A pretty awesome summary of the first eight books. Book 1-8 The Odyssey A pretty awesome summary of the first eight books.
Invocation of the Muse Sing in me, Muse, and through me tell the story of that man skilled in all ways of contending, the wanderer, harried for years on end, after he plundered the stronghold on the proud height of Troy. He saw the townlands and learned the minds of many distant men, and weathered many bitter nights and days in his deep heart at sea, while he fought only to save his life, to bring his shipmates home. But not by will nor valor could he save them, for their own recklessness destroyed them all – children and fools, they killed and feasted on the cattle of Lord Helios, the Sun, and he who moves all day through heaven took from their eyes the dawn of their return. Of these adventures, Muse, daughter of Zeus, tell us in our time, lift the great song again.
Book 1 Homer asks the Muse to sing to him about Odysseus and his adventures. In medias res: Calypso has held Odysseus captive for seven years on the island of Ogygia. Athena has pleaded for his release in front of an assembly of gods. We find out Poseidon has hindered Odysseus from returning home, but Zeus demands that Poseidon get over it already. Hermes is sent to Ogygia to ensure Odysseus is release from captivity.
Book 1 Meanwhile, Athena flies to Ithaca to speak to Odysseus's son Telemachus. Droves of men courting Odysseus's wife Penelope have been feasting for years in Odysseus's court, pestering Penelope and depleting the resources of the estate. Athena takes the shape of Mentes, a friend of Odysseus's father Laertes. She finds Telemachus sitting idly in the midst of the festivities, dreaming of riding the kingdom of the men. Athena tells Telemachus that Odysseus is still alive and is fated to return home. She explains that he is being held captive on a faraway island. Telemachus tells Athena about the shame the suitors have brought to the estate– Athena tells Telemachus to avenge his father by killing them all. She cites another son who avenged his father and tells Telemachus to be more like that kid.
Book 1 She advises Telemachus to take a crew to Pylos and Sparta in search of his father. Once Athena leaves, Telemachus wonders if the old man was actually a god. Penelope comes down from her room to complain about the music, saying it reminds her that her husband is still lost/gone. Telemachus tells his mother to have courage, then tells all the men to leave the house or Zeus will punish them. They claim he has no authority in the kingdom. He shuts up.
Book 2 Athena makes Telemachus look all hot and god-like before he fusses at the Achaeans for allowing the suitors to disrespect his mother and home. Then, he cries. A particularly rude suitor claims that Penelope is to blame– she promised to marry a new husband once she finished weaving a shroud for Laertes. However, she would unweave it during the night (gasp). A maid betrayed her by telling the suitors, so she was forced to finish the shroud. Antinous (the rude guy) tells Telemachus Penelope deserves the disrespect because of the trickery. He also says to send Penelope back to her father and let a man decide who she will marry (a huge disgrace).
Book 2 Telemachus threatens that the gods will avenge their crimes. At that moment, Zeus sends an omen of the revenge Telemachus describes: two eagles come down from the mountains and tear each other to pieces as they fly over the crowd. Halitherses, a prophet, interprets the omen to mean death for the suitors. Eurymachus mocks the prophecy and the omen; he says that the suitors will not stop their feasting until the queen chooses a husband. Telemachus asks the Achaeans for a ship and a crew to go in search of news about Odysseus– he promises he will encourage Penelope to wed if he finds out Odysseus is dead. Many men believe that Odysseus will be murdered upon returning home even if he is still alive.
Book 2 Telemachus prays to Athena again. As Mentes, she tells him he will be as courageous and clever as his father. She tells him he will succeed. He asks his nurse Eurycleia to prepare food and wine for his journey and makes her promise to keep the trip from Penelope. She cries. In Telemachus’s shape, Athena finds a ship and men to journey with him. She makes the suitors fall asleep so Telemachus can leave. She then takes the pilot seat as the men drink wine in her honor.
Book 3 The ship arrives at Pylos where Nestor welcomes them with food and wine. They are encouraged to say a prayer of thanks to Poseidon. Athena rolls her eyes. Nestor tells Telemachus about the Trojan War—saying his father was a man of unequalled cunning. He explains that when Troy fell, Athena created a feud between the brothers Menelaus and Agamemnon: Menelaus wanted to return home at once, but Agamemnon wanted to stay in Troy to offer Athena sacrifices. Half the men, Nestor included, left with Menelaus, but Odysseus and the other half stayed with Agamemnon. Nestor returned safely to Pylos, but he knows nothing about Odysseus's fate. We also find out that Agamemnon was murdered upon returning home (you’ll read more about this in the Underworld).
Book 3 Nothing else really happens– they feast and drink a lot. Athena doesn’t want to stay, so she leaves after turning into an eagle. Telemachus realizes he’ll be okay since Athena favors him. Nestor tells Telemachus not to stay away from home for too long and to visit Menelaus in Lacedaemon. Telemachus is bathed by the princess, and she rubs him down with oil. The King makes a request of his son to take Telemachus to Sparta.
Book 4 The two men arrive at Menelaus’s palace– they are bathed and oiled again. Menelaus begins to talk about the war and says Odysseus worked the hardest but suffered the most. Telemachus cries. Helen drugs the men. She then tells them about Odysseus’s cleverness during the war. Menelaus tells Telemachus that he heard Odysseus was trapped on Calypso’s island. And a bunch of other things about seals and tricking the gods. Meanwhile, the suitors find out Telemachus has left. They plot to murder him. Someone tattles to Penelope, and she lays in bed crying. Athena, disguised, tries to comfort her. Penelope starts asking about Odysseus. The suitors get a boat and set a trap in order to kill Telemachus.
Book 5 Back to the scene in Book 1– Zeus tells Athena to take Telemachus back home and Hermes to tell Calypso to release Odysseus. Zeus decrees that Odysseus will sail home with great pain and difficulty (whatta jerk), and that he will arrive at the land of the Phaeacians, who will speed him home with vast treasures in tow. Hermes finds Calypso by a fire weaving and Odysseus crying on the beach. He tells Calypso what Zeus said, to which she responds that Zeus is just jealous. She says she loves Odysseus like her husband and has offered to make him immortal. Odysseus is still crying. He weeps for Penelope. Calypso tells him to pull it together.
Book 5 Calypso warns Odysseus that his travels will be difficult and advises him to stay with her. She says she may not be as pretty as his wife, but she wants him to stay. Odysseus says that Penelope is not as pretty as Calypso, but he still misses his home. They sleep together. (He also says that he never cheated on Penelope with his heart, just his body). In the morning, he builds a raft and sails for seventeen days before seeing the Phaeacian island. Poseidon is still pretty salty and creates a huge storm that destroys Odysseus’s raft. Odysseus wishes he had died in the war. A goddess takes pity of Odysseus and makes him immortal so he can swim to the island. Poseidon shrugs and gives up.
Book 6 Odysseus falls asleep on the shore. Athena disguises herself as a teenage girl and finds the princess sleeping. She makes fun of how dirty the princess’s clothes are and encourages her to wash them in the ocean. Athena and the princess go down to the shore where Odysseus is sleep and play (naked) while waiting for the clothes to dry. They wake Odysseus up. He’s also naked, so he awkwardly walks out to greet them. All the girls run away, except the princess. He tells her she’s really pretty. She tells him that it looks like the gods hate him, but agrees to help him out. Athena makes him look super hot and the girls are impressed. They refuse to walk with him in the town, though. The princess tells him how to get into the palace.
Book 7 Athena, disguised as the girl, tells Odysseus he must win the approval of the queen. When he enters the palace, he puts his arms around her knees and blesses her family. BTW, they have no idea who he is. King Alcinous is convinced Odysseus is a god in disguise (because he’s so dreamy), so he provides food and drink, and promises to help Odysseus get home. The queen recognizes the clothes Odysseus is wearing as hers. He explains how he got them. The king wants Odysseus to marry his daughter.
Book 8 Athena, in disguise, tells the a group of people to get a crew and ship ready for Odysseus. They do so. A bard sings a song about Odysseus and Achilles which causes Odysseus to cry. Alcinous notices and challenges him to an athletic competition. The men beg Odysseus to compete, but he claims he’s too tired. They make fun of him until he begrudgingly agrees. He beats them all. Alcinous claims the Phaeacians are only competitive at eating. So, they feast. The bard tells another story about Odysseus during the war that makes him cry, again. Alcinous demands to know who Odysseus is and why he’s always crying.