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Odysseus departs Ithaca with the rest of the men heading to war in Troy.
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BCE (the site requires the higher year to be in front so just imagine reversing the years)
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Odysseus and the rest of the soldiers arrive in Troy and will be at war with the Trojans for 10 years. Here Odysseus will think up the famous giant wooden horse to sneak into the city while the Greek army remains inside.
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After 10 years.
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Here Odysseus, and the hundreds of men along with him, sack the city of Ismarus, killing and enslaving the people while stealing their belongings and destroying the city. Eventually Odysseus says it's time to go but the men are too caught up in the excitement and refuse. However, the Cicones get back up and end up fighting them off.
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Odysseus arrives in the Land of the Lotus Eaters where the intoxicating and addictive Lotus Plant is. Odysseus has to force them to leave with force.
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After Odysseus arrives here, he and his men go into the home of a Cyclops. Upon its arrival, Odysseus makes fun of it and the cyclops eats some of the men. Odysseus creates a huge spear and blinds the cyclops with it.They escape the den the next day by hiding under the cylcops' sheep when he lets them out to graze. Odysseus makes fun of it while escaping so the cyclops, a son of Poseidon, curses Odysseus and his crew.
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They arrive in Aeolia, home of Aeolus. They stay with him for a month. Aeolus is gracious enough to give them a bag of winds which has all the bad winds in it so only a homeward one will blow.
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The isle of Ithaca is in sight and Odysseus goes to get some sleep before arriving. His crew, jealous of the thought of treasure in the bag of winds, open it only to release the bad winds. THe ship is blown all the way back to Aeolia.
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In Aeolia, Aeolus refuses to give Odysseus another bag, worried the gods are angry with him.
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In Teleypylus. the Laestrygonians were were giant cannibals. They ate some of Odysseus' men before they could make a quick escape.
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Once they arrive in Aeaea, Odysseus sends a group to investigate the island. Only one comes back claiming a woman turned the rest into swine. Odysseus goes to find them and with the advice of Hermes he gets Circe to change them back. Their relationship becomes amicable and she houses them for a year.
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After Odysseus asked Circe to help him continue, he was told to go to the Underworld. While there he spoke to deceased crew member Elpenor, Tiresias, and his mother. Tiresias told Odysseus that he had prophesied what would take place on his journey home to Ithaca.
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Head back to Circe and say their farewells.
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Sail by the Sirens who sing terrible tempting songs. Odysseus puts wax over the crew's ears and ties himself to the boat so he can still listen.
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Odysseus had the choices of sailing by Scylla who had six heads and if they stayed on the coast by Scylla they would only lose some men. Or they would have to go by Charybdis where they would all die in her whirlpool. Odysseus chose to sail by Scylla.
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Those who are left land on Thrinacia, home of Helios' sacred cattle. They are told to NOT eat the cows for risking angering the sun god Helios. They easily agree to such demands at first. However, after adverse winds keep them from departing the island for a month, the men grow too hungry as they run out of food and eat the cows anyway.
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They finally set sail. Helios demands Zeus punish them or he will take drastic measures. Zeus throws a lightning bolt at Odysseus' ship. Grabbing onto a piece of wood, Odysseus is the only one who does not perish.
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Odysseus drifts for 9 days before finally arriving at Calypso's island of Ogygia. The nymph goddess become infatuated with Odysseus and refuses to allow him to leave. Her home is lovely and she is kind but Odysseus mourns his home and family. He laments often on the beach until, one day, Athena asks Zeus to do something. Hermes is sent to tell Calypso to release Odysseus after 7 years of detainment. Calypo reluctantly agrees and assists Odysseus in his leaving. They leave on good terms.
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After being at sea for 20 days, Odysseus arrives in Phaeacia.King Alcinious and the Phaeacians are very hospitable and listen to Odysseus' stories. They give him gifts, hold games, feed him, and agree to sailing him back to Ithaca. They even offered, should he choose to stay, that he marry King Alcinious' daughter, the princess, and live an easy and rich life.
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When Odysseus finally returns to Ithaca, Athena appeared and they spoke. She disguised him as a beggar so no one would recognize him. He was reunited with his son and they then exacted revenge by killing all the suitors. Athena helped put father and son on good terms with the relatives of the dead suitors. Lastly, he proved himself to Penelope.
