The Odyssey

For twenty years, Ithaca has been without its king when Odysseus did not return from the Trojan War. Several suitors, including nobleman Antinous, aggressively court Odysseus's wife Penelope to claim the throne from Odysseus and Penelope's son Telemachus. Only Penelope, Telemachus, and Odysseus' half-blind servant Eumaeus still believe Odysseus will return. Penelope tells Telemachus she fears attacks by murderous "Sea Peoples" who violate Zeus's law, a social contracting of hospitality towards guests. Telemachus travels with Odysseus's friend Mentor, to Menelaus, King of Sparta, to ascertain his father's whereabouts. Antinous learns about this and conspires to kill Telemachus upon his return and plunder Ithaca. Menelaus and his wife Helen tell Telemachus about the war, but express uncertainty about Odysseus's fate.

Meanwhile, the goddess Athena appears to Odysseus on the island of Ogygia, where the nymph Calypso is infatuated with Odysseus. Athena commands Odysseus to return home; Calypso dislikes this, but encourages Odysseus to remember his past. Years earlier, the Greek army, led by Menelaus' brother Agamemnon, conquered Troy using Odysseus' stratagem, the Trojan Horse, hiding Greeks inside, with the soldier Sinon sacrificed as a decoy.

While Menelaus and Agamemnon returned home, Odysseus and his crew, including second-in-command Eurylochus, searched an island for supplies. However, the cyclops Polyphemus traps them in a cave, and devours several soldiers. They blind Polyphemus and escape, but hear him cry out to his father, the sea god Poseidon. Consequently, the crew suffers harsh sea conditions. They land on Telepylus where Laestrygonians (man-eating giants), kill most of them and sink two of their three ships. The survivors rebel, leaving Odysseus with their ship as they seek refuge on Aeaea with the witch Circe, who turns them into pigs. After Odysseus persuades her to change his men back, Circe advises that to reach Ithaca, Odysseus must cross the river Oceanus into the underworld.

There, Odysseus meets his fallen soldiers, including Sinon's shade, who reproaches him for deceiving him, and reveals that Antinous manipulated him into taking his place in the Greek army. Next, Agamemnon's shade reveals that his wife Clytemnestra murdered him upon his return as revenge for sacrificing their daughter Iphigenia to Artemis for fair seas. He advises that Odysseus adopt a disguise upon returning home. Finally, Odysseus alone speaks with the shade of the prophet Tiresias, who predicts that, by divine will, only Odysseus will return home.

Chased from the underworld by Odysseus' fallen army, Odysseus follows Tiresias' guidance to survive encounters with the Sirens and sea monsters Charybdis and Scylla. On Thrinacia, Odysseus warns his men not to kill the cattle of Helios, as Tiresias foretold Odysseus' men would die if they did, but the starving men disobey. When they leave, Zeus sends a storm that sinks their ship, killing all but Odysseus. He washes ashore unconscious on Ogygia where Calypso's lotus flowers render him amnesic.

After seven years, Odysseus regains his memories, builds a raft, and surrenders his fate to the storm. He washes ashore in Ithaca, where he disguises himself and bears the alias "Sinon". Eumaeus tells him that the suitors sent bandits to assassinate Telemachus and Mentor. The bandits kill Mentor, but Odysseus rescues Telemachus and kills the bandits. Odysseus's elderly dog Argos dies as he recognizes Odysseus, and Telemachus deduces Odysseus's identity. During a feast, Odysseus confronts Antinous about betraying Sinon. Antinous thrashes Odysseus before Telemachus intervenes.

After the meal, Odysseus, still disguised, confesses to Penelope his guilt for violating Zeus's law during the sacking of Troy and initiating the Late Bronze Age collapse. He reveals that the "sea people" were the Greeks themselves, and begs Penelope's forgiveness. Penelope announces her readiness to remarry and instructs the suitors to return at dawn.

Penelope declares she will marry whomever can string Odysseus' bow and shoot an arrow through a row of axe heads. All the suitors fail, but Odysseus succeeds, thereby revealing his identity. The hall erupts in battle. Telemachus aids Odysseus in killing many of the challenging suitors, including Antinous. After the remaining suitors surrender, Odysseus cedes his throne to Telemachus and leaves with Penelope to seek peace in exile. Sailing west to honor Odysseus's fallen soldiers, the couple expect civilization's renewal and muse that time will forget Odysseus' mistakes.