 7 p.m. Friday at Dickens Opera House. The event is alcohol-free, and tickets — 20% of which will benefit the nonprofit treatment center Sobriety House — start at $25. For more information, visit bit.ly/3zBYwGN .

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Breaking news, david peterson continues to help keep mets rotation afloat with another strong start.

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With runners on the corners before an out was recorded in the second inning, David Peterson was in need of a strikeout.

The lefty starter fanned the next three batters to thwart the biggest threat he faced amid his latest strong outing for the Mets, as Peterson tossed six shutout innings in a 7-0 win Thursday over the Nationals at Citi Field.

“I think that situation is, obviously, heightened. There was a bases-loaded one against the Yankees, and the one today. I think for me it’s just keeping the mentality the same,” Peterson said after improving to 4-0 in eight starts this season. “One pitch at a time, execute my stuff, trust [catcher Luis] Torrens or whoever is back there, and go after it. Be aggressive and attack.”

The 28-year-old Peterson didn’t make his first start this season until May 29 due to offseason hip surgery.

But he’s pitched to a 3.09 ERA over 43 ²/₃ innings, providing a nice lift while Kodai Senga works his way back from the injured list.

“He is part of our rotation, and when we get to the point we have to make those decisions, we’ll see,” Carlos Mendoza said of Peterson. “He’s done a nice job, and we’ve seen when he gets in trouble it’s because the breaking ball — the slider or the curveball — is not there..

“Today, he was able to go back to that [the curveball] and execute it and get big swings-and-misses and strikeouts when he needed it.”

Indeed, Peterson got two of his third strikes in the second inning with his curveball.

He allowed four hits and walked three with five strikeouts overall over 102 pitches.

“I think that pitch was big for us. At the end of the day, it came down to trusting it and throwing it with conviction,” Peterson said. “I think it’s always a pitch we have in mind going into the game and it’s part of the game plan. But I think today, talking before the game, I think we saw some opportunities to use it.”

Peterson, the team’s first-round pick (20th overall) in 2017, has had an up-and-down Mets career, entering this year with a 4.51 ERA over 80 appearances (64 starts) in parts of four seasons.

After missing the first two months this year, he has contributed to the team’s recent surge into a wild-card position.

“I think obviously coming back and getting through the rehab healthy and feeling like I was 100 percent was the first goal,” Peterson said. “I wanted to come back to help contribute and win.

“The guys grinded for the first two months, and that’s why I wanted to come in and lift some of what they had and just contribute any way I can and give the team a chance to win every time I take the ball.”