By Alexandra Vrasidas, Stephanie

Hernandez, Stanley Switalski, and Tylah

 The Beginning of Book 12

• Slightly frightened by the Underworld, Odysseus and his men

travel to the Island of Aeaea and return to Circe’s home. Here
they make a fire to give dead Elpenor a proper burial, as he
wished it from when Odysseus saw Elpenor in the underworld.
• Circe learns about Odysseus’ return and tells the crew that
tomorrow she will guide them in the right direction. While the
crew is asleep, Circe talks to Odysseus and tells him the future
of his voyage, and how to get around the obstacles that lie ahead.
Circe’s Talks about Odysseus’ Journey
• “First you will meet the Sirens, who cast a spell on every man who goes
their way. Whoso draws near unwarned and hears the Sires’ voices, by
him no wife nor little child shall ever stand, glad at his coming home…If
you yourself will listen … that so with pleasure you may hear the
Sirens’ song. But if you should entreat your men and bid them set you
free, let them with still more fetters bind you fast.”
• After the crew pass the Sirens, there are two ways that Circe tells of for
Odysseus to get one step closer to home. It is by traveling through a
strait. However, the strait is very treacherous. Though it may be one
strait, there is a higher and lower part.
– The higher part of the strait has a cave, with a six headed monster in
it, called Scylla. No ship has been able to pass without losing any
men.
– The lower part of the strait involves chance and skill. Here “Divine
Charybdis” creates a monstrous whirlpool. If Odysseus falls and is
sucked down, he and his crew is gone.
 Circe Talks about Odysseus’ Journey
(continued)
• Circe suggests that he head to Scylla, “For surely it is better
to miss six comrades from your ship than all together.”
• Next, Odysseus will reach the island of Thrinacia, “where in
great numbers feed the kine and the sturdy flocks of the
Sun.” Now if Odysseus were to leave these people, and
their bounty, alone, “he still may come to Ithaca, thought he
shall meet with hardship.
• But if he or his crew do harm them, then Circe tells the loss
of ship and crew; and even if yourself escape, late shall you
come in evil plight, with loss of all crew.
• Deciding it would be in the crew’s best interest, he retells
them what Circe tells him while they are at sea.
 The Journey Home
Continues
 Having guide from Circe, Odysseus reaches the island of the Sirens.
Here, his loyal crew bound him to the mast and put beeswax in their
ears. After passing the island, the crew meet the strait.
 Odysseus and his crew sail to the higher part of the strait where Scylla
lives. Here 6 of Odysseus’ best men are eaten, just like Circe said.
Odysseus admits that was the sadist sight he has yet seen, but moves
onward.
 Now they have reached the island of the Sun, Thrinacia. Of hearing the
sounds of cattle and sheep, Odysseus’ crew begin to question Circe.
Why shouldn’t they have a feast? There is plenty of livestock to share.
However, Odysseus is able to control them and make them take an oath
that they will not slay any cattle or sheep.
 All the men had held this oath until they ran out of food. Here, while
Odysseus was away and asleep, Eurylochus, a crew member, takes
charge and “began his evil counsel to his crew.” Saying that they will
make an offering when they return to Ithaca to the “Sun”, they kill the
livestock and have a feast, for they figure dying right away after a feast
is better than slowly withering away.
 Trouble Hits at Sea
 For six days Odysseus’ crew feasted and rested. But on
the seventh day, the wind had stopped blowing. So they
decided to take advantage of this and head out to sea.
They had easily made it, but after traveling quite a
distance, they had realized no land was to be spotted.
 At this time, “a shrill west wind arose, blowing a heavy
gale. The storm of wind snapped both the forestays of the
mast… Zeus at the same time thundered, hurling his bolt
against the ship… Out of the ship my comrades fell…
God cut them off from coming home.”
 Odysseus was able to save himself by scraping together
two pieces of his ship and drifting “before the deadly
winds.” However, the rest of his crew was not able to
make it.
How Odysseus Ends up on Calypso’s Island
 After drifting, the winds changed course and Odysseus was now
headed back to the strait and Circe. Unfortunately Odysseus
nearly gets sucked in by Charybdis’ whirlpool and loses his
“raft” in it.
 Clinging onto the nearby fig-treee, waiting for an hour, his “raft”
finally is spat back out. Here Odysseus drops to his “raft” and
floats for nine more days.
 On the tenth day, Odysseus has drifted to the Island of Ogygia,
where Calypso rescues Odysseus and takes care of Odysseus.
 After reaching this far in his tale, he stops his story. After the
Phaeacians ask him to continue, he tells the Phaeacians, why
should I continue. “It was but yesterday I told it in the hall to
you and your good wife; and it is irksome to tell a plain-told tale
a second time.”
 Depiction of When Odysseus
Passes the Island of the Sirens
When Odysseus and his
Crew Meet Scylla
 Answers to the Quiz
✧ Question 1
✧ Odysseus and his men travel to the Island of
Aeaea and return to Circe’s home.
✧ Question 2
✧ Circe tells Odysseus what will happen on his
Journey home.
✧ Question 3
✧ When Odysseus saw Elpenor in the underworld,
Elpenor asked Odysseus to give him a proper
burial.
✧ Question 4
✧ True, Circe had told Odysseus.
 Answers to the Quiz
 Question 5
The correct answer is B) 2.
 Question 6
For example, first Odysseus will sail by the island of the
Sirens. Next they will face Scylla, a three headed
monster that eats six members of the crew,
 Question 7
Circe suggested that he faced Scylla “For surely it is
better to miss six comrades from your ship than all
together.”
 Question 8
The correct answer is false. Odysseus did tell his crew
about what Circe had said for he thought that it was in
their best interest. However, he did not tell them that 6
members would be lost.
 Answers to the Quiz
✦ Question 9
✦ They had bees wax to prevent themselves from
hearing the song of the Sirens.
✦ Question 10
✦ The correct answer is B) Monsters.
✦ Question 11
✦ The correct answer is C) Oath.
✦ Question 12
✦ He would have felt much better for he would have
been able to prevent his crew and maybe saved
themselves.
✦ Question 13
✦ Zeus punishes them by destroying their ship in
the middle of the sea with his thunder bolt. He
 Answers to the Quiz

• Question 14
 The correct answer is C) He used parts from his ship 
to float.
• Question 15
 The correct answer is false.  His makeshift raft got 
sucked in, not himself.
• Question 16
 No, Odysseus did not continue his story.  He didn’t 
want to “For It was but yesterday I told it in the hall 
to you and your good wife; and it is irksome to tell a 
plain­told tale a second time.”