As they landed on a beautiful shore with fruit trees and nut trees all bearing fruit Odysseus looked around and guessed that they had landed on the island of the Cyclops. The Cyclops were a feared nation of giants each with a huge eye in the middle of their forehead. The men started to explore when suddenly a cyclops saw them. He looked around at the sailors. Odysseus told him that they were shipwrecked and asked for shelter and food. He ate two of the men then asked Odysseus who he was. Odysseus answered that his name was nobody. The Cyclops locked them in his cave by rolling a huge stone across the door.
Odysseus tried to gain his freedom by offering Cyclops three bags of wine. The Cyclops drank the wine then fell into a deep sleep. While he was asleep Odysseus and his men tried to work out how to escape. They knew that they would all be eaten for supper. They sharpened a tree trunk into a point and blinded the Cyclops while he slept.
The Cyclops bellowed and shouted and screamed and raged. Other Cyclops people ran out of their homes to help him. They shouted
"Who hurt You?"
"Nobody hurt me. Nobody tricked and blinded me!"
"Well if nobody hurt, tricked or blinded you what are you shouting about?" They went back to bed.
The Cyclops was so angry he vowed that they would not escape and he would eat them all.
The following morning the men hoped to creep out when he let his sheep out to feed. They waited quietly for a chance to escape but Cyclops gave them no opportunity. During the night they made some more plans.
The following morning they carried out their plan. They tied the sheep in threes and hung a man underneath each threesome. The Cyclops ran is hand over their backs but missed the men underneath and so they escaped. They got back to their boat, took some of the sheep to help out with the food for their journey and continued on their way home.
When they were out at sea Odysseus shouted back that it was he who had blinded the Cyclops. Cyclops prayed to his god, Poseidon, god of the sea, to take revenge for him.
The next Island stop was Aeolus where the keeper of the wind lived with his happy family. Odysseus and his men stayed for a month and recovered. The king wishing them a speedy journey home bottled up all but the west wind and tied the winds into an ox hide bag which he gave to Odysseus as a gift.
The west wind blew and for days they travelled in a straight line for home. Eventually the land was in sight and Odysseus who was exhausted fell into a deep sleep. The men, who had carried the ox hide bag all the way, thought that it was great riches and opened the bag to have a look.
Immediately they were blown miles and miles off course and with all of the winds free they were tossed and turned without mercy.
The terrible storm released by the men carried them to the island of Circe the Enchantress. Hermes knew that this would cause trouble and gave Odysseus a flower to protect him from her charms.
The men split into two parties to search the island. Eurylochus led one group, Odysseus the other. Eurylochus' group met up with Circe, she made them all welcome and gave them food. Eurylochus stayed outside fearing some trick. Circe had mixed a drug with their wine and she turned them all to pigs.
Eurylochus went to find Odysseus and tell him what had happened.
Odysseus went to the house to see what had happened. He saw Circe and pleaded with her to let his men free. Because she could not bewitch him she knew who he was and set the men free. They all stayed with Circe for a whole year.
When they tore themselves away from Circe she warned them of great danger to come.
Odysseus and his men soon encountered another danger...the Isle of the Sirens. The song of the sirens bewitched men and drew them in to the island where they would be smashed against the rock and shipwrecked.
Odysseus gave all the men wax to plug up their ears and then asked them to tie him to the mast. He made them promise that however much he pleaded, shouted or asked to be set free they were not to untie him. They did as they were told.
The sirens sang their song and tried to lure the sailors towards their shores. The men could not hear them and as Odysseus asked they did not free him. They passed the sirens without shipwreck.
Next, as Circe had warned them, they had to pass between the Sea Monster Scylla and the deadly whirlpool Charybdis. They had a dreadful journey and lost some of the men but got free and on their way.
Reeling from the dreadful shock of seeing their friends killed they decided to stop and rest at a peaceful, sunny island. Odysseus warned them that whatever happened they were not to touch any animal from any flock grazing there. He guessed that there was more trouble in store.
The sailors rested but awoke in the night to a dreadful storm. They pulled their boat up the beach and waited. After a few days the storm started to settle. The men ventured out. By now their food stores were running short and they were cold, hungry and miserable.
Unknown to Odysseus the men killed one of the cattle. They offered a sacrifice to Apollo and ate the rest. When Odysseus realised what was going on he was upset, he knew it was going to cause trouble. What nobody realised was that they had killed one of the Sun King's cattle. As soon as they put to sea a dreadful hurricane hit their ship. It snapped the mast and killed some of the men. Things got so bad that Odysseus lashed two pieces of wood together and took to the water. Ten days later he was washed up on the shore of Calypso's island with all of his men gone.
For many years Odysseus lived on the island. Calypso wanted to keep him there but Odysseus wanted to return to his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus. The Gods felt sorry for him but Poseidon would not relent. He was still angry with Odysseus.
Some years later Poseidon went away from the land visiting. The other Gods formed a plan. Athene visited the home of Odysseus to plan with Telemachus. She found many suitors trying to win over Penelope convinced that Odysseus must be dead. The were eating his food and wooing his wife. Athene gave Telemachus an idea of how to get rid of the suitors.
He told all of the men that when his mother had finished her weaving she would choose who she was going to marry. Thereafter Penelope wove by day and unravelled it by night.
Meanwhile Calypso had agreed to aiding Odysseus. She told him to make a raft, she would stock it with food and give him a good wind to blow him home. Odysseus finally set off for home. He travelled safely for five days but Poseidon returned from his visit and saw Odysseus on the sea. He gave a blow and caused the raft to fall apart. Athene helped him by stopping all of the unhelpful winds. Eventually he was washed up on the island of Nausicaa, tired, cold and hungry.
The King provided a ship to carry Odysseus home. Athene disguised him as an old man and he went to his home. His dogs recognised him and Telemachus realising that something was happening followed him as he left. Telemachus talked with his father and made a plan.
Penelope told the suitors that whoever could shoot Odysseus' bow through a line of arrow heads would become her husband. Not one of them could even string the bow it was too strong for them. Finally the old man tried it and showed them all what to do. At that moment Zeus threw a thunder bolt and everyone realised that he was Odysseus.
Athene turned him back to the younger man that he was and Telemachus and Penelope stood at his side. The family were reunited. The suitors left the palace.
Odysseus tried to gain his freedom by offering Cyclops three bags of wine. The Cyclops drank the wine then fell into a deep sleep. While he was asleep Odysseus and his men tried to work out how to escape. They knew that they would all be eaten for supper. They sharpened a tree trunk into a point and blinded the Cyclops while he slept.
The Cyclops bellowed and shouted and screamed and raged. Other Cyclops people ran out of their homes to help him. They shouted
"Who hurt You?"
"Nobody hurt me. Nobody tricked and blinded me!"
"Well if nobody hurt, tricked or blinded you what are you shouting about?" They went back to bed.
The Cyclops was so angry he vowed that they would not escape and he would eat them all.
The following morning the men hoped to creep out when he let his sheep out to feed. They waited quietly for a chance to escape but Cyclops gave them no opportunity. During the night they made some more plans.
The following morning they carried out their plan. They tied the sheep in threes and hung a man underneath each threesome. The Cyclops ran is hand over their backs but missed the men underneath and so they escaped. They got back to their boat, took some of the sheep to help out with the food for their journey and continued on their way home.
When they were out at sea Odysseus shouted back that it was he who had blinded the Cyclops. Cyclops prayed to his god, Poseidon, god of the sea, to take revenge for him.
The next Island stop was Aeolus where the keeper of the wind lived with his happy family. Odysseus and his men stayed for a month and recovered. The king wishing them a speedy journey home bottled up all but the west wind and tied the winds into an ox hide bag which he gave to Odysseus as a gift.
The west wind blew and for days they travelled in a straight line for home. Eventually the land was in sight and Odysseus who was exhausted fell into a deep sleep. The men, who had carried the ox hide bag all the way, thought that it was great riches and opened the bag to have a look.
Immediately they were blown miles and miles off course and with all of the winds free they were tossed and turned without mercy.
The terrible storm released by the men carried them to the island of Circe the Enchantress. Hermes knew that this would cause trouble and gave Odysseus a flower to protect him from her charms.
The men split into two parties to search the island. Eurylochus led one group, Odysseus the other. Eurylochus' group met up with Circe, she made them all welcome and gave them food. Eurylochus stayed outside fearing some trick. Circe had mixed a drug with their wine and she turned them all to pigs.
Eurylochus went to find Odysseus and tell him what had happened.
Odysseus went to the house to see what had happened. He saw Circe and pleaded with her to let his men free. Because she could not bewitch him she knew who he was and set the men free. They all stayed with Circe for a whole year.
When they tore themselves away from Circe she warned them of great danger to come.
Odysseus and his men soon encountered another danger...the Isle of the Sirens. The song of the sirens bewitched men and drew them in to the island where they would be smashed against the rock and shipwrecked.
Odysseus gave all the men wax to plug up their ears and then asked them to tie him to the mast. He made them promise that however much he pleaded, shouted or asked to be set free they were not to untie him. They did as they were told.
The sirens sang their song and tried to lure the sailors towards their shores. The men could not hear them and as Odysseus asked they did not free him. They passed the sirens without shipwreck.
Next, as Circe had warned them, they had to pass between the Sea Monster Scylla and the deadly whirlpool Charybdis. They had a dreadful journey and lost some of the men but got free and on their way.
Reeling from the dreadful shock of seeing their friends killed they decided to stop and rest at a peaceful, sunny island. Odysseus warned them that whatever happened they were not to touch any animal from any flock grazing there. He guessed that there was more trouble in store.
The sailors rested but awoke in the night to a dreadful storm. They pulled their boat up the beach and waited. After a few days the storm started to settle. The men ventured out. By now their food stores were running short and they were cold, hungry and miserable.
Unknown to Odysseus the men killed one of the cattle. They offered a sacrifice to Apollo and ate the rest. When Odysseus realised what was going on he was upset, he knew it was going to cause trouble. What nobody realised was that they had killed one of the Sun King's cattle. As soon as they put to sea a dreadful hurricane hit their ship. It snapped the mast and killed some of the men. Things got so bad that Odysseus lashed two pieces of wood together and took to the water. Ten days later he was washed up on the shore of Calypso's island with all of his men gone.
For many years Odysseus lived on the island. Calypso wanted to keep him there but Odysseus wanted to return to his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus. The Gods felt sorry for him but Poseidon would not relent. He was still angry with Odysseus.
Some years later Poseidon went away from the land visiting. The other Gods formed a plan. Athene visited the home of Odysseus to plan with Telemachus. She found many suitors trying to win over Penelope convinced that Odysseus must be dead. The were eating his food and wooing his wife. Athene gave Telemachus an idea of how to get rid of the suitors.
He told all of the men that when his mother had finished her weaving she would choose who she was going to marry. Thereafter Penelope wove by day and unravelled it by night.
Meanwhile Calypso had agreed to aiding Odysseus. She told him to make a raft, she would stock it with food and give him a good wind to blow him home. Odysseus finally set off for home. He travelled safely for five days but Poseidon returned from his visit and saw Odysseus on the sea. He gave a blow and caused the raft to fall apart. Athene helped him by stopping all of the unhelpful winds. Eventually he was washed up on the island of Nausicaa, tired, cold and hungry.
The King provided a ship to carry Odysseus home. Athene disguised him as an old man and he went to his home. His dogs recognised him and Telemachus realising that something was happening followed him as he left. Telemachus talked with his father and made a plan.
Penelope told the suitors that whoever could shoot Odysseus' bow through a line of arrow heads would become her husband. Not one of them could even string the bow it was too strong for them. Finally the old man tried it and showed them all what to do. At that moment Zeus threw a thunder bolt and everyone realised that he was Odysseus.
Athene turned him back to the younger man that he was and Telemachus and Penelope stood at his side. The family were reunited. The suitors left the palace.