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Athena appeals to Zeus to help Odysseus, who has been at sea for 10 years, find his way home to Ithaca. She also advises Odysseus's son, Telemachus, to go to Pylos for word of his father, but also to get away from the evil suitors who plan to kill him.

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After Odysseus has been stuck on Calypso's island, Aeaea, for 7 years, Hermes visits and tells Calypso to let Odysseus return home. Odysseus has been unfaithful, but very homesick, and during their last meal together, Calypso angrily asks why Odysseus is so eager to get home to his mortal, aging wife when he could stay in paradise and be immortal with Calypso. Despite the appeals of this offer, and that he had most likely spent more time with Calypso than he had with his wife, he leaves and lands on the shores of Scheria.

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Book 9--New Coasts and Poseidon's Son--"I Am Laertes' Son"

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Book 9--New Coasts and Poseidon's Son--"I Am Laertes' Son"

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Odysseus tells his story to King Alcinous of Scheria. He introduces himself as the son of Laertes and as a great and cunning soldier. He says that he is well-known by the gods, and was detained by both Circe and Calypso. He explains that though he was not physically faithful, in his heart and mind he longed for his wife and never gave consent.

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Book 9--New Coasts and Poseidon's Son--"The Lotus Eaters"

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Book 9--New Coasts and Poseidon's Son--"The Lotus Eaters"

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Odysseus and his men come across their enemies, the Cicones. They attack the Cicones, resulting in the loss of 72 men. After 12 days of delay, they arrive on the coast of the Lotus Eaters. Odysseus sends three scouts and they eat the lotus plant, which affects their mind and makes them lose the will to go home. Odysseus ties them to the ship and continues on the journey.

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Book 9--New Coasts and Poseidon's Son--"The Cyclops"

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Book 9--New Coasts and Poseidon's Son--"The Cyclops"

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They next land on the island of the Cyclopes. Odysseus and his men enter a cave and eat the cheese they find. Odysseus insists they stay out of curiosity regarding the caveman. When the Cyclops returns, he is angry and asks where their ship is. Odysseus lies, and the Cyclops eats two men. The men cannot kill the Cyclops or they will be stuck in the cave by the large boulder covering the entrance, so they sleep there. In the morning, two more men are eaten. Odysseus sharpens and heats an olive branch while the Cyclops in tending to his sheep. When he returns, after eating two men, they make him drunk on strong wine and then stab him in the eye with the branch. Odysseus says his name is "Nohbdy" so that the Cyclops cannot call for help. The men hide under the sheep as they head out to pasture and make their escape with the flock. However, Odysseus taunts the Cyclops as they leave which results in a curse from Poseidon.

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Odysseus lands on the island of Aeolus, who is friendly and hospitable. He gifts them a gentle west wind to blow them directly home and ties up all the stormy winds in a bag. They are so close to Ithaca they can see the shore, but when Odysseus is sleeping, the men open the bag to see what is inside. They are blown back to Aeolus's island, and he will not help them again. Then, cannibals called Laestrygonians attack the fleet of ships with boulders killing everyone but Odysseus's crew of 45. They arrive at Aeaea, the island of Circe, where Odysseus sends a group of men to explore the island.

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Book 10--"Circe, the Grace of the Witch"

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Book 10--"Circe, the Grace of the Witch"

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Circe charms the men and gives them a nice meal. Only Eurylochus, the leader of the group, is wary and does not participate. The men are drugged and turn into pigs. Circe locks them in a pen while Eurylochus runs back to Odysseus with the news.

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Rather than sailing away like Eurylochus begs, Odysseus goes to get his men back. Hermes visits him and gives him a drink to protect him from Circe's witchcraft. Circe gives Odysseus a magical drink but he is not affected and threatens to kill her. She returns the pigs to men, but they are in a trance, and they stay on Aeaea for a year. Then, Odysseus finally begs to go home and Circe says he must first visit the ghost of Tiresias in the Land of the Dead.

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Odysseus goes to the Land of the Dead and is encompassed by shades. He sees Elpenor, his crewmate that had died on Circe's island. Elpenor requests a proper burial and Odysseus promises him one. He then sees his mother who had evidently passed away. However, he first goes to hear his prophecy. Tiresias says that he will have a long and harrowing journey, he must pass through the Sirens, as well as Scylla and Charybdis, that if they eat Helios's cattle then all of his men will certainly die, and when he finally returns to Ithaca alone, he must kill all of Penelope's courters. After, he must take an oar and walk it inland so far the people have never seen the ocean and make a sacrifice to Poseidon. Odysseus then speaks with his mother, who tells him that both Penelope and Telemachus are grieving for him along with Laertes who has moved back. Odysseus speaks with other shades and then he and his crew leave.

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Book 12: "The Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis"

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Book 12: "The Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis"

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Circe gives Odysseus advice on his prophecy, such as filling his men's ears with beeswax and having them tie him to the mast as they pass the Sirens. After, they encounter Scylla and Charybdis. As Circe said, they hug the coast of Scylla, as to only lose 6 men then all of them. Odysseus feels horrible anguish after this as he was not able to fight or prevent these men's deaths. Rather than passing Thrinacia, the land of Helios and his cattle, Odysseus's men insist on stopping and they eat the cows against Odysseus's warnings. Helios threatens to stop shining, so Zeus sends a lightning bolt to kill all of Odysseus's men. Odysseus drifts to Ogygia, the island of Calypso, who keeps him there for 7 years. This brings us back to the beginning, and Odysseus finishes telling his story to King Alcinous.