Homer's Odyssey - Ep 1 - The Difficult Return of Odysseus

Added: 2026-05-17

[00:00:01]Tell me Muse about the man of many turns who many ways wandered when he had sacked Troy's holy citadel.

[00:00:11]This is how Homer invoked the Muses before singing the story of the hero Odysseus.

[00:00:16]Brave warrior who with his shrewdness helped the Greeks to cross the divine walls of Troy.

[00:00:23]Among all the heroes who survived the ravages [music] of war, Odysseus was the only one who had not yet returned home.

[00:00:30]On Mount the gods gathered in an assembly.

[00:00:34]Zeus high on his throne spoke about how men blame all their ills on the gods when in fact most of their misfortunes were the result of their own choices and follies and for that they paid the price for their sins.

[00:00:49]At this point Athena intervened and asked why Odysseus, the wise king of the island of Ithaca, even though he was god-fearing, continued to suffer away from his beloved homeland.

[00:01:02]The goddess lamented the hero's fate who had been stranded for seven years on the island of Ogygia.

[00:01:09]There the beautiful nymph Calypso, daughter of Atlas, was keeping him on her island because she wanted to have him as her husband.

[00:01:17]Zeus explained that [music] he was not responsible for Odysseus not having returned home yet but rather Poseidon who felt hatred for the hero ever since he pierced the eye of the god's son.

[00:01:29]But at that moment Poseidon was in faraway Ethiopia where he was worshipped. Therefore he did not participate in the assembly.

[00:01:38]With the approval of the council of the gods Zeus decreed that Odysseus had the right to return to his home.

[00:01:45]Zeus's favorite daughter was pleased stating that she would go to Ithaca to find Telemachus, Odysseus's son.

[00:01:53]Zeus ordered Hermes, the messenger god, to go to the island of Ogygia to order Calypso to free Odysseus.

[00:02:00]Hermes put on his winged sandals and set off to fulfill the god's wishes.

[00:02:06]The island of Ogygia was in the navel of the sea. It was a place where the vegetation grew exuberantly and the breeze [music] blew gently but strong waves pummeled its coastline.

[00:02:17]There Calypso tried in every way to convince Odysseus to stay with her and even offered him immortality.

[00:02:24]But Odysseus knew that he was just a mere mortal. It was wrong to desire immortality for his place was not among the gods but beside his family.

[00:02:35]Hermes entered the cave where Calypso lived being received by the nymph with all reverence.

[00:02:41]The divine messenger informed Calypso that by order of Zeus she was to free Odysseus and secure the means necessary for his journey.

[00:02:51]The nymph was enraged saying that the Olympian gods were envious, that they were not pleased with the happiness of the lesser deities when they relate to mortals.

[00:03:01]But Calypso knew that she could do nothing against Zeus's will.

[00:03:05]Sometimes her heart broke when Odysseus cried and sighed with homesickness.

[00:03:10]After delivering the message Hermes left and the saddened Calypso went to meet Odysseus.

[00:03:17]As usual Odysseus was by the sea thinking about his beloved Penelope.

[00:03:22]Calypso told him to stop crying for he could finally return home.

[00:03:27]Odysseus, surprised and skeptical, looked back suspiciously telling the nymph that he could stay if that was her will.

[00:03:35]The nymph laughed at the wily Odysseus who although he wanted to return home more than anything else in his life knew better than to anger a deity.

[00:03:44]She told him not to worry for she spoke the truth. His time on the island of Ogygia was coming to an end.

[00:03:51]Calypso pointed out to Odysseus the places where he could find the materials needed to build a raft as well as explaining to him the design of the boat so that it could withstand the waves.

[00:04:02]Odysseus did everything as he was ordered and finally the transport that would help him reach his home [music] was ready.

[00:04:10]The nymph handed Odysseus supplies for the journey telling him that if he knew the dangers that still awaited him he would have chosen to stay. But the king of Ithaca would not waste that opportunity.

[00:04:22]Odysseus and Calypso said goodbye and with the help of favorable winds brought by Calypso Odysseus set off toward his destination. [music] In his precarious vessel Odysseus braved the great sea that separated the European from the African peoples.

[00:04:42]His goal was to return to the arms of his beloved wife Penelope and reunite with his young son Telemachus.

[00:04:49]On the island of Ithaca the kingdom of the fearless hero was in danger for it had been years since [music] the king had left for the war of Troy.

[00:04:58]Almost everyone believed that Odysseus had died in his venture.

[00:05:02]Odysseus's [music] palace was full of suitors who wished to betroth the queen Penelope and assume the vacant throne.

[00:05:09]The queen was no longer young but still had incredible beauty. Young Telemachus who was just a baby when his father [music] left was now a man.

[00:05:18]The suitors had chosen to stay in the palace squandering Odysseus's fortune while waiting for Penelope to choose her new husband.

[00:05:27]Athena assumed the form of a seemingly noble man.

[00:05:33]In disguise she entered the palace through the suitors who looked at the visitor with suspicion.

[00:05:39]Telemachus received [music] the visitor with hospitality just as Zeus had commanded men.

[00:05:45]The man said his name was Mentes, king of the Taphians, allies of Telemachus's father.

[00:05:52]Telemachus told the visitor about the chaos in his father's [music] kingdom and how the suitors were squandering his inheritance.

[00:05:59]Finally he asked if the visitor had any news of Odysseus.

[00:06:03]Mentes said he did not know Odysseus's exact location but he was alive and doing [music] everything he could to return home.

[00:06:12]The nobleman said that Telemachus should try to find clues to his father's whereabouts for he was now a man and should take control of his destiny.

[00:06:21]Telemachus's heart felt great courage.

[00:06:24]Mentes assumed the form of a bird and took off.

[00:06:27]Witnessing [music] that scene the young man was sure that the gods were on his side.

[00:06:33]With the firmness and courage transmitted by the goddess Telemachus announced to the suitors that the next day he would organize an assembly to decide the fate of his father's kingdom.

[00:06:44]Penelope realized that something had changed in her son. He was no longer a boy and this filled her with pride.

[00:06:52]The next day all the men of Ithaca gathered at the assembly called by Telemachus.

[00:06:58]The young man spoke about the chaos in his father's kingdom and scolded the suitors for depleting the missing hero's fortune. Antinous, one of the most insolent suitors, interrupted Telemachus saying that the culprit [music] for the whole situation was Penelope who had deceived the suitors.

[00:07:16]Penelope had promised the suitors that as soon as she finished the shroud she was sewing for Laertes, Odysseus's father, she would choose her new husband. During the day she would weave the shroud for her father-in-law but as night fell she would undo the work during [music] the morning.

[00:07:33]Thus for almost four years she deceived the suitors until [music] her trickery was discovered.

[00:07:42]The suitors [music] claimed that they would hold consecutive banquets in Odysseus's palace >> [music] >> until Penelope chose her new husband even if it depleted Telemachus's entire inheritance.

[00:07:54]Telemachus threatened his rivals warning that because of this insult to hospitality Zeus would ruin the suitors.

[00:08:02]Two eagles suddenly began a flight in the skies, an omen of something important.

[00:08:07]The soothsayer Halitherses [music] interrupted the omen and told the suitors that the king was returning and the fate of his opponents would be terrible.

[00:08:17]Eurymachus, another renowned suitor, ignored the elder's words and said that as soon as the assembly was over they would again delight in Odysseus's possessions for he was dead.

[00:08:29]Telemachus revealed the real reason for the assembly. He needed help to get a boat, men and supplies for a trip to the island of Pylos and Sparta where he would try to find clues to his father's whereabouts among the brothers-in-arms who fought alongside him at Troy.

[00:08:45]If unsuccessful he would let his mother choose a suitor.

[00:08:49]>> [music] >> No one supported the idea of Telemachus.

[00:08:52]Therefore Mentor, the man Odysseus commissioned [music] to take care of his family, scolded the people of Ithaca for showing such ingratitude to the family of the king who was always kind and generous [music] to them.

[00:09:05]The assembly was dissolved and Telemachus did not achieve his goal.

[00:09:14]At the seaside [music] Telemachus asked the goddess Athena for help in a prayer. She quickly answered.

[00:09:21]Athena assumed the form of Mentor and assured [music] the young man that she would give him the means necessary for his journey for she perceived that the prince had the courage of his father.

[00:09:32]Obeying Mentor's directions Telemachus asked the old servant Eurycleia for help [music] in gathering supplies for the journey.

[00:09:40]Meanwhile the goddess induced a deep sleep in the suitors so that Telemachus could escape in hiding.

[00:09:47]Telemachus boarded the ship that the disguised goddess had provided. Like his father he set off bravely leaving Ithaca behind to face the dangers and obstacles [music] between him and his goal.