-
May 1, 1200
The sacking of the city of the Cicones
On their way back home from Troy, Odysseus and his men land on island Ismarus, the stronghold of the Cicones. There they loot the city and enslave the women. Odysseus tries to convince his men to continue on their voyage, but they insist on lingering. Meanwhile the Cicones regroup and, with help from their neighbors, march upon the invaders. Odysseus and his men are unable to keep them back and just barely escape total ruin. This encounter, however, costs them 6 of their number. -
May 10, 1200
Encounter with the Lotus-eaters
After 9 days of fierce storms, Odysseus and his men arrive at the land of the Lotus-eaters. While taking on fresh water, several men are sent out as scouts. They make the mistake of eating the lotus, a sweet fruit that the natives offer them. It acts like a drug, causing them to forget everything else and wish only to stay and eat more of the fruit. Odysseus has the affected crewmen dragged back onto the ship and resumes their voyage home. -
May 22, 1200
Arrival at the Island of the Cyclopes
Odysseus and his men come across a lush, fertile island inhabited by cyclopes. Odysseus forms an expedition party and sets out to find out if the natives are civilized or not. Finding a cave, they venture inside and, finding that its lived in, wait for the owner to return. The Cyclops who finds them seals the cave entrance and consumes a number of Odysseus’s men. Realizing that the Cyclops will eat the rest of them if they do not escape soon, Odysseus comes up with a plan. -
May 23, 1200
The Cyclops is Blinded
On the second day of being trapped in the Cyclops’ lair, Odysseus and his men whittle down their captor’s club into a sharp spear while he is away. Upon his return, Odysseus gives him wine and tells the Cyclops that his name is ”Nobody.” When the Cyclops falls into a drunken sleep, Odysseus blinds him with the massive spear he had prepared earlier. The Cyclops cries out for help from his neighbors. However, because he claims he is being hurt by “Nobody," they ignore him. -
May 24, 1200
Escape from the Island of the Cyclopes
On the morning of the third day of their captivity, Odysseus and his men escape the cave by clinging to the bellies of the sheep the Cyclops keeps in his cave by night and lets out during the day. Setting sail from the island Odysseus cannot resist mocking the Cyclops who responds by trying to capsize his ship with boulders. Finally, Odysseus reveals his real name and the Cyclops, calling out to his father Poseidon, asks him to curse Odysseus and his men. -
May 29, 1200
The Floating Island of Aeolus
Odysseus and his men come across the floating island of Aeolus. Its king, his wife, and their 12 children spend their days feasting in their palace. Yearning for news about the outside world, especially on the subject of the Trojan War, Aeolus hosts Odysseus in his halls for an entire month. -
Period: May 29, 1200 to Jun 29, 1200
Odysseus and his men are hosted in the halls of Aeolus
For one whole month, Odysseus and his men are hosted by Aeolus who asks them about news from the outside world. At the end of their stay, Aeolus give them copious amounts of valuable gifts including a sack to Odysseus containing the power of wind. -
Jul 8, 1200
Ithaca in Sight
Ten days after leaving the floating island of Aeolus, Odysseus’ ship is in sight of their homeland. However, several crewmates, jealous of their leader’s share of the loot, decide to look inside the sack that Aeolus gave him. The winds released force their ship all the way back to Aeolus’s island. There, despite Odysseus’s pleas, Aeolus gives him no help, calling him a cursed man. -
Jul 15, 1200
Slaughter by the Laestrygonians
Seven days after leaving the island of Aeolus for a second time, Odysseus and his men reach the land of the Laestrygonians. Venturing inland, they come across the king’s daughter who directs them toward her father’s halls. It is not until they meet the king and queen that Odysseus and his men realize that the Laestrygonians are a race of cannibalistic giants. Having sustained heavy losses, they flee back to sea. -
Jul 29, 1200
Arrival at the Island of Circe
Odysseus and his men come upon the home of the sorceress Circe. Sending ahead a group of 23 men, all but one are turned into pigs. Odysseus decides to confront Circe by himself. On his way to her palace, he is given a magic herb by the god Hermes that will make Circe’s spells become useless on him. Odyssey then is able to force Circe to swear never to plot against him and to release his men. Worn out from their troubles, Odysseus and his men rest and relax in Circe’s palace for the next year. -
Period: Jul 29, 1200 to Jul 29, 1201
Odysseus and his men stay in the palace of Circe
For one year, Odysseus and his men rest and relax in Circe's palace, trying to forget their troubles and, in the process, almost forgetting about their journey home. -
Aug 1, 1201
Odysseus Consults the Dead Seer Tiresias
Finally deciding to resume his journey, Odysseus takes the advice of Circe and sails to the House of the Dead to seek the advice of Tiresias, a wise seer. To summon him, Odysseus sacrifices sheep and pours out milk honey and wine for the dead. Many ghosts appear including their former comrades and relatives. Finally, Tiresias appears and tells Odysseus where to go and what to do, emphasizing that he and his men must control their desires or else they will suffer greatly. -
Aug 10, 1201
Encounter with the Sirens
Having been informed on the dangers ahead, Odysseus plans on how to pass the island of the Sirens unharmed. By having each of his men put wax in their ears, none of them will be tempted by the songs of the Sirens. Odysseus, however, instructs his men to tie him to the mast so he can listen while not harming himself or others. When they near the island, the Sirens tempt Odysseus in song with promises of greater wisdom and refer to Trojan War. The plan goes smoothly and they sail on unharmed. -
Aug 12, 1201
Scylla and Charybdis
Odysseus and his men entered straits inhabited by two monsters; Scylla, who lives in the cliffs on one side, and Charybdis, who lives on the other side and creates a whirlpool when it sucks in the ocean. Odysseus instructs his men to sail as fast possible on the opposite side of Charybdis, for getting to close to it would mean death for all his men. Despite their best efforts, Scylla kills 6 of their number. -
Aug 13, 1201
Arrival at the Island of Helios
Having safely made it past the straits of Scylla and Charybdis, Odysseus and his men happen upon an island home to the cattle herds of Helios, god of the sun. Odysseus, remembering the warnings he had received, tells his men that they cannot stop there. Tired and sick from the loss of their comrades, the crew is on the verge of mutiny, when Odysseus gives in, but not before making them swear an oath that they will not kill any of the sun god’s herds. -
Period: Aug 13, 1201 to Sep 13, 1201
Odysseus and his men are trapped on the island of Helios
For one month since they arrived at the island, the winds blew in an unfavorable direction. At first, Odysseus's men were content thanks to their plentiful supplies. However, after many weeks of being stranded on island, Odysseus and his men were forced to gather food and some began to forget their oaths as the sun god's cattle became increasingly tempting. -
Sep 13, 1201
Defiling the Cattle of the Sun
After a month of being stranded on the sun god’s island, food supplies are running low and the men are forced to forage and hunt. Deciding that it would be better to be killed at sea by an angry god than die of starvation, several of Odysseus’s men begin slaughtering the cattle while their leader is asleep. For six days afterward, they feast upon on the cattle despite ominous signs from the gods. -
Sep 20, 1201
Odysseus’s ship is destroyed and his men killed
6 days after Odysseus’s men began slaughtering the cattle, the winds become favorable. However, almost immediately after setting sail, a fierce storm ravages their ship. They are eventually forced back into the straits where Scylla and Charybdis live and the ship is swallowed by the latter. Odysseus barely survives by clinging onto a branch above the monster. -
Period: Sep 29, 1201 to Sep 29, 1208
Odysseus is held captive by Calypso
After drifting for 9 days, Odysseus finds himself on the island of Calypso. For seven years he is held there; Calypso wishing him to be her lover. Finally, the gods take pity on him and allow Odysseus to continue on his journey home. -
Oct 4, 1208
Odysseus Tells His Tale to the Phaeacians
Odysseus, having finally departed the island of Calypso is caught in a violent storm sent by the still angry Poseidon. He then washes up on the homeland of the Phaecians where he makes his way to the king. Telling him about his troubled adventures, Odysseus is given a ship so he may finally return home. -
Oct 13, 1208
Odysseus Slaughters the Suitors
Odysseus, having returned to Ithaca, learns about the suitors courting his wife and ravaging his estate. With the help of the goddess Athena and eventually his son, they formulate a plan to trap and slaughter the suitors in the palace. With the help of several servants Odysseus and his son carry out their plan. Having reclaimed his home, Odysseus proves his identity to his wife by telling her something only they know; how he built their bed.
