What you need to know before you read this section…After ten long years of
trying to return home from the Trojan War, Odysseus finally lands on the shores of
Ithaca. Athena has changed his appearance to one of a beggar so that he can keep
his identity secret until he can determine who his friends or enemies are. After he
washes up on shore he wanders up to the hut of his swineherd. That is where this
story starts.
Read, highlight, and answer the questions from the following passage from
The Odyssey.
Odysseus Returns to Ithaca
1 Odysseus now left the haven, and took the rough track up through the
wooded country and over the crest of the mountain till he reached the place
where Athena had said that he would find the swineherd, who was the most
thrifty servant he had.
2 When the hounds saw Odysseus they set up a furious barking and flew at him.
The swineherd said to Odysseus, "Old man, the dogs were likely to have made
short work of you, and then you would have got me into trouble. The gods have
given me quite enough worries without that, for I have lost the best of masters,
and am in continual grief on his account.
3 Odysseus, who was pleased, and said as he took it in his hands, "My friend,
who was this master of yours that bought you and paid for you, so rich and so
powerful as you tell me? You say he perished in the cause of King Agamemnon;
tell me who he was, in case I may have met with such a person. Zeus and the
other gods know, but I may be able to give you news of him, for I have travelled
much."
4 Eumaeus answered, "Old man, no traveler who comes here with news will get
Odysseus' wife and son to believe his story.
Old man, you will neither get paid for bringing good news, nor will Odysseus
ever come home. As for your oath we will let it alone, but I only wish he may
come, as do Penelope, his old father Laertes, and his son Telemachus. I am
terribly unhappy too about this same boy of his; he was running up fast into
manhood, and bade fare to be no worse man, face and figure, than his father,
but someone, either god or man, has been unsettling his mind, so he has gone
off to Pylos to try and get news of his father, and the suitors are lying in wait for
him as he is coming home.
5 In the meantime Telemachus and his crew were nearing land, so they loosed
the sails, took down the mast, and rowed the ship into the harbour.
6 Meanwhile Odysseus and the swineherd had lit a fire in the hut and were
were getting breakfast ready at daybreak for they had sent the men out with
the pigs. When Telemachus came up, the dogs did not bark, but fawned upon
him, so Odysseus, hearing the sound of feet and noticing that the dogs did not
bark, said to Eumaeus:
7 "Eumaeus, I hear footsteps; I suppose one of your men or some one of your
1. Paragraph 2 says that the
hounds saw Odysseus and
flew at him barking
furiously. Eumaeus
assumes they are barking
at a stranger. For what
other reason could they
actually be barking?
2. Odysseus is pleased by the
way Eumaeus describes
him. Why doesn’t he
reveal his identity?
3. Why do you think Eumaeus
feels that Odysseus’ wife,
Penelope, or his son ,
Telemachus, would not
believe anything the old man
would say about Odysseus?
4. Why did Telemachus leave
Ithaca?
5. What does “lying in wait” in
paragraph 4 mean?
6. When Telemachus approaches
the hut Odysseus notices that
the dogs do not bark without
seeing the person. What does
this insight show us about
Odysseus?
acquaintance is coming here, for the dogs are fawning urn him and not barking."
8 The words were hardly out of his mouth before his son stood at the door. A
father could not be more delighted at the return of an only son, the child of his
old age, after ten years' absence in a foreign country and after having gone
through much hardship.
9 Eumaeus said, "So you are come, Telemachus, light of my eyes that you are.
When I heard you had gone to Pylos I made sure I was never going to see you
anymore. “
10 As spoke he took Telemachus' spear, whereon he crossed the stone
threshold and came inside. Odysseus rose from his seat to give him place as he
entered, but Telemachus checked him; "Sit down, stranger." said he, "I can
easily find another seat. I am myself the only son of Odysseus who left me
behind him when he went away, so that I have never been of any use to him.
Hence it comes that my house is in the hands of numberless marauders, eating
up my house under the pretext of paying court to my mother.
11 Now, Eumaeus started for the town. Athena watched him well off the
station, and then came up to it in the form of a woman- fair, stately, and wise.
She said "Odysseus, noble son of Laertes, it is now time for you to tell your son:
do not keep him in the dark any longer, but lay your plans for the destruction of
the suitors, and then make for the town. I will not be long in joining you, for I
too am eager for the fray."
12 As she spoke she touched him with her golden wand. First she threw a fair
clean shirt and cloak about his shoulders; then she made him younger and of
more imposing presence; she gave him back his colour, filled out his cheeks, and
let his beard become dark again. Then she went away and Odysseus came back
inside the hut. His son was astounded when he saw him, and turned his eyes
away for fear he might be looking upon a god.
13 "Stranger," said he, "how suddenly you have changed from what you were a
moment or two ago. You are dressed differently and your colour is not the
same. Are you someone or other of the gods that live in heaven? If so, be
propitious to me till I can make you due sacrifice and offerings of wrought gold.
Have mercy upon me."
14 And Odysseus said, "I am no god, why should you take me for one? I am your
father, on whose account you grieve and suffer so much at the hands of lawless
men."
15 As he spoke he sat down, and Telemachus threw his arms about his father
and wept. They were both so much moved that they cried aloud like eagles or
vultures with crooked talons that have been robbed of their half fledged young
by peasants.
16 Odyssues said “ I am now come here on the suggestion of Athena that we
may consult about killing our enemies. First, therefore, give me a list of the
7. Telemachus doesn’t recognize
his dad when Odysseus stands up
and offers him his seat. What does
this show us about Telemachus’
character?
8. Interpret the last sentence in
paragraph 10.
9. Why does Athena change the
appearance of Odysseus in
paragraph 12?
10. Define marauders and fray
first by using context clues and
then look at the actual definitions.
11. Identify and interpret the
Homeric simile found in paragraph
15.
12. Odysseus makes Telemachus
promise not to tell anyone he has
arrived home. Why is this
important?
13. Expansion Piece: Research
why in mythology a mortal like
Telemachus cannot look upon a
god.
14.. Look specifically at Odysseus
as a hero. Consider his
characteristics, his decisions, and
his reactions and discuss how this
part of The Odyssey reveals
Odysseus as an epic hero or not.
Use textual evidence.
suitors, with their number, that I may learn who, and how many, they are. I can
then turn the matter over in my mind, and see whether we two can fight the
whole body of them ourselves, or whether we must find others to help us."
17 To this Telemachus answered, "Father, I have always heard of your renown
both in the field and in council, but the task you talk of is a very great one: I am
awed at the mere thought of it; two men cannot stand against many and brave
ones. There are not ten suitors only, nor twice ten, but ten many times over;
you shall learn their number at once.
18 "These two," continued Odysseus, "will not keep long out of the fray, when
the suitors and we join fight in my house. Now, therefore, return home early tomorrow morning, and go about among the suitors as before. Later on the
swineherd will bring me to the city disguised as a miserable old beggar. If you
see them ill-treating me, steel your heart against my sufferings; even though
they drag my feet foremost out of the house, or throw things at me, look on and
do nothing beyond gently trying to make them behave more reasonably; but
they will not listen to you, for the day of their reckoning is at hand. Furthermore
I say, and lay my saying to your heart, when Athena shall put it in my mind, I will
nod my head to you, and on seeing me do this you must collect all the armour
that is in the house and hide it in the strong store room. Make some excuse
when the suitors ask you why you are removing it; say that you have taken it to
be out of the way of the smoke, inasmuch as it is no longer what it was when
Odysseus went away, but has become soiled and begrimed with soot. Add to
this more particularly that you are afraid Jove may set them on to quarrel over
their wine, and that they may do each other some harm which may disgrace
both banquet and wooing, for the sight of arms sometimes tempts people to
use them. But leave a sword and a spear apiece for yourself and me, and a
couple oxhide shields so that we can snatch them up at any moment; Zeus and
Athena will then soon quiet these people. There is also another matter; if you
are indeed my son and my blood runs in your veins, let no one know that
Odysseus is within the house.
Summarize what you just read in Odysseus Returns to Ithaca.