Odysseus, the Hero of Ithaca Adapted from the Third Book of the Primary Schools of Athens, Greece

Early the next morning Odysseus dressed himself in his splendid armor and bade his son and servants accompany him to the farm. They took their weapons and went forth, Odysseus l...

Alkinoös now ordered a sumptuous feast in honor of his guest. When the table was spread, the herald who had gone for Demodokos came in leading the bard, who was blind. The gods...

While Odysseus lay in a deep sleep, the goddess Athena went to the royal dwelling of the king of the Phæacians, Alkinoös, in order to hasten the return of Odysseus to his native...

Then he lifted up his voice and said: "Hear me, ye suitors of Penelope, while I advise that you defer this trial of your strength until another day. Apollo will then bestow the...

Odysseus left the haven by a narrow stony path and took his way to the dwelling of his faithful swineherd, who thought more of the welfare of his master than did all the rest of...

Before the sun was fairly up, they all arose and seated themselves on the smooth stone benches that loomed up in the gloaming, white and shining, before the gates of the palace....

"As I lingered in that dangerous valley there appeared to me a youth whom I knew at once to be Hermes, the messenger of the gods. He gently took hold of my hand and, looking com...

When the morning star arose the ship reached Ithaca. It entered a harbor called Phorkys, where there was a grotto sacred to the nymphs, and it was shaded at the entrance by an o...

The next morning, at dawn of day, Telemachos rose from his bed and put on his garments. He hung his sword over his shoulder and fastened his sandals on his feet and strode brave...

The suitors had now arrived in the great banquet-hall and taken their places at the tables. The servants brought bread and meat and placed it before them, while Melanthios fille...

Eurycleia, with an exulting heart, now hurried up the lofty stairs and stood by the queen in her royal chamber. "Penelope," she cried, "my child, Odysseus has come. Thy husband...

At the time when Odysseus was wrecked, after his comrades had eaten of the cattle of Hēlios, and he was cast up on to the island of Calypso, Athena prayed to Zeus, her mighty si...

It has long been the opinion of many of the more progressive teachers of the United States that, next to Herakles, Odysseus is the hero closest to child-life, and that the stori...

"Polyphemus, groaning with pain, tried to feel his way with his hands to the mouth of the cavern. Having succeeded in this, he rolled back the stone and sat down at the entrance...

After the revellers had left the palace, Odysseus said to his son: "Now is the time to hide all these weapons where the suitors cannot find them, when their hour of need shall c...

After Odysseus had contemplated these wonders to his heart's content, he entered the main hall. There he found the leaders of the Phæacians bringing offerings of wine to Hermes,...

"When we had escaped from the terrible Skylla and Charybdis, we came to the island of Hēlios, the island of the Sun, and heard from afar the lowing of the cattle and the bleatin...

It was not long after Eumaios had left the cabin when Athena, in the guise of a beautiful woman, appeared to Odysseus and beckoned him to come outside. Telemachos was opposite t...

At daybreak the goddess gave Odysseus a large axe and a sharp adze, and led him to the heights of the island, where the largest trees grew. He went to work at once and cut down...

The war lasted nine years, and in the tenth the Greeks conquered Troy, not in battle, but by means of a trick which had come into the mind of Odysseus. He told a skilful carpent...

"When we reached Circè's isle, we dragged our vessel up on to the beach, and lay down to sleep on the shore. At break of day I sent my comrades forth to bring the body of Elpeno...

The next morning Menelaos rose from his couch very early, put on his garments, hung his sword over his shoulder, laced his sandals, and went into his hall looking like a god. He...

After Nausicaä had mounted to her seat on the cart, she said to Odysseus: "Get ready now, stranger, and we will lead thee to my father's palace, where thou wilt meet the chiefs...

Aphrodite, while leading Paris to the shores of Lacedæmon, had not forgotten her promise, and in Sparta itself she was at work at its fulfilment. She inspired Queen Helen with a...

All the Greeks who had escaped from the destruction of Troy and had been spared the terrors of the sea returned to their homes. But the unfortunate Odysseus was delayed by the f...

Telemachos was the first to notice the swineherd entering the hall, and he made a sign for him to come and sit by him. Presently Odysseus, too, entered in the guise of a forlorn...

"The next day I started with twelve men, the crew of my own ship, to find out what kind of men inhabited the country opposite us, leaving all the other boats and their men on th...

Early the next morning Telemachos rose, tied his shining sandals under his feet, took his spear and stood ready to go to the city. He called the swineherd to him, and said: "Eum...

One day while Telemachos was in Sparta, the guest of Menelaos, the suitors were more riotous than usual. They diverted themselves in the palace of Odysseus by throwing the discu...

"While we were conversing thus, the shades of Achilles and Patroklos came near. The soul of Achilles recognized me, and he said: 'Odysseus, son of Laertes, how darest thou desce...

"When Tiresias had gone, my mother came back to the dark trench and drank of the blood. She knew me at once and cried out: 'Oh, my child, how didst thou ever come down to this g...

"When the monster had filled himself with food, he stretched out on the floor of the cave to sleep. Then the thought came to me to thrust a sword into his heart. But this was no...

"With a heavy heart we sailed from Circè's island bound for the gloomy Hades. As the wind was favorable, we soon reached the place of which the goddess had told us. There we lef...

On the northern shore of Asia Minor there lies a plateau watered by many small rivers and surrounded on all sides by mountains, only on the north it slopes gently to the sea. On...

"We sailed onward in a westerly direction, heading for the Grecian shore, and thought our trials would soon be at an end. But in this we were disappointed, for when we were abou...

At sunrise the ship arrived at Pylos. The people of that town were all assembled on the shore, where they were sacrificing coal-black oxen to Poseidon. Some were burning fat upo...

When they had all eaten and drunk to their hearts' content, the hero begged Demodokos to sing about the invention of the wooden horse with which Odysseus had artfully tricked th...

"When I saw that we were near the home of the Sirens, I said to my men: 'It is not wise that only one of us should know the oracles of Circè, and I will tell you all she said to...

"For six days and six nights we sailed without interruption, but on the seventh day we reached the city of the Læstrygonians. There the pastures are so rich in grass that the fi...

When daylight appeared Odysseus and Eumaios rose from their beds and sent the serving men out into the fields with their swine, but they themselves remained at home and prepared...

Odysseus was lying on his bed, but he could not sleep, for he was thinking how he might destroy the suitors. Suddenly Athena appeared to him, and said: "Odysseus, why dost thou...

"We sailed about on unknown seas for many days, when we reached the island where Æolus made his abode. This island was surrounded by smooth rocks and guarded by a wall of shinin...

Having encouraged Penelope, the goddess Athena sped to Sparta, where she found Telemachos, with Nestor's son, asleep upon the porch. She stood beside his bed, and warned him tha...

The kings and chieftains of Hellas, having heard that Odysseus and Menelaos had been driven out of Troy, hastened to call together their fleets and armies at Aulis, a city of Bœ...

When Odysseus was again seated by the hearth, Penelope began to speak to him further: "Stranger, one more question I must ask thee, and then I will leave thee, for the hour of s...

The combat grew more stubborn. Athena, in the guise of Mentor, stood near Odysseus and cheered him on. "Woe unto thee, Mentor, if thou dost dare to help Odysseus," cried one of...

All the guests had listened with deep attention to the recital of Odysseus; all were greatly interested, and when he ended they did not stir or speak a word. Alkinoös was the fi...

After awhile Odysseus and Eumaios came to the house. As they drew near they waited a little to listen to the music, for a minstrel had begun a song, and while singing he played...

The feast continued. The wooers ate and drank but were silent, for an illustrious bard was singing to them of the Trojan war. Telemachos walked forth in the midst of them, his h...

Telemachos left the assembly and went down to the sea-shore alone, and washing his hands in the surf called on the goddess who had appeared to him the day before to come to his...

Penelope admired the prudence of the poor old beggar, and called Eurycleia, bidding her to bathe the stranger's feet as carefully as if they were the feet of her master. The nur...

Athena, the daughter of Zeus, seeing Odysseus struggling through the waves, pitied him, and bade the winds become quiet. Two days and two nights Odysseus floated about, but on t...