After the Trojan War, Odysseus wanted to return home immediately to get to his wife, Penelope, and his son, Telemachus. On his way home, he finds an island. He went to explore, taking a few of his men with him. He finds a cave and decides to meet whoever lives there. A little while later, a cyclops walks in. Cyclopses are one-eyed giants. The cyclops builds a fire and finds Odysseus and his men. The cyclops is surprised and demands to know who they are. Odysseus tells the cyclops they are Greeks returning home from war. When Odysseus mentioned Zeus, a Greek god, the cyclops became immediately angry because he hated the gods. He pounced on two of Odysseus’ men, killed them, and devoured them. Then he went to sleep. The next day, the cyclops woke up, ate two more men, then he went to tend his flock of sheep and goats. Odysseus found the cyclops’ walking stick. It was the size of a tree! He sharpened it and put it under the dirt to hide it. That afternoon, the cyclops returned, ate two more men, and drank some of Odysseus’ wine. Then he fell asleep. Odysseus and his men picked up the spear, put it into the fire till it glowed red, and thrust it into the cyclops’ eye. The cyclops screamed and called his fellow cyclops. They came and asked him what the matter was. While the cyclops were busy talking, Odysseus and his men got away.
They sailed onward towards home until they came to the island Aeolia. There lived the king of the winds, Aeolus and his family greeted Odysseus and his men extremely sweetly. Odysseus asked a favor of Aeolus. He asked Aeolus if he could make the west wind blow them home. Aeolus agrees and tells the North, South, and East winds to come to him and they did so. He also called the west wind to blow them back home. Aeolus gave the sack to Odysseus and they continued their journey home. When they were a little way off from Odysseus’ home island, Ithaca. One night, the crew through there was gold in the sack, so they opened it, and the north, south, and east winds rushed out and blew them back to Aeolia. Aeolus was outraged and demanded that they leave his island, so Odysseus and his crew left for home.
Later, they came to another island, so Odysseus sent three men to investigate. The three men found a girl fetching water. She said to the three men to go to the king and they will be greeted sweetly. They went and eventually found out that the king and his people were cannibals! The king jumped on the men and began to eat one, alive! The other two ran back to warn Odysseus. The cannibals started throwing boulders at the ships. The ships were crushed except the one Odysseus commanded.
The last ship then came to the island of Aedea. Odysseus sent 23 men to investigate. They came to a castle and a woman named Circe came out and offered them some food. The men ate like hogs, so Circe, an enchantress, turned them into hogs. Only one man got away and told Odysseus. Odysseus went to Circe’s castle, but on the way, he met a god. The god gave him a herb to eat, so he ate the herb. When he got to the castle, Circe tried to turn him into a pig, but the herb protected him. He didn’t turn into a pit. Odysseus forced Circe to free his men, and she did. Meanwhile, Penelope and Telemachus did not forget Odysseus. Many people were trying to force Penelope to marry them, but she would not. She waited for Odysseus to return home.
Circe gave Odysseus advice on how to reach home. They must go to a river and make a blood sacrifice. Then a ghost will tell him how to reach home. Odysseus did so and a ghost gave him warnings and directions. Then Odysseus left. Then they cam close to the island of the Sirens (half women, half-bird). Those who are drawn to their beautiful singing, die, so the crew put beeswax earplugs in their ears, sailed past the island, and survived.
Then they sailed past a giant cave and out came a six=headed sea monster. It ate six men, but the rest escaped. when they came to the sun god’s island, the crew, but no Odysseus, ate two of the sun god’s cattle. This made Zeus throw a lightning bolt at the ship, and smashed it to pieces. Only Odysseus escaped. He landed on an island, built a raft, and set out for home. There was a storm, so he crash-landed on another island. Some people lived there and they gave him a ship and a crew to go home.
When he got to his home island, he disguised himself as a beggar and went to his home. When he got home, he started a battle with the suitors, killing every last one. When the battle was done, Odysseus revealed himself to his family and they were as happy as an be.