The Odyssey

For twenty years, Ithaca has been without its king Odysseus, never returned 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 faithful servant Eumaeus still believe Odysseus will return. Penelope tells Telemachus she fears attacks by murderous "people from the sea" who violate Zeus's law—mutual respect between guests and hosts, leading Telemachus to travel with Odysseus's friend Mentor, to Menelaus, King of Sparta, to locate his father's whereabouts. Antinous learns about this and conspires with other suitors to kill Telemachus upon his return and plunder Ithaca. Menelaus and his wife Helen tell Telemachus about the war's events, but express uncertainty about Odysseus's fate.

Meanwhile, Athena appears to Odysseus on the island Ogygia, where the nymph Calypso, infatuated with Odysseus, drugs him with amnesia-inducing lotus flowers. Despite Calypso's objection to Athena's command to return home, she encourages him to remember his past. Years earlier, the Greek army, led by Menelaus' brother Agamemnon, had conquered Troy using Odysseus' stratagem the Trojan Horse, hiding Greeks inside, with Sinon as a decoy; Sinon dies. While Menelaus and Agamemnon return home, Odysseus and his crew, including second-in-command Eurylochus, were searching an island for supplies, but are trapped in a cave by the cyclops Polyphemus, who devours several soldiers. They blind Polyphemus and escape, and hear him cry out to his father Poseidon; the crew suffers harsh sea conditions. They land on Aeaea, where giant Laestrygonians kill most of them. The survivors rebel, leaving Odysseus with their ship as they seek refuge with the witch Circe, who turns them into pigs. After Odysseus persuades her to change his men back, Circe warns that to reach Ithaca, Odysseus must cross Oceanus into Hades.

In Hades, Odysseus meets the shade of Tiresias, who predicts that, by divine will, only Odysseus will return home. Odysseus also encounters Sinon's shade, who reproaches Odysseus for causing his death and reveals that Antinous manipulated him into taking his place in the Greek army. Lastly, 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. Chased from Hades by Odysseus' fallen army, Odysseus and crew follow Tiresias' guidance to survive encounters with the Sirens, Charybdis and Scylla. On Thrinacia, Odysseus warns his men not to kill the cattle of the Sun God, as Tiresias foretold Odysseus' men would die from doing so, but the starving men slaughter some cattle. When they leave, Zeus' storm sinks their ship, killing all but Odysseus. He washes ashore unconscious on Ogygia, where Calypso revives him.

Feeling pity, Calypso reveals that Odysseus has been on Ogygia for seven years and releases him. Odysseus builds a raft and surrenders his fate to the storm. He washes ashore in Ithaca, learning from Eumaeus that the suitors sent bandits to assassinate Telemachus and Mentor, who have just returned. Mentor dies, but a disguised Odysseus, calling himself "Sinon", rescues Telemachus and kills the bandits. Odysseus's elderly dog Argos dies as he recognizes Odysseus, leading Telemachus also to recognize him. During a feast, Odysseus confronts Antinous about betraying Sinon; Antinous thrashes Odysseus before Telemachus intervenes.

After the meal, still disguised, Odysseus confesses to Penelope his guilt for violating Zeus' law during the sacking of Troy, desecrating Athena's statue after killing her priestess (whose form Athena assumed in visions), and causing the Bronze Age's collapse. He reveals that the rumored "sea people" were the Greeks themselves and begs Penelope's forgiveness. Athena appears to him, clasping his hand. Believing Odysseus dead, Penelope announces her readiness to remarry and instructs the suitors to return at dawn. Penelope declares she will marry whoever can string Odysseus' bow and shoot an arrow through a row of axe heads. The suitors fail; Odysseus succeeds, revealing his identity. The hall erupts in battle: Telemachus aids Odysseus in killing the challenging suitors, including Antinous. As the remaining suitors surrender, Odysseus cedes his throne to Telemachus and leaves Ithaca with Penelope to seek peace in exile. Sailing west to honor his fallen soldiers, the pair expect civilization's renewal and muse that time will forget Odysseus' mistakes.