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TheOdysseyisHomer`ssecondepicpoem,dealwiththereturnofOdysseusaftertheTrojanwartohisislandofIthacaTheOdysseyisthemostfamousexampleofGreekmythology.IttellsthestoryofOdysseus,whofoughtlongandhardforGreeceduringtheTrojanWar.TheOdysseyisabouthisattempttoreturnhometohiswife,Penelope,andtotheGreekislandofIthaca,whereheisking.Buthistripturnsintoanightmare,aseriesoftestsfortheherothatputshiminonecrisisafteranother.Whatshouldhavebeenatwo-weektripfromTroytoIthacaendsuptaking10years.TroublesstartearlyforOdysseusandhiscrew.WhentheylandontheislandofCyclopsinsearchoffood,theybecomefoodthemselves.Cyclops,thesonofPoseidon(godofthesea)promisedtoeatthemall.Whenhesleptthough,Odysseusstabbedhiminhisonlyeye,blindinghim.Butwhentheyareleaving,Odysseuscan’thelpdragging,“theonewhohasblindingyou,IamOdysseus,sackerofcities,KingofIthaca!”Bigmistake!Thegodofthesea,Poseidon,wasangrywithOdysseusforblindinghissonandvowedtomaketherestofhisjourneyparticularlytestingThenextislandishomeofthewitchCirce.Circegavethecrewapotiontodrink,whichturnedthemintopigs,althoughtheystillhadthemindsofhumans.Odysseususedaspecialherbtocountertheeffectsofthepotion,andremainedunchanged.Impressedbythis,thewitchpromptlyfellinlovewithhim,andsheoffereddirectionstotheUnderworldandexplainedtoOdysseushowhecouldcommunicatewiththedead.OdysseusspoketomanydeadGreeksinHades,theUnderworld.Thenheknowsthathispalacewasbeingabusedtopossiblesuitorsofhiswife,Penelope,whohadremainedfaithful.Otherdeadkingsadvisedhimonfutureaspectsofhisjourney,namelytheyperilsoftheSirens,andScyllaandCharybdis.Armedwiththisknowledge,theshipsetsailagain.SoonenoughtheyencounteredtheSirens,mermaidswhosebeautifulvoicescharmedthecrewintostoppingtolisten.TheSirens,thoughhadanunhealthyappetiteforhumanflesh.Odysseusorderedhiscrewtoputwaxintheirears,sotheywouldbeunabletoheartheSirens’voices.Hiscuriositygotthebetterofhimthough,andheorderedthecrewtotiehimtothemast.UponhearingtheSirens’enchantingvoices,Odysseusbeggedtobereleased,butthecrewignoredhimandtheysailedsafelyby.Theshipnexthadtosailthroughanarrowstrait,andadilemmafacedthem.Ononesidewasthesix-headedmonsterScylla,ontheotherthewhirlpoolCharybdis.Ifhetakesthewhirlpool,thewholeshipismostlikelytobedestroyed,suckeddownintotheterribleCharybdis.Ontheotherhand,heknowsthatifhegoespastScylla,hewilllosesixmen.Sohedecidesnottotellhismanso,becauseherealizethatiftheyknowthatsixofthemwoulddie,theywouldstoprowinginthatdirection.OfcoursehetriestofightScylla,butitisimpossibletosucceed–hehasbeentoldso.Scyllatakessixofhismanandeatenthemupinthemouthofhercave.Thisisthemosthorriblesighthe’severseen.Nothingismorepainfulthantolosehisfaithfulfriends.Butatlength,hegetsthroughThentheyarriveattheislandofHyperion,thesungod.TheyhadbeenwarnedbythedeadoftheUnderworldnottoeatanycattleontheisland,butafternearlystarving,severalofthecrewdidso.Upondiscoveringthis,HyperiondestroyedOdysseus’boatandOdysseuswastheonlysurvivor.Hewaswashedashoreontheislandofthenymph,Calypso.Thereheisforcedtoliveforsevenyearsbecausesheisinlovewithhim.Calypsolovedhimsomuchthatsheoffereshimimmortalityifhestayed,butOdysseusyearnstoseehiswifeandsononcemore.Zeuseventuallyfreehim,andsetsailforhomeinasmallboat.Againthough,itwasdestroyed–Poseidonhadstillnotforgivenhim.AfterrecoveringontheislandofthePhaeacians,OdysseusreachesIthaca.AsTiresiashadtoldhim,hiswifehadremainedfaithful,butyoungmeninIthacawereconsuminghiscattle,ransackinghishomeandtakinghishousehold.TheywantPenelopetogiveuponherhusbandandremarry.Penelopeproposesacontesttohersuitors,sheagreestomarrythemanwhocanstringOdysseus’bowandshootanarrowthroughadozenaxes.Theonlymanwhocandoit,ofcourse,isOdysseus,stilldisguisedasabeggar.After20years(betweentheTrojanWarandtheseavoyage),heandPenelopearetogetheragain.AherolikeOdysseusproveshismettlewhenfacedwiththeoppositionofthegods.Odysseusisshrewd,tough,clear-sighted,experienced,andlikeafewotherheroesheisintenselyself-reliant,confidentofhisownpowersagainstthebuffetingsoffate.Andheisthesortofhumanbeingweallwishwecouldbe-Whenweareonourdeathbed,weshouldbeabletosay,“Man,Ilivedalife!”