books 9-12

Book 9
Odysseus tells the Phaeacians about all that has happened on his ten year absent, even though he doesn't want to. He tells him about the Cyclops Polyphemos, and how they decided to take a spear and try to blind him. They then later find out that it is Poseidon's son which isn't good because now Poseidon is even more mad at Odysseus. Odysseus and his men finnaly get away from Polyphemos but has they are pulling away Odysessus can't help but taughnt Polyphemos. Taunting him he gives away his name so Polyphemos goes and prays to Posiedon in hopes that Odysseus won't make it home safely or at all, but if he does he will at least make it home with no companions.

Book 10
They reach the island of Aiolia, were they are welcomed and share their story of the Trojan War. The island is ruled by Aiolos the god of the winds, so on their way out Aiolos gives Odysseus a bag a winds. When Odysseus goes to rescue them, Hermes approaches him in the form of a young man. He tells Odysseus to eat an herb called moly to protect himself from Circê’s drug and then lunge at her when she tries to strike him with her sword.  He follows all the instructions and Circê turns all the men back into human form. They stay there for a year, but before they can all go home they have to visit the underworld to get directions from the prophet Teiresias. Odysseus also looses one of his crew member Elphenor because he fell off the roof.

Book 11
Odysseus travels to the River of Ocean in the land of the Cimmerians. There he pours libations and performs sacrifices as Circê earlier instructs him to do to attract the souls of the dead.  The first to appear is that of Elphenor, the crewman who broke his neck falling from Circê’s roof. He begs Odysseus to return to Circê’s island and give his body a proper burial. Odysseus then speaks with the Theban prophet Tiresias, who reveals that Poseidon is punishing the Achaeans for blinding his son Polyphemus. Odysseus then goes and talks to his mother and she tells him about what is going on back in Ithaka. Odysseus leaves the underworld with lots of treasure. He tells king Alkinoos about how he heard the stories of Agamemnon and many other people. Odysseus praises Achilleus for earning so much glory in his life and having like the greatest death ever. Achilleus hates being dead though and would rather be a poor country farmer. He then visits with many more people until he is overwhelmed and runs back to his ship.

Book 12
Odysseus and his men return to Aiaia and do what they are told with Elpenor's body. Circê then warns Odysseus about his routes home the one with moving rocks that the ship won't be able to get through, the second the Skylla a six headed seamonster that eats men and Charybdis a whirlpool that sucks in and vomits out the sea three times a day. They barely make it past the sea monster and finally reach the land Thrinakia, while they are there he doesn't listen to any of the gods and eats one of his biggest cattle. Helios then asks Zeus for revenge so Zeus destroys Odysseus's ship. All of the men die except for Odysseus. The sea then floats him back to Skyla and Charybdis, but he only manages by jumping onto a tree. Then after nine days he reaches the island of Ogygia were Calypso keeps him for seven years.

Character list:
Agamennon
Teiresias
Calyspo
Elphenor
Eurylochos
Tantalos
Achilles
Scylla
Zeus
Circê
Alcinoos
Aiolos
Anticleia
Penelope
Athena
Cyclopians
Polyphemos
Hermes
Posiedon
Odysseus