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book 11-18, Why are the spirits so clear about what is happening in the…

- - - - Odysseus next comes to Thrinacia, the island of the Sun. A storm keeps them beached for a month, and at first the crew want to survive on in the ship. When needs runs out, Eurylochus persuades the other crew members to disobey Odysseus and slaughter the cattle of the Sun. They do so one afternoon as Odysseus sleeps; when the Sun finds out, he asks Zeus to punish Odysseus and his men. After the Achaeans set sail from Thrinacia, Zeus make up another storm, which destroys the ship and sends the entire crew to its death. Only Odysseus survives. The storm sweeps him all the way back to Charybdis, Afloat on the broken ship, he eventually reaches Ogygia, Calypso’s Island. Odysseus here breaks from his story, saying to the Phaeacians that he sees no reason to repeat to them the story in Ogygia.
- - - - Back in Ithaca, Odysseus wakes to find he does not recognize where he was. At first, he curses the Phaeacians, whom he thinks have dumped him and left him in some unknown land. But Athena, disguised as a shepherd, tells him that he is in Ithaca. With characteristic cunning, Odysseus acts to conceal his identity from her until she reveals hers. Delighted by Odysseus’s tricks, Athena announces that it is time for Odysseus to use his power to punish the suitors. She tells him to hide out with his swineherd, Eumaeus. She informs him that Telemachus has gone in search of news of him and gives him the appearance of an old vagabond so that no one will recognize him.
- - - - Telemachus reaches Eumaeus’s hut, he finds Eumaeus talking with a stranger. Eumaeus tells the stranger's story and suggests that the stranger stay with Telemachus at the palace. But Telemachus is afraid of what the suitors might do to them. So, Eumaeus goes to the palace alone to tell Penelope that her son has returned. When Eumaeus left the hut, Athena appears to Odysseus and calls him outside. When Odysseus comes back, his old-man disguise is gone, and he stands in the looking of Odysseus. Telemachus cannot believe his eyes and started to cry. Odysseus tells Telemachus his trip with the Phaeacians and then begins plotting the overthrow of the suitors. He decides to launch a surprise attack in the palace. Telemachus will first dig a hole and revisit his mother, Penelope. Odysseus will enter disguised as a beggar trying to insult suitor and Telemachus will enter the palace’s room with weapon. The two of them will then seize the weapons and slaughter the suitors. Before Eumaeus can give Penelope news of Telemachus’ return, the messenger from the ship arrives and tells the entire palace that Telemachus has returned. The suitors, notice that their plot has failed, and decides to make a new plan. Antinous suggest putting Telemachus to death before he can call an assembly. But Amphinomus, one of the more thoughtful and well-behaved suitors, persuades the others to wait for a sign from the gods before doing anything so rash. Penelope later finds Antinous in the palace and denounces him for the plot against her son.
        
        17.Telemachus leaves Odysseus at Eumaeus’s hut and heads to the palace, where he receives a tearful welcome from Penelope and Eurycleia. In the palace, he meets Theoclymenus and Piraeus. He tells Piraeus not to bring his gifts from Menelaus to the palace. He fears that the suitors will steal them if they kill him. When he sits down to eat with Penelope, Telemachus tells her what little news he received of Odysseus in Pylos and Sparta, but he says that he hasn't seen Odysseus with his own eyes. Theoclymenus then speaks up and swears that Odysseus is in Ithaca at this very moment. Meanwhile, Eumaeus and Odysseus set out toward town. They meet Melanthius, a suitor who heaps scorn on Eumaeus and kicks his beggar companion. Odysseus receives a similar welcome at the palace. The suitors give him food unwillingly, and Antinous goes out of his way to insult him. When Odysseus answers insult with insult, Antinous gives him a blow with a stool that disgusts even the other suitors. Penelope, then asks to have the beggar brought to her so that she can question him about Odysseus. Odysseus, however, doesn’t want the suitors to see him heading toward the queen’s room.
        
        18.Another beggar, Arnaeus, went into the palace. As a beggar, he is rude and noisy, he insults Odysseus and challenges him to a boxing fight. He thinks that he will quickly win the old man, but Athena gives Odysseus extra strength and height. Arnaeus regrets challenging the old man and tries to escape, but by now the suitors have taken notice and wanted the fight for their own entertainment. It ends quickly as Odysseus floors Irus and stops just before killing him. He then tells Arnaeus not to be so selfish anymore and the suitors congratulate Odysseus. The moderate Amphinomus, toasts him and gives him food. Odysseus, aware of the killing is about to come and he pulls Amphinomus aside. He predicts to Amphinomus that Odysseus will soon be home and gives him a warning to abandon the palace and return to his own land. But Amphinomus didn't want to.
        
        Athena now puts it into Penelope’s head to make an appearance before her suitors. The goddess gives her extra height and beauty to inflame their hearts. When Penelope speaks to the suitors, she tells them that Odysseus had instructed her to take a new husband if he should fail to return before Telemachus began growing facial hair. She then tricks them into bringing her gifts by claiming that any suitor worth his salt would try to win her hand by giving things to her instead of taking what’s rightfully hers. The suitors soon filled her with presents, and as they celebrate, Odysseus instructs the maidservants to go back and sleep so Odysseus can see which servant is loyal. The maidservant Melantho however, insults him as an inferior being and a drunk, Odysseus then scares them off with threats. Hoping to make Odysseus even more angry at the suitors, Athena now inspires Eurymachus to insult him. When Odysseus responds with insults of his own, Eurymachus throws a stool at him but misses, hitting a servant instead. Just as a riot is about to break out, Telemachus steps in and diffuses the situation, to the consternation of the suitors.