Gordon Kaydence Odyssey

Suitors/Home

1200 BCE

Odysseus finally gets to his home, Ithaca. Here he disguises himself as a beggar and forms an alliance with an old swineherd. A contest is being held to win Penelope, Odysseus' wife, hand in marriage. The suitors participating have to string a bow that belonged to Odysseus. He ends up slaughtering all of the suitors and makes his way to his wife. Penelope is skeptical at first but after finding out it’s Odysseus she’s just happy to be reunited with him.

Suitors/Home (Analysis)

1200 BCE

Penelope has been Odysseus’ main motivation for getting through his hardships on the way back to Ithaca. Penelope stayed loyal to her husband for over a decade while he was gone. After the long voyage to make it back to Penelope, Odysseus has grown as a man and learned patience. A couple of times when he had the opportunity to, he chose not to reveal himself to Penelope, waiting till the right moment. Odysseus is finally reunited with his family.

Helios’ cattle

1199 BCE

Odysseus and his crew land on the island of the sun god, Helios. Many cattle that belong to Helios roam the land. Odysseus warns his men not to eat them. While he’s sleeping, his crew, hungry, goes behind his back and eats the cattle. Helios is furious and tells Zeus what they did, resulting in a storm destroying the ship, leaving only Odysseus alive...

Helios’ cattle (Analysis)

1199 BCE

Odysseus’ crew did not heed his warning once again, and severely suffered the consequences. Up until the end, Odysseus trusted his men by sleeping knowing they could find themselves in trouble. Did the crew lose trust in Odysseus after he let 6 men get mauled by Scylla?

Scylla and Charybdis

1198 BCE

Soon after the encounter with the Sirens, Odysseus and his crew run into Scylla and Charybdis. A whirlpool called Charybdis threatens to swallow the ship whole. Scylla is a multi-headed beast that eats multiple of Odysseus’ men. Circe advised that he took his men toward Scylla instead of Charybdis so that he would only lose a few men instead of all of the dying.

Scylla and Charybdis (Analysis)

1198 BCE

Odysseus chooses to sacrifice some of his men to save many. Either way, he went, Odysseus would have suffered a loss. He had to make a difficult decision. Odysseus knew that if we went into the whirlpool, all of his men would have died. He is still moving intending to make his way to Ithaca and needs as many of his crew alive as possible.

Sirens

1197 BCE

When leaving Circe’s island, she warns him that he’ll encounter the Sirens. Sirens lead sailors to demise with their beautiful voices. Odysseus tells his men to put wax in their ears so they won't hear the songs. He decides that he wants to listen though, so he instructs his men to tie him down so nothing bad will happen to him. He and his crew pass the Sirens successfully without issues.

Sirens (Analysis)

1197 BCE

Odysseus told his men not to release him no matter how much he begged. He began asking to be released, but just like he ordered, the men did not let him go. They are beginning to follow Odysseus once more, after not listening to him in the past. He has put his life and trust in his crew once again.

Circe

1196 BCE

After being blown away by the Bag of Winds, Odysseus and his crew stumble upon the Aeaea, where they run into Circe. Circe was a nymph with the ability to use magic. She gives Odysseus’ crew a potion, turning them into pigs. Odysseus does what he needs to fix his men, but ends up staying on the year for about a year, while Circe falls in love with him.

Circe (Analysis)

1196 BCE

During this part of the story, we see Odysseus getting sidetracked. Hermes explains to him that he needs to stay away from Circe, but he does not listen. At this time, he is also disloyal to his wife, Penelope. He needs to be convinced by his men to return to their journey to Ithaca.

Aeolus - Bag of Wind

1195 BCE

Aeolus is the master of the winds. When Odysseus and his crew stop in Aeolia, Aeolus gives them a bag of wind. If opened, the cruise ship would have been thrown off course. Odysseus’ men believe there are riches within the back. On the way to Ithaca, one of Odysseus’ men opened the bag while Odysseus slept.

Aeolus - Bag of Wind (Analysis)

1195 BCE

Odysseus is rightfully angry at his men for disappointing him. Although he is disheartened by the events that come from the opening of the bag, he continues to trust his men. Even before they opened the bag, the fact that he left it where they could get it, showed that he trusted them. He keeps a sense of confidence in his crew and believes that they can still make it back home, back to Ithaca.

Cyclops

1194 BCE

Odysseus and his crew decide to settle on an island with a massive cave opening after spending some time at sea. They were unaware of the fact that a flock of sheep and a cyclops by the name of Polyphemus were living inside. Before the crew could do anything, Polyphemus had already eaten two of Odysseus’ men once he revealed himself to them. Odysseus used the sheep to get off of the island.

Cyclops (Analysis)

1194 BCE

During this encounter, as always, Odysseus keeps his calm and sense of control. He pretty quickly finds a way to get his crew out of Polyphemus’ cave. When Polyphemus asked Odysseus' name, he told him it was ‘Noman’ but when escaping the island, he couldn't help but tell him his real name. This could be seen as cocky and irresponsible, as it gets a few more of his men killed throughout the voyage.

Lotus Eaters

1193 BCE

Odysseus and his men end up on an island full of inhabitants named ‘Lotus-Eaters’.The men of Odysseus lose all desire to return after eating a herb that makes them blissful. Odysseus recognizes the issue when they develop a dependence on the plant and orders his crew off the island as soon as possible.

Lotus Eaters (Analysis)

1193 BCE

Odysseus has gotten this far on his journey to return home, and cannot have his men lose the desire to. He resists the urge to eat the fruit. He gets them off the island immediately before they succumb to the Lotus. Even though Odysseus’ men are not as loyal to him as he is to them, he always does what he can to keep them safe.

Trojan War (Analysis)

1184 BCE

Odysseus was tired of the war which had been going on for almost a decade. He had been away from his wife Penelope for a very long time and was eager to see her again. He had the idea of giving the Trojans a big wooden horse as a gift (named the ‘Trojan Horse’). After this Odysseus and his men are able to kill all of the Trojans and win the war for the Greeks.

Trojan War

1184 BCE

The Trojan war began due to the kidnapping of Helen, Wife of Menelaus and most beautiful woman in the world. Paris, son of the king and queen of Troy, stole Helen from Sparta and brought her back to Troy. Menelaus goes to Helen’s former suitors, asking them to go to war with him in order to get his wife back. The Trojans end up losing in the end.