Books 13 - 16 Summary

Books 13-16: Odysseus thanks Alcinoos for his hospitality and him and his crew leave for Ithaca. They arrive in Ithaca and unload his gear. Poseidon angry at Odysseus asks Zeus if he can turn the Phaiacians ship into stone in the harbor of their city Zeus allows him to and Alcinoos observes this. Odysseus wakes up thinking he is in a strang land and Athena comes to him in the form of shepherd and tells him he is in Ithaca. Odysseus lies to her and she turns into a woman and tells him she knows he is lying, and reveals her identity. She tells him not to tell anyone his true identity and plans the suitors death. After, she turns him to a wrinkly old man. 

At the forest hut Odysseus is disguised as a beggar, he runs into his old swineherd Eumaios. Eumaios makes him dinner and tells him about his dead lord, Odysseus. Odysseus reassures him that Odysseus will come back and fight the suitors. Odysseus tells him that he grew up in Crete and told him about the Trojan war and being enslaved in Egypt which made him a beggar. 

Athena finds Telemachos and tells him to return home or his mother will marry one of the suitors. She also warns him about the suitor ambush and instructs him to find Eumaios and have him pass on a message to Penelope informing her that he is home. Telemachos leaves with Peisistratos, but not until a eagle flies off with a goose, which Helen thinks means that Odysseus will get the suitors back. In Ithaca, Odysseus says he will be leaving in the morning to find work with the suitors but Eumaios invites him to stay until Telemachos returns. Odysseus asks about his parents, and Eumaios explains how his mother died and how lonely his father is. Telemachos arrives and avoids death by ambush. Theomachos sees a hawk pick up a dove and believes it is a sign that Theomachos' famiy will stay in power forever. Telemachos finds Eumaios and they hug and they are filled with joy. Eumaios introduces him to his beggar friend. Odysseus tries to encourage him to rally against the suitors but Telemachos is hesitant because he is powerless. Athena comes to Odysseus and tells him to reveal his true identity to his son and she made him young and strong again. Odysseus tell Telemachos he is his father and both hug and cry. Odysseus mentions again they need to fight the suitors but Telemachos doesn't think they can. Odysseus makes a plan which involves the help of Athena that they will conduct the following day. Penelope is informed that her son has returned and the suitor hear of this but do not understand how he made it past them. They decide they must kill him so one of them will marry Penelope. One of the suitors says the should consult the gods to see if killing Telemachos is the right thing and they all agree. Penelope heard the suitors and tell them to stop planing and demands them to stop. 

Characters: 

Alcinoos

Odysseus 

Telemachos

Helen 

Zeus

Eumaios 

Athena

Poseidon 

Theomachos

Penelope

Phaiacians