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The Daily Insight

What chapter does Odysseus return to Ithaca?

Author

John Kim

Updated on May 08, 2026

THE HOMECOMING OF ODYSSEUS (THE ODYSSEY, BOOKS 13–24) The second half of the Odyssey (Books 13–24) narrates how Odysseus returned to his palace, killed the suitors, and was recognized and reunited with Penelope, and how he resumed his rule over Ithaca.

Similarly, it is asked, what book does Odysseus return to Ithaca?

In Homer's Odyssey, Odysseus returns to Ithaca after ten years fighting at Troy and another ten years struggling to get home. In Book 23, Odysseus finally removes his disguise after defeating the suitors and struggles to reunite with his wife after so long away.

Also Know, when did Odysseus return to Ithaca? April 16, 1178 B.C.

Herein, how does Odysseus return to Ithaca?

On Mount Olympus, Zeus sends Hermes to rescue Odysseus from Calypso. Hermes persuades Calypso to let Odysseus build a ship and leave. When he finishes his story, the Phaeacians return Odysseus to Ithaca, where he seeks out the hut of his faithful swineherd, Eumaeus.

What happened in Book 17 of the Odyssey?

Summary: Book 17

Telemachus leaves Odysseus at Eumaeus's hut and heads to his palace, where he receives a tearful welcome from Penelope and the nurse Eurycleia. Odysseus receives a similar welcome at the palace. The suitors give him food with great reluctance, and Antinous goes out of his way to insult him.

Related Question Answers

Why did Odysseus disguise himself as a beggar and tell Penelope that Odysseus will return to Ithaca?

Why did Odysseus disguise himself as a beggar, and tell Penelope that Odysseus will return to Ithaca? Odysseus wanted to see her reaction.

Who kills Odysseus first?

Odysseus first kills Antinous by shooting an arrow at him while he appears to be drinking from a cup. The buttshaft of the arrow is sticking out of his neck when all is said and done. This is the man who was most after his wife and sort of was the ring leader of the men vying for Penelope's hand in marriage.

Why does Odysseus want to hear the Sirens?

Ulysses wanted to hear the Sirens' song although he knew that doing so would render him incapable of rational thought. He put wax in his men's ears so that they could not hear and had them tie him to the mast so that he could not jump into the sea.

What would have happened if Odysseus had not arrived in a disguise?

Answer Expert Verified. If Odysseus did not arrive in a disguise, they will probably judge and dismiss Odysseus right away as a beggar or crazy old lunatic man. But since, he disguised and proved his strength through a bow, in which he was known for it, his disguise was effective.

Why does Zeus allow Poseidon to punish the phaeacians?

Poseidon was furious against the Phaeacians for assisting Odysseus. Them after listening t what Poseidon had to say, Zeus allows him to punish the Phaeacians for being good hosts. Their ship turns to stones and sink.

Why is Odysseus the only survivor What saves him?

After continuing on their journey, the crew then suffered a shipwreck. Odysseus was the only survivor. He was able to reach the island of Ogygia, where the witch Calypso lived, but she held him captive for seven years. Hermes, the messenger of the gods, later intervened and was able to free Odysseus.

What is the hardest part about coming home for Odysseus?

The hardest part about coming home for Odysseus is not actually being disguised as a beggar, but how the suitors treat him.

How did Penelope trick the suitors?

Many suitors had come to woo "the widow". She put them off with a ruse, persuading them to wait until she had finished a funeral shroud for Laertes, Odysseus's father, which she wove by day and secretly unravelled by night. In this way she managed to deceive them for three years.

What immortal is Odysseus greatest enemy?

God of the sea. As the suitors are Odysseus's mortal antagonists, Poseidon is his divine antagonist. He despises Odysseus for blinding his son, the Cyclops Polyphemus, and constantly hampers his journey home.

What will Odysseus find when he returns home?

The final part in our series about the Trojan War brings our ship-wrecked hero, Odysseus back home after 20 long years away. He arrives on his rocky island kingdom of Ithaca disguised as a beggar and finds that his palace is full of suitors wooing his wife, the faithful Queen Penelope.

What did Odysseus gain from his journey?

If we were to take a positive read of Odysseus, I would say that he learns the value of family. Odysseus understands that the ending of the Trojan War means he is to go back home to his family. His trials and tribulations to that end prove his loyalty to his family.

Why did Odysseus cheat on his wife?

He already had a good woman at home who did not give in to the suitors and stayed faithful to him. Plus, he was supposed to be on a journey that would return him to his wife. Instead, he made the wrong decision to cheat on her with women that could not compare to his wife.

Does Odysseus kill all the suitors?

Odysseus, his son, his men, and Athena participate in the battle. The final bloody showdown at the end of Homer's The Odyssey consists of Odysseus ruthlessly murdering Penelope's suitors. He shows them no mercy, while also having Athene on his side to aid him in murdering all of them.

What happens on Ithaca while Odysseus is away?

while Odysseus was Away. The chiefs and lords of Ithaca admired Penelope for her beauty. They also coveted her money and her lands, and when Odysseus did not return, each one of these greedy and wicked men wished to marry her and make all that had belonged to brave Odysseus his own.

Why does Odysseus come home in disguise?

Odysseus is disguised as a beggar by the goddess Athena, who helps him plot his revenge against the suitors who are courting his wife. He doesn't disguise himself, Athena does it for him, and he conceals his identity at her urging as well.

Did Odysseus kill babies?

During the Trojan War, Andromache hid the child in Hector's tomb, but the child was discovered. In Euripides's The Trojan Women (719 ff), the herald Talthybius reveals to Andromache that Odysseus has convinced the council to have the child thrown from the walls, and the child is in this way killed.

How does Odysseus disguise himself when he returns home?

Once Odysseus arrives home, Athena cleverly disguises him as a lowly beggar, which gives him the opportunity to assess his household and test the loyalty of those around him.

Why does it take Odysseus 10 years to get home?

Because of Odysseus' undignified behavior, Polyphemus calls on his father (Poseidon) to punish Odysseus, and Poseidon creates further obstacles that will keep Odysseus from arriving home for many more years to come. (And because his men anger the gods by eating Helios' cattle, they are destroyed and never return home.)

Is Odysseus a real person?

Archaeologists believe they have found the palace of Odysseus, the legendary Greek king of Ithaca and hero of Homer's epic poem. They believe that the 8th BC century palace which they have discovered in Ithaca, in the Ionian Seas west of mainland Greece, proves that he was a real historical figure.

How long was Odysseus away from home?

twenty years

Who recognized Odysseus when he returned home?

Eurycleia was the only person to recognize him without him first revealing himself (as he did to Telemachus) after he returned home from the Trojan War.

What did Poseidon do to the ship that had returned Odysseus to Ithaca?

The Phaeacians Bring Odysseus to Ithaca.

To punish the Phaeacians for helping Odysseus, Poseidon turned their ship into stone as it entered the harbor at Scheria.

What God did Odysseus make angry because he did not give thanks or sacrifice?

Poseidon, who supported Troy in the Trojan War, is angry at Odysseus for being a powerful Greek warrior who helped defeat his favored side. Odysseus is also a source of anger for being under the protection of Athena, an enemy of Poseidon's.

What are the names of the two monsters in the dangerous straight who tried to kill Odysseus?

Scylla and Charybdis. Scylla and Charybdis, in Greek mythology, two immortal and irresistible monsters who beset the narrow waters traversed by the hero Odysseus in his wanderings described in Homer's Odyssey, Book XII. They were later localized in the Strait of Messina.

WHO recognizes Odysseus right away in Book 17?

Argos

What difficulty does Penelope say the gods gave to her and Odysseus?

He was cautious in the past she wants to be cautious now. What difficulty does Penelope say the gods gave her and Odysseus? Separating them for 20 years.

How does Penelope feel about marrying the suitors?

She calls him a big oaf and says that he ogles women. What scheme does Penelope devise to avoid marrying the suitors. She says that she will marry when she finishes her burial shroud, but every night she saps all progress. He asks for a woman who has suffered as much as me.

Why did Odysseus kill the suitors?

Why does Odysseus kill the suitors? Odysseus wants revenge on the suitors. They have wasted a lot of his wealth, by living at his expense during his absence. More importantly, by taking advantage of his absence, the suitors have insulted Odysseus and damaged his reputation.

Why does Penelope talk to the beggar?

Penelope is a fair and kind person and she is horrified at how the beggar was treated. She invites the beggar in because he wants to give him food and ask him about Odysseus. Penelope reveals to the beggar that she does not like the suitors invading the castle and she is loyal to Odysseus and will wait for him.

Who are the main characters in Book 17 of the Odyssey?

  • Odysseus.
  • Telemachus.
  • Penelope.
  • Athena.
  • Zeus.

What happened to Penelope's suitors?

The SUITORS were killed either by Odysseus or by someone in his team, that is, Eumaeus 1, Philoetius or Telemachus. Eumaeus 1 was Odysseus' servant and swineherd.

What qualities does Penelope reveal about herself?

What qualities does Penelope reveal about herself through her actions on page 933? She displays generous hospitality, loyalty to her husband, discretion, kindness, and love for her son.

Which character traits does Penelope reveal in Part 2 of the Odyssey?

Final Exam
Question Answer
Which character traits does Penelope reveal in Part Two prudence, loyalty
Which of Odysseus's traits allows him triumph in the bow-and-arrow challenge that Penelope sets for her suitors skill as a marksman
Why does Calypso allow Odysseus to leave her island Hermes told her Zeus ordered it