Chapter 13 begins right after Odysseus has just finished telling the
Phaeacians the tale of his travels, leaving off with his arrival of
the island of Ogygia which he does not go into detail about because he
has already told this part of the story to the king and his wife and
does not wish to repeat himself. Alkinoos then calls on the men around
him to each go back to their homes and pick out a lavish bronze gift
to give to Odysseus for all of his sufferings. The men do as they are
told and bring their gifts to the ship that is to bring him back to
Ithaca. They all have a feast at which Alkinoos sacrifices an ox and
Odysseus thanks them for their kindness and expresses his true desire
to go home. After the feast Odysseus and some of the Phaecians make
their way to the ship and as the Phaecians begin rowing Odysseus is
overcome by sleep. They row through the night and Odysseus remains
asleep as they pass the harbor of the Old Man of the Sea, the olive
tree with spreading leaves, and the nearby cave where the Nymphs of
the Wellsprings live. The Phaecians then carry the sleeping Odysseus
and place him onto the sand still rapped in linen and put his lavish
gifts nearby. Poseidon becomes very angry with the Phaecians at
helping Odysseus, whom he had sworn “would come home only after much
suffering”. He expresses this anger to Zeus who is understanding and
allows him to punish them if he deems it necessary. Poseidon tells
Zeus that he plans to stun the Phaecian ship on its journey home as
well as hide the city under a mountain. Zeus instructs Poseidon to
turn the ship into a rock right off shore when all the people are
watching from the city, but does not grant him permission to hide
their city under a mountain. Poseidon complies and turns the ship to
stone and the onlooking Phaecians realize they can no longer convey
everyone who arrives to their city. Odysseus then wakes up on the
beach but Athena has poured a mist over his surroundings so that he is
unable to recognize his homeland of Ithaca. Not realizing he is home
he says, "Ah me, what are the people whose land I have come to this
time and are they savage and violent, and without justice. or
hospitable to strangers and with minds that are godly?". He thinks
that the Phaecians have done him wrong and taken him to another land
and asks Zeus to punish them for their transgressions against him.
Athena then approaches him disguised as a young man carrying a spear
in his hand. Odysseus begins to speak to her, hoping that she will
help him instead of doing him harm, and asks what land he is in. She
goes on to tell him that he is in Ithaca and he becomes overjoyed.
However, he does not tell her the truth about his former travels in an
attempt to conceal his identity and comes up with an elaborate lie
about how he came to be lying on the beach that day. Athena is pleased
by his sharpness and trickery and takes the shape of a tall, beautiful
woman, thereby exposing her true identity. Odysseus tells her that it
has been a long time since she has been by his side and is hesitant to
believe that he is in sunny Ithaca as she says. She is impressed by
the way he investigates and asks questions rather than just run home
to see his children and wife in the halls as a less smart man would
do. She also tells him that she did not want to fight with Posiedon
who was holding a grudge against Odysseus for blinding his son. Taking
away the mist she reveals the land to prove that it is indeed Ithaca
and Odysseus begins to rejoice and kiss the land. They hide his new
possessions in the shadowy cave and sit down against the hallowed olive
to "plot the destruction of the overmastering suitors". She then
disguises him as an old man so that he won't be recognized by anyone.
She tells him to seek out his swineherd and stay with him, asking him
questions while she goes to Sparta to bring back Telemachos. Odysseus
asks why she sent him to Sparta since she knew the events that would
play out to which she replies that it was a necessary trip for him to
win reputation. She finishes the disguise and they both go their
separate ways to end Chapter 13.
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