Book 23

-Eurycleia runs upstairs to call out Penelope, who has been sleeping throughout
the battle. Penelope refuses to accept anything Eurycleia says, and she stays
skeptical even after seeing her spouse with her own eyes.

-Telemachus chastises her for not receiving Odysseus more affectionately after
his lengthy absence, but Odysseus remains preoccupied with other matters. He
has just executed all of Ithaca's excellent young men; their guardians must be
devastated.

-He and the rest of his family opt to stay at their property for the time being.
Meanwhile, a minstrel sings a pleasant song in order to ensure no people who
pass will realize what is going on in the palace.

-Penelope is still anxious, worried that a deity is pulling a cruel trick on her. She
instructs Eurycleia to move her wedding bed, and Odysseus tells her that the
bed is permanent, explaining that it is made from the main body of an olive tree
that the residence was built around.

-Hearing him narrate this information, she concludes he must be the man she
married. They re-acquaint themselves, and Odysseus tells his wife about his
adventures.

-He also informs her about the journey that he is required to take in order to
fulfill Tiresias' prophecy in Book 11. On the subsequent day, he sets out with
Telemachus for Laertes' vineyard.

-He instructs Penelope not venture out of her bedroom or welcome any visitors
of any kind. Odysseus and Telemachus have been covered in darkness by Athena
to ensure no one can see them as they travel throughout city.
 Book 24
-The scene shifts abruptly. Hermes escorts the suitors' souls into Hades, who was wailing like
bats. Achilles and Agamemnon had a dispute about who died better. Agamemnon goes into
enormous detail about Achilles' funeral.

-They observe the suitors arriving and wonder how numerous noble young men died. The suitor
Amphimedon, whom Agamemnon met in life, offers a brief narrative of their demise,
condemning Penelope and her unpredictability for almost all of it. Agamemnon contrasts
Penelope's faithfulness with Clytemnestra's deceit.

-Odysseus returns to Ithaca and visits Laertes' property. He orders his maids into his house in
order to ensure he can spend time in the gardens with his father alone.

-Odysseus discovers that Laertes grew older prematurely as a result of his mourning for his
young son and wife. He cannot identify Odysseus, and Odysseus doesn't immediately expose
himself, saying to be somebody Odysseus previously knew and befriended.

-But as Laertes begins to weep at the mere thought of Odysseus, Odysseus wraps his arms
around his body and kisses him. He confirms his own existence by the scar and his recollections
of the fruit trees whom Laertes gave him as young boy. He informs Laertes about how he
exacted vengeance on the suitors.

-Laertes and Odysseus shared a meal. Dolius, Melanthius and Melantho's father, accompanies
them. While they eat together, the goddess Rumor sweeps across the city spreading information
of the palace slaughter.

-The suitors' parents gather for a meeting to discuss how they should respond. The elder
prophet, Halitherses, argues that the suitors had only received the compensation they deserved
for their crimes, while Antinous's father, Eupithes, urges both parents to fight for vengeance on
Odysseus.

-Their little army pursues Odysseus to Laertes' residence, but Athena, disguised as Mentor a
second time, decides to declare an end to the bloodshed. The sole person slain is Antinous'
father, who was assassinated by one of Laertes' spears. Athena encourages the Ithacans to
repent of the killing of their young ones and accept Odysseus as ruler. Thus, peace has been
successfully restored.