Odysseus Journey Map

The Trojans thought that the Greeks had given up, but what they didn’t know was that there were some men hiding in the wooden horse. They brought the wooden horse into the walls of Troy and they celebrated by drinking and partying all night. Eventually they all passed out and then Odysseus and his men jumped out of the wooden horse. The Greeks started attacking the Trojans until they were all dead. After the Greeks had won they left Troy and headed for home.

Odysseus had to leave his home to fight the war in Troy. They had been fighting the war for years and then Odysseus came up with a plan. He built a wooden horse. He had some of his men take their ships away from shore so the Trojans could not see them. When the Trojans heard that there was no more noise outside of the walls of Troy they went out and saw that everyone was gone and that the Greeks had left a wooden horse, which they thought was a gift

The Land of Cicones

Odysseus went there for food and water. He ended up raiding the town taking all the food, water, and gold. The gods were watching it and they were disappointed in them. That’s one of the reasons why Odysseus lost so many of his men.

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After Odysseus and his men left Ismaros they ended up on the Island of the Lotus Eaters. Odysseus sent a few of his men to go meet the Lotus Eaters. When the men met the Lotus Eaters they got some food and a drink that had nectar from Lotus flowers in it. What the men didn’t know was that the nectar made you lose all desire of home and you feel really dreamy. The Lotus Eaters did not mean to cause any harm, they simply just wanted to treat their guests well. Odysseus realized that the men he sent have been gone for hours. He found them and had to tie them up by force because they did not want to leave. They got back to the ship and left.

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Odysseus and his men dock on the island of the cyclopes. He wanted to figure out who, or what, lived on the island. Odysseus and his men wandered around until they found a cave. The group burnt an offering to the gods and feasted. That night, in walks a cyclopes, Polyphemus. Behind him, Polyphemus pushed a slab in front of the door. Odysseus and his men scattered to the shadows. Then, Polyphemus ushered in his ewes. When he finished his work, he poked the fire. When it flared up, he noticed Odysseus. Polyphemus asked them who they were and where they’re from. Odysseus, being the “bravest” of the men, spoke up, claiming that his name is Nohbdy, from Troy and that his ship had been crashed among the rocks of the island. Polyphemus grabbed up two of the men and bashed their heads against the rocks, then ate them whole. Polyphemus slept through the night. In the morning, the cyclopes ate two more men, then let his ewes out of the cave. Once Polyphemus was gone, Odysseus looked to his men with a plan. They took the branch of an olive tree and made a spear. Once Polyphemus came back to his cave, bringing all of his rams, Odysseus offered him some wine. Polyphemus accepted and drank until he passed out. Next, Odysseus and four of his men took the spear and stabbed Polyphemus’ eye! Polyphemus wakes up, of course, only now he’s blind. Odysseus ties his men to the bottom of sheep and hoists himself to the bottom of the largest sheep. Polyphemus, not being able to see, checks whatever leaves through the door, trying to trap Odysseus and his men. Because they’re under the sheep, Polyphemus doesn’t notice they’re there. Odysseus and his men make it back to the ship, but, being arrogant, Odysseus yells back, “I, Odysseus of Ithaca, fooled the cyclopes, Polyphemus!” So Polyphemus curses Odysseus, making it a long, hard journey until he can make it home.

The Land of Hades

Odysseus arrive in the underworld alone and is on a mission to find Tiresias and on his way he sees many familiar faces from Elpenor to his mom. There he finds Tiresias and figures out how to get home.

The Sirens

Their singing causes men to forget all about their homes and life so Odysseus fills his ears with wax and his men tie him to his ship tight so that he doesn’t escape.

OGYGIA

Odysseus ends up at Ogygia where the goddess Calypso lives. He stays there for a few years. Athena eventually steps in and asks Zeus if he could let Odysseus go. Zeus has Hermes go to Calypso and tells her that she must allow him to leave and return home to Ithaca. She tells Odysseus that he can go, but then she tries to trick him into staying by saying “Is she more beautiful than I am, I mean I’m a goddess?” He replies by saying something like“No one is more beautiful than you, but she is my wife and i need to return home to her.” He then sets sail for Ithaca.

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While Odysseus is on his way home to Ithaca, Poseidon realizes what Zeus has done and creates a storm. Odysseus’ shipped is wrecked and he starts to drown. Then the sea goddess Ino comes to his rescue and puts a veil over him that keeps him safe. Odysseus washed up on Scheria the land of the Phaeaians at nighttime. That night while Princess Nausica is sleeping Athena appears in her dream, disguised as her friend. She tells Nausica to go to the riverbank to wash her clothes the next morning. Nausica goes with a few of her handsmaidens and they take off their clothes to wash them. They start playing ball and Odysseus wakes up. He sees them and they are all afraid except for Nausica. Nausica lets him wash himself up alone and Athena makes him look very handsome so that Nausica will fall in love with him. Nausica brings him to her father, Alcinous. Alcinous is so impressed by Odysseus that he asks him to take his daughters hand in marrige. They had dinner the next night and asks a blind bard, Demodocus, to tell the story of the Trojan horse. During the story Odysseus breaks down and Alcinous asks him who he is, where he is from, and where he is going. Odysseus tells Alcinous his whole story and Alcinous gives him a ship that will take him home the next day. So the next day he heads for Ithaca.

When Odysseus returns to Ithaca he disguises himself as a beggar for two reasons: The first reason is to see who is on his side, and the second reason is to see if his wife has remained faithful. Odysseus goes to Eumaeus’ house and also finds his son, Telemachus. Later he tells Telemachus who he is, but warns him to keep it a secret. Later they go into Ithaca and speak to Penelope. Odysseus finds all the suitors there, and he doesn’t like the fact that his home is raided by suitors. Penelope is told that she must pick one of the suitors. She decides that she will make an impossible task for the suitors and whoever wins will become her husband. The task is to string Odysseus’ bow and shoot an arrow through ten targets in a row. None of the suitors could do it. Odysseus does it, still disguised as a beggar, and it surprises the suitors. Later he kills all the suitors, after they found out who he was, and has his unfaithful maids clean up the dead bodies. After the maids cleaned the bodies up he hung them. He then tells Penelope that he is home, but she makes him tell her about their bed to make sure it really is him. This ends Odysseus’ journey.

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