The Odyssey

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The Odyssey

• Book Summaries
• by Erin Salona

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Book ONEAthena Advises Telemachus

• Homers invocation to the Muses
• (9 daughters of Zeus worshipped for
• Inspiration to art and music)
• The reader learns
• Poseidon has stranded Odysseus with Calypso, the
  nymph
• Poseidon is upset with Odysseus for poking the
  Cyclops eye out
• Athena begs Zeus to let Ody. return to Ithaca

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Book ONE

• Athena comes to give advice to Telemachus is
  disguised as Mentor, a male family friend.
• Suitors have overrun Teles home want to marry
  his mom, Queen Penelope.
• Athena tells him to find a boat to sail to
  different places asking about his dad
• She tells Tele that he should warn off the
  suitors or kill them upon his return.

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Book ONE

• From Mentor, Telemachus decides that he should go
  to Pylos and Sparta to talk with both King Nestor
  and King Menelaus.
• If Tele learns that his father is alive, he
  should go home and put up with the suitors,
  knowing his dad will be home soon.

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Book ONE

• If Telemachus learns that his dad is dead, he
  should prepare a proper burial for him.
• Also, he will have to help choose a husband for
  his mother, Penelope.
• Telemachus is also informed by Mentor that he
  will have to kill the suitors who will not leave.

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Book TWOTelemachus Confronts the Suitors

• Telemachus calls all of the Greek men together to
  discuss his problem with the suitors.
• Antinous, the most arrogant suitor, blames
  Penelope b/c she seduces every suitor but will
  commit to none of them, says Antinous.
• Penelope has been tricking the suitors.

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Book TWO

• Penelope has been weaving a shroud for Laertes
  during the day but unraveling it at night.
• She will not marry a suitor until the shroud is
  done.
• Tele plans to sail away looking for Odysseus.
• Athena, disguised as Mentor, comforts him

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Book TWO

• Eurycleia, Teles old nurse, helps him get ready
  for the trip.
• Tele begs the nurse not to tell his mom that he
  has left until some time has passed
• Athena finds a crew for Tele and they all sail
  away together.

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Book THREEThe Visit to Nestor

• Tele ship arrive at Pylos, the land of King
  Nestor.
• They arrive during a festival in honor of
  Poseidon (who is Odysseuss enemy)
• Nestor doesnt know who Tele is and invites him
  to feast with them
• Nestor then asks Tele who he is
• Tele asks Nestor where his dad is

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Book THREE

• Nestor praises Tele.
• Nestor says that he Odysseus were friends
• Nestor says that Athena likely helped Ody.
• Tele doubts Athenas power
• Athena, disguised as Mentor, assures Tele that a
  god can save a mortal

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Book FOURThe Visit to Menelaus and Helen

• Nestor sends Tele to Sparta.
• In Sparta, King Menelaus wife Helen, are back
  together and happy.
• Tele doesnt tell them his identity.
• Menelaus reminisces about Odysseus tells war
  stories Telemachus cries
• He says no soldier worked harder than Ody. that
  he doesnt know if he is alive or dead.

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Book FOUR

• Tele. cries for his dad
• Menelaus figures out Teles identity
• Helen says aloud that Tele. must be the son of
  Ody.
• They tell Tele. that they heard that Ody. is
  alive living with the nymph Calypso
• The suitors have planned to kill Tele when he
  returns home

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Book FIVECalypso, the Sweet Nymph

• Hermes the wayfinder messenger god Zeus sends
  him to secure Odysseuss release
• Calypso lives on island of Ogygia holds
  Odysseus captive 7 years an immortal nymph and
  seductress promises Odysseus immortality

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Book FIVE

• Calypso is found singing and weaving many birds
  plants surround her
• Hermes tells Calypso she must relinquish Ody.
• This is the first time the reader meets Ody.
• He is found crying he misses his home
• Why is this scene ironic?
• Calypso helps Ody. go (doesnt have a choice-
  Zeus makes her)

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Book FIVE

• Calypso warns Ody. of the trouble he faces at sea
• Calypso asks Ody. if she is less interesting
  desirable than Penelope
• He remarks that Calypso is more beautiful but he
  still misses his wife
• Ody. builds a raft and sets sail

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Book FIVE

• Poseidon creates a storm, since he is mad at
  Ody., and destroys the raft
• Athena another nymph help Ody. arrive on the
  island of Sheria, home of the Phaecians.
• He is dirty and tired falls asleep under a pile
  of leaves

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Interlude Fun with Homer
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Book SIXThe Princess Nausicaa

• Athena goes to the island of
• the Phaeacians talks to
• Princess Nausicaa while
• she is sleeping.
• Athena tells Naus. to wash her linens to prepare
  for marriage (nobody wants a dirty bride)
• She also tells her to get a mule cart from her
  dad so she can go to the water.

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Book SIX

• Nausicaa and the maids take the linens in the
  cart to the river.
• Odysseus hears the girls playing and covers
  himself with an olive branch
• Ody. scares them because he is covered with sea
  brine is swollen from the sea
• The maids ran away but Nausicaa stayed

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Book SIX

• Odysseus doesnt know how to approach the
  beautiful Nausicaa doesnt want to anger her.
• He asks her if she is mortal or a goddess and
  praises her beauty
• Ody. explains that it took him 20 days to arrive
  on Sheria (Nausicaas island)
• He asks her for a cloth to wear into town

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Book SIX

• Nausicaa offers to help Odysseus because she
  knows Zeus requests that strangers be welcomed
• Nausicaa is the daughter of Prince Alcinous
• The maids give Ody. a tunic, cloak, and oil
• Ody. bathes himself away from the maids
• Athena makes him look even better by making him
  taller curling his golden-red hair

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Book SIX

• Nausicaa hopes her husband will look as fine as
  Odysseus.
• Naus. asks Ody. to stay with the maids behind the
  cart so nobody will think they are together (her
  parents would be upset)
• Ody. is to come to her palace a little later and
  her mother, thinking he is a stranger, will
  invite him into their home.

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Book EIGHTThe Song of the Minstrel

• (In Book 7, Odysseus is taken in by Nausicaas
  dad, King Alcinous. Ody. was believed to be
  god-sent and Alcinous ordered a banquet for him.)
• Demodocus, the blind minstrel, is called.
• Ody. asks him to sing a song about the Trojan
  horse (a song about himself)
• Remember nobody knows who Ody. is

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Book EIGHT

• Demodocus sings about the fighting during the
  Trojan War
• Ody. Cries
• Alcinous demands to know Odysseuss identity
• Homer ends the book in suspense.

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Book NINEThe Lotus Eaters and the Cyclops

• Odysseus reveals himself to Alcinous as Laertes
  son
• Ody. tells of his misadventures with his crew
• After 9 days of drifting, they stop on the Land
  of the Lotus Eaters

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Book NINE

• The lotus plant causes feelings of laziness and
  dreaminess
• Ody. sends 3 of his men to check out the land
  they never return b/c they fall in with the Lotus
  Eaters
• Ody. Finds the 3 men and ties them under their
  boat benches.
• He tells the others not to eat the Lotus or they
  wont want to go home

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Interlude Odysseus Ship
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Book NINE

• Odysseus and his men sail away
• They land on the Cyclops island
• Odysseus curiosity leads him to the Cyclops
  cave (the result of the encounter explains
  Poseidons anger toward Ody.)
• Ody. and his men are sitting inside the Cyclops
  cave around the fire when he comes inside.
• The Cyclops has one eye in the center of his head

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Book NINE

• The Cyclops leads his rams and ewes outside and
  covers the cave opening with a huge rock.
• He milks his ewes.
• He asks for the strangers identities
• Ody. explains who they are and that they were
  blown off course
• Ody. tells him that he should be hospitable or
  suffer the wrath of Zeus

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Book NINE

• The Cyclops says he is not afraid of Zeus and has
  more power than he does.
• Ody. says Poseidon broke up their ship (a lie)
• The Cyclops picks up two of the men, bashes their
  brains in, and eats them!
• Ody. decides not to try and kill the Cyclops b/c
  they wont be able to leave the cave

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Book NINE

• In the morning, the Cyclops eats 2 more men for
  breakfast!
• He leaves his cave with his sheep and places the
  slab over the opening
• The men make a 6 foot pointed stake while he is
  gone.
• 4 men Ody. decide to poke the Cyclops in the eye

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Book NINE

• When the Cyclops returns at night and closes the
  cave opening, he eats 2 more men.
• Ody. gives him a bowl of strong wine
• Cyclops asks his name Ody replies Nohbdy
• Cyclops falls asleep the men put the stake in
  his eye

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Book NINE

• Cyclops begins to wail call for nearby Cyclopes
  
• He calls out Nohbdy tricked me, Nohbdys ruined
  me!
• Of course, nobody helps the Cyclops.
• Ody ties his men under the rams so they can leave
  the cave when the rams do
• Cyclops pats each ram as it leaves but doesnt
  feel the men

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Book NINE

• Ody yells out to Cyclops once he is on his boat.
• The Cyclops throws a boulder in front of the
  boat.
• Ody calls out his real name to Cyclops.
• Cyclops throws another boulder which hits their
  boat and slows them down.
• Cyclops asks Ody to come back so they can be
  friends.

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Book NINE

• Ody goes too far when he tells the Cyclops that
  he would hurl him to hell.
• The Cyclops calls out to his father Poseidon and
  asks him to prevent Ody from ever seeing his
  family and wishes that all of his men are killed
  on the journey.

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Book TENThe Bag of Winds and the Witch Circe

• Ody. men land on island of Aeolia
• Aeolus, the wind king, puts all the winds in a
  bag so that the men wont be harmed on the voyage
• Odys sailors open the bag of wind on the boat
  hurricanes ensue
• They are blown back to Aeolia with no sympathy
  from Aeolus

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Book TENThe Bag of Winds and the Witch Circe

• Next, they sail to the land of the Laestrygonians
  (lees-trih-GOH-nee-unz) some of the
  Laestrygonians, cannibals, eat some of Odys men.
• Then, with one ship left, they land on Aeaea,
  home to the witch Circe.
• Eurylochus, leads a party of 22 men to explore
  the island.
• They find Circe surrounded by many wild animals.

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Book TENThe Bag of Winds and the Witch Circe

• Circe looks harmless since she is singing and
  weaving the men think she might be a goddess.
• Eurylochus did not go in to meet her since he
  sensed something evil within Circe.
• Circe feeds the men and gives them laced wine
  which turns them into pigs.
• Hermes gives Ody an antidote to work against
  Circes power he rushes to her home.

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Book TENThe Bag of Winds and the Witch Circe
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Book TENThe Bag of Winds and the Witch Circe

• She releases all of Odys men, and since she is
  the most beautiful immortal, he agrees to her
  request to have Ody and his men stay with her for
  a year.
• They beg Circe to help them get home.
• She warns them that they will have to confront
  Hades, King of the Underworld, and his wife
  Persephone, Queen of the Underworld.
• In the Underworld, the men will have to consult
  with Teiresias, the blind prophet.

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Book ELEVENThe Land of the Dead

• Odys voyage to the Land of the Dead symbolizes
  the darkest depths of our souls that we must all
  confront on lifes journey.
• Teiresiass blindness suggests his true insight
  or prophecy.
• In the Underworld, Ody. sacrifices sheep to the
  gods and the dead watch him
• Teiresias tells Ody that Poseidon will make his
  journey home difficult

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Book ELEVENThe Land of the Dead

• Teir. tells Ody not to eat Helios, the sun gods,
  cattle to make sacrifices to Poseidon
• He says Ody will come home alone to find the
  suitors at his house which he will kill
• Ody. sees his mother Anticleia, a ghost, who died
  of a broken heart when Ody. didnt return home
  from Troy

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Book ELEVENThe Land of the Dead

• Anticleia assures Ody of his wifes loyalty and
  he tries to embrace her but cant
• Ody sees many heroes in the Underworld he once
  knew, such as Achilles and Agamemnon

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Book TWELVEThe Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis

• Ody has returned to Circes island she warns
  him of the dangers of his journey
• Circe warns the men of the Sirens, whose music
  enchants men so that they may kill them
• She tells Ody to plug the mens ears with wax so
  they cant hear the Sirens
• Ody can be tied to the mast of the boat so he can
  hear them

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Book TWELVEThe Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis
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Book TWELVEThe Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis

• The 2nd danger to avoid is the den of Scylla, a
  monster who has 12 legs and 6 serpents necks and
  heads. She has 3 rows of sharp teeth. She will
  eat 6 men at once.
• The 3rd danger is the whirlpool Charybdis
• Circe tells the men that they should hug the
  cliffs of Scylla because it is better to lose 6
  men than an entire boat of men.
• The 4th danger are Helios cattle. If the men
  eat them, the ship crew will be destroyed.

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Book TWELVEThe Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis
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Book TWELVEThe Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis

• Ody. never tells the men of the last prophecy.
• (Ody. is still telling his story to King
  Alcinous)
• The men survive the Sirens.
• Scylla eats 6 of the men.
• They avoid Charybdis.

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Book TWELVEThe Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis

• The men eat Helios cattle are punished at sea
  by a thunderbolt from Zeus.
• Ody is the only one who survived goes to
  Calypsos island.
• Ody is finished telling his story
• We are back at book 5.
• Chronologically, Odysseus voyage is as follows
  Book 9-12, 5-8, 13-24

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Books 13-15 Summary

• Ody is returned in secret on a Phaecian ship
• Athena disguises him as a beggar
• Ody, disguised as a beggar, visits Eumaeus, his
  old swineherd. Eumaeus tells Ody. that Ody. will
  be home soon.
• Telemachus is with Menelaus and Helen Athena
  advises him to go home
• She warns Tele that the suitors plan to kill him

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Book SIXTEENThe Meeting of Father and Son

• Tele arrives at Eumaeus hut. Ody is still
  there, disguised as a beggar.
• Euamaeus is thrilled to see Tele.
• Tele asks him if his mom has remarried and
  Eumaeus says no.
• Tele tells the stranger he will protect him as
  best he can

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Book SIXTEENThe Meeting of Father and Son

• Eumaeus tells Penelope of Teles return
• Athena makes Ody. look like a better version of
  himself Tele is happy to see his dad
• Ody asks Tele to keeps his arrival secret, even
  to Penelope

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Book SEVENTEENThe Beggar and the Faithful Dog

• Tele returns home Penelope and Eurycleia, his
  nurse, greet him.
• Tele tells Penelope of Menelaus prophecy that
  Ody is back in Ithaca
• Ody returns home, disguised as a beggar, with
  Eumaeus
• Argos, Odys old dog who he hasnt seen in 20
  years, remembers him

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Book SEVENTEENThe Beggar and the Faithful Dog

• Argos dies after seeing Ody
• Ody, disguised as a beggar, goes to the hall and
  asks each suitor for food. They all give him
  food, except for Antinous, who throws a stool at
  him
• Penelope has heard that he has news of her
  husband and protects him

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Book NINETEENPenelope, the Beggar, and the Nurse

• Ody and Tele discuss their strategy
• Ody wants to test Penelope and her maids
• Ody and Penelope sit and talk, and she tells him
  of her problems how she misses her husband and
  how she doesnt want to remarry
• Ody tells a story about his identity and how he
  met Ody. and how he praises him

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Book NINETEENPenelope, the Beggar, and the Nurse

• Penelope cries upon hearing about her husband
  (she passes the test)- Lines 1566-1577 are an
  epic simile
• Ody tells her that Ody. is sailing home
• Penelope asks Eurycleia to wash his feet

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Book NINETEENPenelope, the Beggar, and the Nurse

• Eurycleia tells Ody. that he is a lot like Ody.
  and then sees the scar on his leg from a boars
  tusk on Parnassus. She recognizes him.
• Ody. swears Eurycleia to secrecy

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Book Twenty-ONEThe Test of the Great Bow

• Penelope tells the suitors that she will marry
  the one who can bend, string, and shoot Odys
  hunting bow through 12 ax handles.
• Nobody can work his bow.
• Ody asks the cowherd Philoetius and the swineherd
  Eumaeus to help him
• Ody tells them that they were the only men who
  missed him

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Book Twenty-ONEThe Test of the Great Bow

• Ody will give the cowherd and swineherd wives,
  cattle, and homes if they help him kill the
  suitors
• He shows them his scar to prove himself
• Ody tells them to lock himself and all the
  suitors in the room when he picks up the bow
• Penelope allows Ody to test the bow

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Book Twenty-ONEThe Test of the Great Bow

• Telemachus has removed the suitors weapons from
  the hall
• Ody, the beggar, strings the bow and shoots it
  through the axe holes
• Tele straps on his armor

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Book TWENTY-TWODeath at the Palace

• This is the climax.
• Ody must fight more than 100 suitors
• He attacks Antinous, the meanest, first, and
  shoots an arrow into his neck.

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Book TWENTY-TWODeath at the Palace

• The suitors run around, looking for weapons and
  cursing Ody, the beggar.
• Ody accuses the suitors of such things as
  using his maids and trying to marry his wife
• The suitors, of course, dont believe he is Ody
• Eurymachus blames the suitors actions on
  Antinous commands

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Book TWENTY-TWODeath at the Palace

• Eurymachus tells Ody that he and the suitors will
  give him gifts if he lets them go
• Ody replies, There will be killing till the
  score is paid.
• Tele, Eumaeus, and Philoetius help Ody kill the
  suitors
• Athenas shield comes to life, and she helps kill
  the suitors

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Book TWENTY-TWODeath at the Palace

• Ody rounds up the disloyal maids, forces them to
  clean up the mess of dead bodies, and then Tele
  hangs them
• One suitor is even killed fed to the dogs!

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Book TWENTY-THREEOdysseus and Penelope

• Eurycleia announces Odys return to Penelope.
• Penelope suspects a trick from the gods and
  decides to test Ody
• Tele chides her for doubting Odys identity
• She tells Tele that she and Ody share secret
  signs
• Ody is made beautiful by Athena

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Book TWENTY-THREEOdysseus and Penelope

• Ody tells Eurycleia to prepare a couch for him to
  sleep upon
• Penelope tells the nurse to carry their marriage
  bed out for him to sleep onwords meant to test
  her husband
• Ody becomes upset because the bed was built
  around an olive tree that serves as a bedpost it
  cant be moved unless another man had sawed the
  post from the trunk

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Book TWENTY-THREEOdysseus and Penelope

• Ody passes the test and he and Penelope embrace.
• Ody plans to travel to his dads house and to
  seek revenge upon the suitors families.

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Book TWENTY-FOUROdysseus and His Father

• The ghosts of the suitors drift to the Underworld
• Ody goes to see his dad Laertes, but pretends to
  be a traveler who entertained Ody 5 years ago.
• When Laertes begins to cry, Ody reveals himself.
  
• He proves his identity by showing his leg scar
  discussing childhood memories.

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Book TWENTY-FOUROdysseus and His Father

• Ody, Tele, Laertes, and other loyal men eat
  together.
• Athena makes Laertes look younger.
• A battle erupts between the suitors families and
  the Ithacans
• Athena makes Ody call off the battle, and
  everyone lived happily ever after.

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The End