This is after the Iliad, the main text that was collected under the name of Homer in Greek culture. It comes from your main character's name, Odysseus – or, as it became known by the Latin translation, Odysseus.
Unlike the first book, it does not narrate war feats nor is it restricted to an isolated place, but deals with the travels and adventures of this one who was one of the heroes of the Trojan war.
After the war, the return of Odysseus and his companions to his kingdom in Ithaca begins. Odysseus is forced to go to the Trojan War and leaves behind his wife and month-old son, Telemachus. The war lasts 10 years and its return another 17. Wife Penelope, who believed in the return of her king and husband, was being pressured by a group of people who wanted to seize power. This group said that Odysseus was dead and that she should marry one of the “pretenders” to the office of king.
With such pressure, Telemachus goes looking for his father with some companions and these go to Sparta and other cities, in search of news that could help track the steps of Odysseus. The latter, through a series of adventures, is often delayed in returning. As the book is too long, it would not fit here to narrate all the adventures. But some are notable and, even without breaking them down, it's worth mentioning them:
- Odysseus arrives at the island of the nymph Calypso, where he is imprisoned for a long time because of the charms and promises that a region full of women promotes to sailors;
- The imprisonment of the god Aeolus, god of the wind in a sack, which is later opened and launches the ship to even more distant places;
- The place where the ship was hurled was the island of the witch Circe, who turned sailors into pigs;
- The imprisonment of travelers by Cyclops Polyphemus and his strategy to get out of prison in the cave;
- The covering of the ears with wax so as not to be attracted by the songs of the mermaids, devouring men.
Among many other adventures that were used to highlight the need to express the greatest of Odysseus' characteristics: cunning.
Meanwhile, in Ithaca, Queen Penelope continued to suffer strong pressure from her suitors, as Odysseus and his son Telemachus did not return. So she promised to sew a rug: if the king did not return before it was finished, she would choose a suitor. But surely because of the relationship with her husband, the shrewd Odysseus, Penelope sewed the rug during the day; and at night he stripped it, in order to gain more time, in the hope that the king would return.
After a journey with many adventures and setbacks, Odysseus meets Telemachus and his group and together they return to Ithaca. Warned by his son about the suitors, Odysseus meets the goddess Athena, who tells him that if he returned, he would be killed by the suitors, who would not recognize him. Thus, the goddess transforms him into a beggar, disguising him so that he could enter the palace without being seen. During this episode, Penelope's plot is uncovered and she is required to choose a suitor. She, again astute, says that she will choose the one who can draw her husband's bow – but no one has succeeded.
Finally, Odysseus arrives in disguise and achieves the feat. He is soon recognized by his wife, who accepts him as a suitor, to the revolt of others, who promote a real rebellion. But, having his bow in hand, Odysseus manages to quell the revolt and regain his place as king after a long journey.
Thus, with the restoration of order, we unravel the main meaning of the Odyssey: the ideal of the beautiful and good warrior, previously attributed to Achilles, is also modeled on Odysseus, for his dexterity, cunning, cunning, intelligence and skill, both in war and in government, being able to order. The Homeric myths were intended for this model to be imitated by the Greek of their time.
By João Francisco P. Cabral
Brazil School Collaborator
Graduated in Philosophy from the Federal University of Uberlândia - UFU
Master's student in Philosophy at the State University of Campinas - UNICAMP
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/filosofia/odisseia-homero.htm