These are summaries of each chapter/book. If you want more basic happenings, look at the titles of each chapter. They describe the chapter in a single sentence. It might also be helpful to read the Character List, first.
Chapter Summaries.
(p. 11) Book I: What Went On in the House of Odysseus
In this chapter, vague references to Odysseus' troubles and hourney are made, such as why his men were not allowed to return home and where Odysseus spent most of his time while away. Zeus tells the story of Agamemnon and Aigisthos, and Athena decides to help out Odysseus by encouraging his son, Telemachos, to find him. Telemachos' journey is quickly planned by Athena. She goes to him as Mentês, and old friend, and tells him what to do. A lot of supernatural intervention in this chapter.
(p. 22) Book II: How the Coucil Met in the Market-place of Ithaca; and What Came of it.
Telemachos goes to the marketplace and speaks to the council. Many men are angry at his mother, Penelopeia, because she refuses to marry anyone, and concocted a creative lie to keep them away. Antinoös is introduced, already as a leader of the men who reside in Odysseus' home, eating his food and leeching his money. They are there waiting for Penelopeia to marry. Zeua sends a pair of eagles to the marketplace, which are apparantly omens. An old man prophesizes that Odysseus will not be gone long, but he is laughed off, mainly by Eurymachos. Telemachos then informs them of his plan to go find of his father. Athena helps him prepare (in the form of Mentor), and as soon as he is ready, Telemachos leaves for Sandy Pylos.
(p. 32) Book III: What Happened in Sandy Pylos
Telemachos reaches Sandy Pylos and visits King Nestor. He asks what Nesotr knows of Odysseus, but he knows nothing of what happened after they were separated. Telemachos also asks Nestor about Agamemnon, and the story is told in greater detail than before. After more talking (what they said isn't that important), they make a couple sacrifices to thte gods, whcih pleases Athena, and then Telemachos and Athena/Mentor leave for Menelaos' house.
(p. 44) Book IV: What Happened in Lacedaimon
Odysseus and Athena reach Menelaos' palace, which impresses Telemachos a lot. WHen asked, Menelaos also says Odysseus was resourceful in battle. During Menelaos' flashback, Telemachos weeps. When Helen (of Troy) sees him, she recognizes him and they find out who he is. There is a brefi mourning session for Odysseus, so Helen puts some drugs in their drinks to make them forget the sad things. "Happy pills." Menelaos tells a couple of Odysseus' clever tricks in war, then they go to sleep. The next morning, Odysseus is discussed more. Menelaos describes how he met the Old Man by the Sea's daugher, and she told him and his men how to catch her father. They do so, and when they have him catptive, they ask about Odysseus. He says Odysseus is alive, but held captive. AFter teh story, Telemachos declines an invitiation to stay longer, but does accept the gift of a silver and gold mixing bowl. Meanwhile, Antinoös finds out that Telemachos was serious about his mission, so he plots to kill him when he returns. Penelopeia also finds out that her son is gone, and is depressed until Athena visits her (as Ipththimê) abd tells her Telemachos will be alright.
(p. 62) Book V: Hermês is sent to Calypso's island; Odysseus Makes a Raft and is Carried to the Coast of Scheria
Athena reminds Zeus of Odysseus' anguish and Telemachos' peril. Hermês is sent to Calypso's island to tell her that Odysseus should be allowed to leave. When Calypso hears this, she gets angry, saying that it isn' fair. Eventually, though, she agrees to free Odysseus. Odysseus is suspicious at first, but after much persuasion, believes her. Calypso makes a last, futile, foreboding speech to try to get him to stay, but ends up helping him prepare his raft and provisions anyway. As Odysseus is leaving, he is cursed by Poseidon and sent a fierce storm. Just when he thinks its all hopeless, Odysseus is helped by Ino (Goddess of White Sea). SHe gives him a magic veil, tells him to strip, and jump in the water, holding tight to the veil. When he reaches land, he should throw back the veil without looking back. He does so, and after a few days, he sees land. However, the land is not easily reaches, seeing as it is almost completely surrounded by coral reefs. Athena helps him out again, and he reaches land with more than a few cuts and bruises. He makes himself a makeshift bed under a bush, and falls asleep. A lot of supernatural intervention in here, too.
(p. 73) Book VI: How Odysseus Appealed to Nausicaä, and She Brought Him to Her Father's House.
While Odysseus is sleeping, Athena goes to a nearby town as a friend of Nausicaä's, the daughter of the famous seaman Dymas. Nausicaä is the daughter of the king. Athena tells Nausicaä, as she sleeps, that tomorrow she must go down to the river to wash linens that she will use to make a frock when she marries. The next morning, a very excited Nausicaä goes down to the back with a cartful of dirty linens and her maids. After they're done, they play games and wake Odysseus. As he approaches them, the maids are afraid of him, becuase he is incredibly filthy. However, he starts telling Nausicaä how beautiful she is, and she decides to help him. After her maids bathe him, Athena makes him look more handsome so Nausicaä wants him as her husband. She leads him to the city, but doesn't go in with him, because there would be too many rumours. Nausicaä tells him to wait awhile, outside of teh walls, then to find his own way to her castle. The chapter ends with Odysseus making a prayer to Athena.
(p. 81) Book VII: What Happened to Odysseus in the Palace of Alcinoos.
Odysseus walks into the won with a thick fog around him, a gift from Athena to make sure no one bothers him. He soon meets a little girl, carrying a pitcher, who is really Athena, and asks her to take him to the palace. Before parting, the little girl/Athena tells Odysseus a little of the family geneology. Odysseus marvels at the magnificent castle, then walks in, still with the fog, until he finds the Queen, Arete, and begs for compassion. King Alcinoos says that Odysseus is to be sent home, trouble free, as soon as possible. Odysseus tells him of his journey, and is offered King Alinoos' daughter for him to stay, but he doesn't, and plans are made for him to depart from Phaiacia soon.
(p. 88) Book VIII: How They Held Games and Sports in Phaiacia
Athena makes a public announcement as King Alcinoos' herald about the stranger who has come that looks like a god. The people gather, and King Alcinoos tells them that Odysseus needs their help, and until he leaves, he and the other lords and princes will entertain him in a feast with Demodocos, a famous mistrel. When Democodos starts singing songs about Odysseus, unintentionally, Odysseus starts crying. The king noticed, so he suggested that watch and play sports instead. Odysseus is invited to play along, and he relucatantly does, knowing that he'll most likely be beat. However, Athena starts helping him out, and Odysseus starts verbally showing off. It's decided that they're going to go back to listen to the mistrel, so Democodos starts singing about Aphrodite, Ares, and Hephaistos (Aphrodite and Hephaistos were married, but Ares wooed Apthrodite, and Hephaistos found out.), then they watch dancers. After the entertainment, Broadsea apologizes for provoking him and gives him a sowrd. Each of the thirteen pricnes give Odysseus a tunis as a gift. Then he takes a bath, says goodbye to Nausicaa, and requests a song about himself for Democodos. He begins crying again, so the mistrel stops. The king asks Odysseus why he cries, and thats how the chapter ends.
(p. 100) Book IX: How Odysseus Visited the Locust-Eaters and the Cylops.
Odysseus is telling his story to King Alcinoos. He mentions Calypso and Circe, but does not go into detail. He tells how they reached Ismaros of the Ciconians, and how he and his men killed the Ciconian men, and while Odysseus wanted to leave, his men insisted on waiting. This resulted in some Ciconians calling neighbors and getting help, causing a battle. After they left the Ciconians, they were stalled by a fierce storm, but eventually Odysseus and his men reach the land of the Lotus-Eaters. A few of Odysseus' men try the lotus, and because it is so sweet, they do not wish to go home. Odyssesu makes them leave by force. Then, they reach the land of the Cyclops. Odysseus decides to take a look around to see what they're like. They enter the Cyclops' caave anf foolishly eat his cheese. The cyclops is angry, and eats a few of his men. They consider killing him, but realize that if they were to do so, they'd end up trapping themselves in his cave. Eventually, their plan works like this: Odysseus gets the Cyclops drunk, then blinds him with a hot stick. Odysseus tells the Cylops his name is Noman. His men hide underneath the Cyclops' lambs as he is frantically looking for them, in anger. When he doesn't find them, he gives up. The next morning, they go as the cyclops puts his sheep out to graze, and again he feels for them, but does not find them due to the fact that they are underneath the sheep. When he cries to his friends, and tell them Noman blinded him, they laugh him off as dumb. As soon as they're far away enough, Odysseus taunts the Cyclops and tells him his real name. Their ship almost gets destroyed, and Odysseus is cursed by Poseidon because of his stupiditity and pride.
(p. 112) Book X: The Island of the WInds; the Land of the Midnight Sun; Circe.
Odysseus is still narrartating to King Alcinoos. He tells how he and his men went to Ailos' island. Ailos was keeper of the winds, and as his parting gift, he gave Odysseus a bag with wind inside, for his usage. Well, they used the bag to sail towards Ithaca. Odysseus falls asleep, and while Ithaca is in sight, so close they can see "the people tending to their fires," Odysseuso' men have a bout of greed, and open the bag of wind, which they believed to contain gold and silver. This results in the ship getting blown away from home again, back to Ailos' island. They beg for help, but Ailos tells them to leave because he believes that their bad luck means they are enemies of the gods. They sail on until they reach the land of the Lastrygonians. They are savage, and pelt the ships with rocks over cliffs. Only Odysseus' ship manages to esacape. After that they reach the island of Aiaia, and eventually end up meeting Circe, a goddess. When they visit her (Odysseus is not with them), everyone except Eurylochos goes into her "dwelling." She gives them drugs and turns them into pigs. Eurylochos tells Odysseus what happened, and Odysseus says he has to go back to do something. Hermes helps him by telling him what Circe will do and what Odysseus should do. He tells Odysseus that Circe will try to drug him, but it will not work because he (Hermes) will give Odysseus a charm. Then, when she taps him with her wand, he should pretend to attack her. She offers to let him lie with her, and makes an oath not to hurt him. Odysseus gets her to release his friends and make them human again. After a year, he asks to leave, and she says its okay, he just has to go to the Kindgdom of the Dead in order to get directions from Teiresias.
(p. 124) Book XI: How Odysseus Visited the Kingdom of the Dead.
Odysseus (still narrating) goes to the Kingdom of the Dead, makes a few sacrifices, and talks to a lot of dead people. First Elphenor, his dead comrade. Then he sees his mother, but does not converse with her. Finally he talks to Teiresias. Odysseus gives him blood from his sacrifice, and Teiresias tells Odysseus that when he gets to the island of Thrinacia, he should not kill Helios' cattle, or all of his men will die. He also tells him that there are men and trouble in his home, but he will conquer them. Odysseus then talks to his mother, who says Penelopeia has been faithful during his entire absence, Telemachos still holds his things, and that she (his mother) died of missing him so much. After his mother, he speaks to an entire line of people. Finally, he stops telling his story. Him and King Alcinoos talk a bit, then Odysseus tells of talking to the ghost of Achilles about Telemachos, and to Aias, who is mad at him for defeating him. Odysseus talks to several more spirits, then leaves the Underworld.
(p. 138) Book XII: The Singing Sirens, and the Terrors of Scylla and Charybdis.Odysseus (still narrating) and his men go back to Circe's island. She has Odysseus tell her everything that happened, then tells him what he should do next: She tells Odysseus he will first sail by the Sirens, who bewitch men. In order to keep from falling for their trap, his men must put wax in their ears. If Odysseus wants to hear them, he can have his men tie him to the mast, and make sure not to release him, no matter how hard he screams for it. Then he has two choices: to go through the moving rocks, where no ship, or even a bird, can get through, or (his other choice) to go between two cliffs and just make sure to go fast because two monsters, Scylla and Charybdis live there. She tells them that if they get past there, they'll arrive to the island of Thrinacia, where he must not eat Helios' flocks. They pass the Sirens without much trouble, but Scylla eats six of Odysseus' best men (one for each head). Odysseus, against his best judgement, lets his men land on Helios' island, but not before making them promise not to kill a cow or sheep. After running out of food and waiting out a storm on the island, his men decide to eat a cow while Odysseus is asleep. Soon after they leave, Zeus ruins his ship, and kills all of Odysseus' men. He ends up nearly eaten by Charybdis, but escapes, and is sent to Oigygia, with Calypso.
(p. 148) Book XIII: How Odysseus Came to Ithaca.
Odysseus is dropped off in Ithaca by the ships crew with all of his gifts. They leave him asleep. When he wakes up, he does not know where he is. He meets a young shepard, who is actually Athena, and is told he is in Ithaca. He then finds out whot he shepard really is, and she tells him not to tell anyone he's there, she wants to give him the chance to get rid of the men invading his house first. They plot against the men She tells him she will disguise him as a vagabond while she goes and gets his son Telemachos from Sparta, and that he should talk to the beggar.
(p. 158) Book XIV: Odysseus and the Swineherd.
Odysseus goes to the swineherd (as a beggar). They talk for a bit, and eat and drink. The swineherd talks well of his master, proving himself faithful. Odysseus finds out more of the situation in his home, and promises that Odysseus will be back soon. The swineherd does not believe him. After that, the swineherd asks Odysseus of his life, and Odysseus makes up a story of his history, which of course is all a lie. He tells how he was great in battle, met a Phoenician and would have been sold if the ship had not been wrecked, then how a king pretended to help him, but whose intentions really were to make him into a slave. He escapes from the ship hewas on while in Ithaca. The swineherd still does not believe that Odysseus will return (since he doesn't know he's talking to him). Then they eat with the swineherd's men, and the beggar (Odysseus) tells how Odysseus once saved his life by getting him a cloak in the cold. The go to sleep.
(p. 169) Book XV: How Telemachos Sailed Back to Ithaca.
Athena goes to Lacedaimon - Sparta - to get Telemachos for Odysseus. She tells Telemachos to go by night so he won't get ambushed by the men plotting against him. The next day, Telemachos leaves King Menelaos' place. , but nt before they give him many gifts. During his extended departure, there is an omen of eagles. Helen prophesizes that Odysseus will soon return. A little bit before the ship leaves, a mysterious man approaches Telemachos and asks for a ride. The man is Theoclymenos, a fugitive. After some questistioning and conversing with Telemachos, they leave for Ithaca. Meanwhile, Odysseus is still in Eumaios' hut, and is testing him for hospitability by saying he wants to go beg in the city. Eumaios will not allow him to, but tells him to stay; that he is really no trouble. AFter this, Odysseus asks Eumaios about his life before being a swineherd. This is Eumaios' story: Once, back on his native island, some Phoinicians came and wooed a housewife. She decided to run away with them, and took Eumaios with her, planning to sell him. The housewife dies, and he is bought by Laertes. Meanwhile, Telemachos is telling Theoclymenos to get a job with Eurymachos, and Theclymenos says that the omen before they left was there for a reason.
(p. 181) Book XVI: How Telemachos Met His Father.
At Eumaios' hut, Odysseus sees a man coming, and it is his son, Telemachos. Since Odysseus is still a beggar, Telemachos does not know it his father, and says he can stay. He also talks to him about the problems at home. After Eumaios is sent to Penelopeia with the message of Telemachos' return, Athena changes Odysseus back into his regular body, then he tells Telemachos who he is. After an emotional greeting, they begin to plot against the Pretenders - the men in Odysseus' home. Odysseus plans to get taken to his house by Eumaios, still as a beggar, and to get maltreated. When Athena gives him the signal, they will attack. Odysseus reminds Telemachos that he can't tell a soul yet. Meanwhile, Penelopeia is informed that Telemachos has returned by a messenger who saw Telemachos' ship, and by Eumaios. When the Pretenders find out, they're furious, and plan to kill Telemachos very soon, and think about how they would divide his money and estate. One of the more sensible Pretenders decides that they should check with Zeus before killing Telemachos. Penelopeia comes downstairs and tells them all that they should be ashamed of what they are doing. Eurymachos lies to Penelopeia to quiet her, and says they are not going to kill Telemachos. Meanwhile, Eumaios returns to his hut and Odysseus is changed back into a beggar.
(p. 191) Book XVII: How Odysseus Returned to His Own Home.
As Telemachos is going back home, in order not to make Eumaios suspicious, he tells Odysseus that he should beg in town, and that Eumaios should take him in. When home, Telemachos is greeted affectionately by his housemaids. He goes back into town and talks to some of his fathers old friends, then they have dinner, Theoclymenos included in it. Over dinner, Telemachos tells his mom what happened to him while he was gone very briefly. Theoclymenos prophesizes again that Odysseus is soon to return. Meanwhile, the pretenders are plaing games, then make their dinner. In town, Odysseus is tormented for being a beggar. When they reach Odysseus' house, they decide Eumaios should go in first. Odysseus sees his old faithful dog, and although this is not very relevant to the rest of the story, its touching because the dog dies after seeing his master one last time. In the dining hall, Odysseus begs of each man, testing them. Antinoos is incredibly cruel and greedy. He throws a footstool at Odysseus. Penelopeia gets angry and asks to meet the beggar because he may have known something of Odysseus, but he makes her wait until sundown.
(p. 204) Book XVIII: How Odysseus Fought the Sturdy Beggar.
In the dining hall, there is another beggar, Iros, and he is big, but not sttrong. He provokes Odysseus, and eventually a deal is made. Whoever wins the fight wins black pudding and dinner. Odysseus makes the Pretenders promise to keep things fair, and finallty, they are about to begin. Athena fills Odysseus' muscles out, and he is suddenly very intimidating to Iros. Odysseus easily wins, and breaks Iros' jaw. While at the table, Odysseus tries to warn Amphinomos, one of the more decent Pretenders, but he pays no heed. Athena puts an idea into Penelopeia's head to show herself to the men. Athena makes Penelopeia more attractive, then she goes down to the dini dining hall and scolds the men for mistreating the beggar, and refuses to marry anyone still, and recalls what Odysseus said before he left for war. After Penelopeia leaves, Athena makes the Pretenders enrage Odysseus more to get him angrier. Odysseus almost gets into a fight with Eurymachos, but Telemachos convinces them to leave and sleep.
(p. 213) Book XIX: How the Old Nurse Knew Her Master.
In the beginning, Odysseus and Telemachos store weaponry in the store room, and bascially prepare for battle. Before Odysseus talks to Penelopeia, a housewife is indignant to him - Penelopeia's favorite maid - and she gets in trouble because Penelopeia hears her. She asks Odysseus about himself, but he cleverly avoids it by changing the subject to her. After she's done spilling her guts out, he can't avoid tlaking about his past, so he makes up a life. Penelopeia asks what Odysseus was wearing when the beggar met him, just to make sure he isn't lying, and she begins to weep because he describes the clothes in such detail. After the beggar - Odysseus - is done telling, he also prophesizes that Odysseus will return soon. Afterwards, Penelopeia has Odysseus' feet washed by Eurycleia. She recognizes him because of a scar on his foot he got from a boar while visiting his grandparents when younger. Penelopeia does not realize it because Athena dazes her out. Eurycleia promises to keep quiet, and Penelopeia tells of a dream she had, that symbolizes Odysseus coming back, killing the Pretenders, and conquering all. Then Penelopeia decides she is going to have an arrow contest in order to decide who will marry her.
(p. 226) Book XX: How God Sent Omens of the Wrath to Come.
When Odysseus wakes up the next day, he is angry, but Athena reassures him, and he goes back to sleep. Penelopeia is depressed, and begs that the gods let her die. When Odysseus asks for a sign from Zeus that all will be well, he is sent a thunderbolt. A maid also prays that this is the last breakfast that she will have to make for the Pretenders. I believe this was meant to foreshadow, although we already know whats going to happen. Odysseus spends most of the day brooding on his revenge and preparing for it. WHile the Pretenders plan, they get discouraged because they see birds, and Odysseus meets yet another completely faithful sevant: Philoitios. Odysseus gets turned back into a beggar, and the Pretenders feast. Again, they degrade Odysseus. Ctesipppos throws a cow hoof at Odysseus. Telemachos makes a couple speeches on how he is now grown and is aware of what is going on. Athena gives the Pretenders strange reactions, to infuriate Odysseus more.
(p. 234) Book XXI: The Contest with the Great Bow.
Penelopeia gets out Odysseus' arrow, which he got from his dead friend Iphitos. The arrow was cared well for by Odysseus. She announces the contest to the men: whoever can string it and shoot it through an axe will win her. Telemachos pretends to go along with it, lies about approving. He tries himself to string the arrow with no prevail. Then Leiodes tries, also fruitless. The men decide to grease it before going on. Meanwhile, Odysseus talks to two of the servants, makes sure they are loyal, then tells them his plan, and as them help. Meanwhile, the arrow contest is put off. However, Odysseus offers to try. They get mad, because if he succeeds, he'll make them all look bad. Telemachos lets him try. Odysseus tells all of the women to go and stay in their rooms, and then he easily strings the arrow, much to the Pretenders' amazement.
(p. 243) Book XXII: The Battle in the Hall.
After easily killing Antinoos, he declares that he'snow going to get his revenge. The men try to convince him that now that their leader is gone, they don't need to be killed - the can compensate. It doesn't work. Odysseus still sluaghters a lot more men. So they plot to kill Telemachos and Odysseus. That doesn't work either. They find the stash of weapons in the store room, and end up using them. The man who distributed the weapons was Melanthios. They tie him up. Then Athena goes and helps them slaughter some more. She makes the spears miss when they are directed at Odysseus and Telemachos. Only one person is spared: Medon, who took care of Telemachos as a child. After Odysseus is done killing all of the men, he calls down all of the unfaithful maids and servants, has them help clean up the carnage, then Telemachos hangs them. The faithful ones then greet Odysseus affectionately.
(p. 253) Book XXIII: How Odysseus Found His Wife Again.
Eurycleia tries telling Penelopeia that Odysseus has returned, but for a few pages, she does not believe her. Eventually, she talks to him, still not believing. He has the minstrel play festive music to make the town believe that Penelopeia finally married, and to not suspect that the Pretenders were gone. Odysseus convinces Penelopeia that he is truly Odysseus because of his boar-scar and his story of building his own bed long ago. She asks him to forgive her for being so cold, and he does. The next morning, Odysseus tells Penelopeia about what the ghost in the Underworld said, that he has to go from town with an oar until he reaches a man who tells him he has a winnowing shovel on his shoulder, then he should sacrifice to Poseidon. Penelopeia does not mind because the prophecy also said that Odysseus would grow old. He then tells Penelopeia what he did after the war - where he's been - then plans to visit his father.
(p. 261) Book XXIV: How Odysseus Found His Old Father, and how the Story Ended.
Hermes collects the souls of the men that Odysseus killed, and brings them to another group of spirits, where Amphimedon tells Agamemnon what Odysseus did to them. Odysseus goes to his fathers vinyard, where he approaches him without telling him who he is. He starts telling one of his stories to his father, but can't handle it, so he tells his father who he is, and they have an affectionate greeting. They then prepare to fight with the rest of Ithaca because they are mad because Odysseus killed all of the Pretenders. Athena intervenes, and makes peace, and Ithaca lives happily ever after. Well, not quite. But they're peaceful. The end.
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