The Odyssey Book XII

Circe’s Island Odysseus returns to Aeaea to bury the body of Elpenor. He spends one more night with Circe. Odysseus having had passed the test of Circe, he asked for advice as a show of Xenia.

Circe’s Response Circe describes to Odysseus that he will have many trials on the way home.

Sirens Circe tells Odysseus to avoid the Sirens, but if he must listen to their song, then to tie himself to the mast of his ship and block his men’s ears with softened bee’s wax.

The Wandering Rocks The next terror that Odysseus faced was the decision between Scylla or Charybdis Scylla- The six headed monster who would eat six men only. Charybdis- A huge water demon who would swallow any ship that got caught in its surge.

Thrinacia Odysseus continues and as predicted lands on Thrinacia (the island of the sun) Eurylochus convinces Odysseus to stop and they become stranded because of bad winds They run out of food and then as Odysseus sleeps, Eurylochus leads the men to eat Helios’ cattle.

Which ultimately leads to their Doom…

Odysseus Alone He floats alone on a piece of drifting ship, until he comes to Calypso’s island, Ogygia

And so we come to the beginning of Book #1