The Odyssey

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The Odyssey

• Book Ten

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Book Ten

• When Odysseus leaves the island of the Cyclops
  he arrives on the island of Aeolia (home of
  Aeolas, god of wind).
• Aeolas, and his luxury loving family, entertain
  Odysseus for a month in his splendid palace and
  Odysseus is then sent home, with a magical and
  securely fastened bag of wind.
• This bag remained sealed on his ship. When they
  were in sight of Ithaca, while the hero was
  asleep, some of his crew opened the bag, thinking
  it was gold, silver and riches.

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Book Ten

• They were blown right back to Aeolia again. When
  Odysseus appears in front to Aeolia once more and
  asks the wind god to assist them again, he is
  cursed and driven off the island.

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Book Ten

• Next the hapless crew landed on the island of the
  giant Laestrygonians. Odysseus sends three men
  inland to investigate.
• On the way they meet a woman who brings them to
  the royal house-hold. There the giant king,
  Antiphates, apprehends one of the sailors to eat
  him for supper. The other two escape back to the
  ships to warn the crew.
• Under a volley of rocks thrown at them by the
  giants, Odysseus and his men make a difficult
  escape from the island, however, many of
  Odysseus men are killed or captured by the
  giants.

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Book Ten

• Odysseus wanderings then take him to Circes
  homeland, Aeaea.
• Whilst exploring inland he noticed some smoke
  rising into the distance. Rather than exploring
  this immediately, he kills a passing deer and
  brings it down from the mountain providing a
  feast for his distressed men.

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Book Ten

• He sends a scouting party ahead to see who lives
  on the island this party is lead by Eurylocus.
  When they approach her palace, the animals that
  lay about the place, come up to the men and are
  friendly to the visitors. They are really humans
  turned into animals by Circe.
• The men hear her spell-binding singing coming
  from inside.

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Book Ten

• When the men enter the palace they are given a
  meal. Eurylochus stays outside, fearing it is a
  trap. After eating the food, Circe touches the
  men with her wand and then transforms them into
  pigs. Circe imprisons them in a pen and cages.
• Eurylochus escapes back to the ship to tell
  Odysseus about the fate of his men.

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Book Ten

• Odysseus asks Eurylochus to take him back to the
  Circes cabin but Eurylochus begs Odysseus not to
  bring him along so Odysseus travels to Circes
  dwelling alone.
• The hero immediately makes his way up to Circes
  palace.
• On the way he meets Hermes (a god). He gives
  Odysseus a plant to protect him from Circes
  magic.

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Book Ten

• Odysseus arrives at her palace, enters and is
  given a meal by the nymph. Her drugs have no
  effect and when Odysseus draws his sword to kill
  her she pleads for mercy.
• When Circe assures the hero that no more harm
  will come to him or his men, they both retire to
  her bed.

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Book Ten

• Circes maids prepare a bath and a meal for the
  hero but he is not in any humour to eat, his mind
  is distracted. Before the hero takes any food, he
  wants his men turned back into humans. Circe uses
  an ointment and converts the pigs back into human
  beings.
• Odysseus returns to his ship to bring the rest of
  his men to the palace. When he invites them all
  to Circes castle, Eurylochus is deeply
  suspicious of this. He begs Odysseus to think
  again on this matter.
• Eurylochus reminds the crew of the danger
  Odysseus got them into with the Cyclops. Odysseus
  is furious with his captain but ventures ahead
  anyway.

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Book Ten

• The crew and Eurylochus go inland to the nymphs
  castle. There they feast and live the high life
  for a year. Eventually Odysseus decides it is
  time to return home.
• Circe tells him to visit the underworld Hades.
  He is instructed to speak to Teiresias. The nymph
  directs him to the Island of the river oceans.
• One of his men, Elpenor, had fallen asleep on the
  palace roof, drunk the previous night. He was
  awoken by all the noise and commotion of the
  mens departure below. Forgetting he was on the
  roof he failed to take the ladder down to the
  ground and falls to his death.
• Meanwhile Odysseus and his men sail to the river
  oceans.

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Book Ten Important Points

• Note again the pattern of the narrative two
  short stories followed by a longer adventure.
• Note the underlying tension between the hero and
  his men (particularly in the Circe episode).
• Note the role of Hermes the herb he gives
  Odysseus.
• Note that like Calypso, Odysseus does not fully
  trust Circe. Yet in spite of her black magic,
  like Calypso, she has Odysseus interests at
  heart and helps him. In fact she proves to be
  very helpful to Odysseus.

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Book Ten Important Points

• Elpenors death at the end of the book is
  noteworthy. Odysseus will meet his comrade in the
  underworld.
• Note that, as in book 9, there are good and bad
  features of Odysseus character. He does save his
  men from the Laestrygonians and Circe. Yet why
  the home-sick hero spends a whole year living the
  high-life in Aeaea with Circe is hard to explain.
  Was Odysseus not impatient to return home to his
  beloved Penelope?

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Book Ten Questions

• Outline Odysseus encounter with the
  Laestrygonians.
• How does Circe help Odysseus what advice does
  she give him? (about getting to Hades and what he
  has to do when he gets there)
• How would you describe Odysseus relationship
  with his men in this book?