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The Odyssey Part II, Death by sword is honorable, but hanging is very…

- - - - Athena makes the suitors insult Odysseus more, so he becomes more spiteful to them.
        
        Athena makes all the suitors begin to laugh, and they seem to be losing their minds.
  - - - Ctesippus pretends to give Odysseus a gift, but throws an Ox foot at him.
  - - - Telemachus and Odysseus wait to slaughter them.
- - - - Telemachus tells Penelope that Odysseus will come home to smite the suitors, and Theoclymenus completes the story by saying that Odysseus is already in Ithaca.
        
        Telemachus sends Odysseus food, and sends him the message to beg from all the suitors.
        
        Eumaeus tells Telemachus to be careful and tries to go home, but Telemachus insists he eat first. He complies, and then returns to his house.
  - - - Odysseus learns of Penelope's wish but knows it would look bad for the two of them to be seen together. Instead they must meet later in the evening.
  - - - Early on in book XVII, Telemachus leaves Eumaeus’ home and travels to comfort his mother, who has been informed of his homecoming. Penelope is overjoyed at seeing him, but Telemachus chastises her, ordering her to go take a bath and put on clean clothes. Later in the day, after it warms up, Odysseus and Eumaeus walk to the palace. During their journey, they run into Melanthius, a goat herder and suitor. Melanthius harasses the old looking Odysseus and the two verbally spar. After Melanthius kicks Odysseus in the hip, Eumaeus prays to the Nymphs, asking them to curse Melanthius for his evil behavior. Finally, Melanthius says Odysseus will never return, and walks away. The pair arrive at the palace after Melanthius, where they see a pathetic looking dog. The old and weak dog, Argos, is laying in manure. Odysseus tried to train Argos before he left for Troy twenty years ago. Odysseus and Argos recognize one another and the dog is happy to see his master, but then he dies. Inside, Telemachus sends Odysseus food and a message to ask all the suitors for food. Odysseus moves around the room and collects food, until Antinous begins bullying him. Telemachus tries telling Antinous off, but when Odysseus asks Antinous for food, Antinous complains about beggars for taking from society. The two argue, and Antinous throws a stool at Odysseus, which hits him in the shoulder. The other suitors become uncomfortable, thinking Odysseus might be a god in disguise, and they do not want to be punished for disrespectful behavior. Meanwhile, Penelope overhears the whole interaction, and talks to Eumaus. He tells her how the beggar knows that Odysseus is alive and near. However, Penelope wishes to hear the news from the source. Odysseus learns of her request, but objects; knowing that they must not be seen together for fear of the suitors. So, they agree to meet at dusk to discuss.
- - - - The suitors bring Penelope beautiful gifts.
        
        The suitors pour libations and drank the wine. Then they go home.
  - - - Odysseus breaks his competition's jaw, and drags him into the courtyard.
        
        Odysseus tells the group of how the gods ruined his good fortune.
        
        Odysseus tells the slave girls to go do their work, so a girl at the house tells him off because he is just a lowly beggar. Odysseus threatens her and she gets scared.
        
        Odysseus taunts Eurymachus, who throws a footstool at him. It hits a salve boy's hand instead.
  - - - While Odysseus is begging at the banquet, another beggar is there. He rudely tells Odysseus that the suitors want him gone; so Odysseus must leave, or they must fight. Odysseus argues and says there is enough for both of them to receive gifts, but they both continue with their aggression and prepare for a fight. The suitors tell the fighters that whichever beggar wins will get a stuffed goat stomach and can come to eat with them any time. Odysseus asks the suitors to promise not to hit him to make him lose. They agree, so Odysseus reveals his strongly muscled body. Antinous says if the other beggar loses, he will send him on a ship to King Echetus, who will cut off some of his body parts. The two beggars fight, and Odysseus breaks his jaw, drags him out to the courtyard, and tells him to be kinder to visitors in the future. Odysseus gets his prize, and tells the suitors how he had great fortune until the gods punished him for his bad behavior. He warns the suitors to not be at home when Odysseus arrives. Meanwhile, Penelope is given an idea by Athena; to show herself to the suitors. This will make them desire her, and it will also earn the respect of Telemachus and Odysseus. Athena makes Penelope sleep, and makes her more beautiful. Penelope wakes and goes to the suitors, telling off Telemachus for letting his guest be mistreated. Then she tells them that when Odysseus left her, he told her to remarry if he had not returned by the time their son grew a beard. She tells the suitors that they should be bringing her gifts instead of taking their family’s wealth, so they bring her beautiful things. She returns to her room, and Odysseus tries to tell the slave girls to do their work, but Melantho insults him and refuses, so he threatens her. Next, Eurymachus makes fun of him and insults him, to which Odysseus responds by talking about his superiority. Eurymachus throws a footstool at Odysseus, but it hits a slave’s hand instead. Telemachus intervenes and tells the suitors to go sleep at their own homes. So the suitors pour libations, drink wine, and head home.
- - - - Odysseus requests to try his hand.
        
        Odysseus easily strings the bow and Zeus makes thunder. Odysseus shoots through all the axes, and uses his eyebrows to tell Telemachus that it is time.
- - - - Odysseus shoots Eurymachus, who tries to attack him.
        
        Odysseus runs out of arrows, and tells Eumaeus to guard the only exit.
        
        Odysseus' men throw spears at the suitors, and each hit one. Again, the suitors threw, only grazing a few of them, and Odysseus' men all hit a mark, then moved forward to continue stabbing the suitors.
        
        The four men kill suitors left and right.
        
        A priest tries to beg for mercy, but Odysseus kills him.
        
        A poet begs to Odysseus, and and Telemachus vouches for him, and a house boy, and Odysseus agrees to spare those two.
        
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  - - - Melanthius volunteers to get the suitors armor from the storeroom.
        
        Athena, as Mentor, shows up, and the suitors threaten him with the death of him and his family.
  - - - Athena holds up her aegis, making the suitors run.
- - - - Odysseus tells Penelope of his ancestry; He is from Crete, where he saw Odysseus after he was blown off course. He welcomed Odysseus and Odysseus was trapped by wind. Eventually the wind stopped, and Odysseus left.
        
        Odysseus describes the clothing, and Penelope accepts that he is a friend for his help to Odysseus.
        
        Odysseus tells Penelope that Odysseus is coming home with lots of treasure. All his crew died because they killed the Cattle of the Sun.
        
        Odysseus refuses the fine things, but accepts that an old slave could wash his feet.
        
        An old slave who raised Odysseus washes his feet, but she felt his scar from when he went to visit his cousins, when hunting, and a wild boar cut his foot. When she noticed it, she reveals his identity as Odysseus. Penelope did not hear because Athena made her mind vacant. Odysseus threatens his old nurse so she will not reveal his identity.
        
        Odysseus tells her that while the suitors are failing, Odysseus will arrive.
  - - - Penelope tells her slaves to wash him and give him a clean bed.
        
        Penelope tells Odysseus she does not know whether to remarry, or stay at her home. Then she tells Odysseus of a dream she had of an eagle killing her geese. Odysseus tells her it means Odysseus will kill the suitors. She tells Odysseus that she is unsure if this is a true dream or not, and that she plans to have a contest that whoever wins will marry her. They must shoot through twelve axes.
        
        Penelope excuses herself and goes to sleep.
  - - - Odysseus tells Telemachus to carry on to the next stage of their plan; taking away all the suitor’s weapons. Telemachus tells a slave to have all the women go to their rooms, and tells her his excuse about putting away the weapons because they are getting dirty from the smoke. Telemachus gathers the weapons, but notices a strange light, and thinks a god is in the house. Odysseus shushes him and sends him to bed, but Athena was there, so Odysseus was correct. Melantho yells at Odysseus again, thinking he is there to spy on the women, and insulting him for being a beggar. Odysseus retorts by saying he used to be wealthy, but now must beg, and tells her that her rudeness will be noticed; she can still lose her position. Penelope tells her off too, and then she and Odysseus begin their conversation. Penelope tells him that her beauty was ruined when Odysseus left, and that she does not want the suitors to court her. She misses Odysseus, and has been delaying making a decision through trickery. However, her parents want her to choose a husband, and Telemachus hates that the suitors are taking their fortune. Odysseus tells her he is from Crete, and it was there that he saw Odysseus, who was blown off course. He welcomed Odysseus, and after the winds keeping him there died off, Odysseus continued on his journey. Penelope asks him to describe Odysseus, his clothing, and his men to prove the truth of his story, and he passes the test. He tells Penelope that Odysseus is coming home with lots of treasure, but his crew died because they killed the Cattle of the Sun. Penelope hopes this is true, and orders a slave to wash him and make him a bed. Odysseus refuses fancy treatment, and instead requests that an old slave woman wash his feet. The old woman was his nurse when he was growing up, and she notices a scar he got when he went hunting with his cousins and a wild boar stabbed his foot. She reveals his identity, but Penelope’s mind is vacant because Athena did not want her to notice. Odysseus threatens her so she will not tell anyone, and she says she will not tell. She promises to tell him which slaves disrespected him, but he says he can do that himself. Penelope asks Odysseus what to do; pick a suitor to marry, or wait. Then she asks him to tell her what a dream meant. In her dream, an eagle killed her geese, and Odysseus tells her this means Odysseus will kill the suitors. Penelope is not sure this dream was true, and then tells Odysseus that she will make the suitors compete for her hand by shooting an arrow through twelve axes. However, Odysseus assures her that her husband will arrive before any have the chance to shoot. Finally, Penelope excuses herself and goes to sleep.
- - - - Athena tells everyone to stop fighting.
        
        Athena tells Odysseus to stop, or else Zeus will be angry, and makes everyone swear to be peaceful.
  - - - Agamemnon praises faithful Penelope, and still is angry at his own wife.
  - - - Laertes reveals his identity, and says that man is his son. He asks who his visitor is.
        
        Odysseus lies and says that he is from Alybas, and his name is Eperitus. He says that Odysseus visited him five years ago.
        
        Laertes starts sobbing, and Odysseus reveals his true identity, but Laertes is skeptical, and asks for a sign. Odysseus shows him the scar, a recites the names of all the trees in the garden, which Laertes had told him when he was young.
        
        They hug, reunited. They go back to the house and a slave washes Laertes, who Athena gives more height and strength to.
        
        They all start eating and one slave and his sons are very excited to see Odysseus.
        
        Odysseus and the rest of the people at the farmhouse see the approaching townspeople, and prepare for battle. They see Athena as Mentor, and she blesses Laertes, whose spear easily killed a man through his helmet.
        
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  - - - However, Medon (the house boy who survived) said he saw a god as mentor helping, and thinks the will of the gods has been fulfilled, and that no one should try and harm Odysseus.
        
        Most of the towspeople disagree, and get ready to fight Odysseus.
        
        The townspeople drop their weapons.
- - - - Odysseus is in Ithaka, but does not know it, due to Athena covering it in mist. He wakes up and is sad because he thinks he was abandoned in a strange and unfamiliar place.
        
        Athena visits him in disguise, and tells him he is in Ithaca. Odysseus tells her a false tale of his "life story", and Athena praises his wit and reveals her true identity to him.
  - - - Athena tells Odysseus of everything happening with his family, including how Penelope is very sad, but still faithful. The duo hides Odysseus' gifts. Then Athena tells Odysseus to get information from a swineherd, and then disguises him as a poor old man. Athena leaves to get Telemachus.
- - - - When dawn comes, their hosts let them go, but not without beautiful partings gifts. Menelaus orders the slaves and his wife to make a feast. The group feasted, and then they send the boys on their way.
        
        Telemachus and Pisistratus spent the night at a welcoming home, then continued on their way. When they near Pylos, Telemachus asks to not stop by Nestor's house because he must go straight home. Pisistratus agrees, but once he gets home he will have to tell his father about Telemachus.
        
        A prophet finds Telemachus and begs him to take him with him, because the prophet killed a man and people are after him. Telemachus launches the boat and they speed toward Ithaka.
        
        Telemachus docks the ship to eat and drink, and tells the crew to not stay at his house due to the suitors. Then they sail the rest of the way to the town.
- - - - The slave explains that Odysseus and his helpers killed all of them, while the slave girls were hiding in their rooms, and now he is smoking out the house, and asked the slave woman to get Penelope.
  - - - Penelope sees Odysseus, but does not welcome him. She is unsure if he is truly her husband, so she decides to test him.
        
        Penelope finally reunites with Odysseus, for they are the only two who know the secret of the bed, besides one other slave. They weep, Odysseus tells her he has other tasks to complete, Penelope wishes for him to tell her, and so he tells his wife that he must travel with an oar until no one recognizes it, then stop and make a sacrifice to Poseidon, and only then will he live happily and die peacefully.
        
        They exchange stories, Penelope telling Odysseus how the suitors came and used their resources. Odysseus told her a summary of all his adventures. Lines 309-342
  - - - When Odysseus is finished bathing, and Athena pours beauty on him, he asks for the old slave woman to make him a bed, and Penelope tells her to take the bed out of the room Odysseus made, and then put blankets on it. This makes Odysseus angry, because he made one bedpost from a tree, so the bed can not be moved, unless someone cut it.
        
        Odysseus tells Penelope she must stay upstairs with her slaves, and keep quiet, while he goes to talk to his father. After he converses with his father, he has to spread the news of the suitor's deaths, and go on raid to replace his items the suitors used up.
        
        Odysseus, the herdsmen, and Telemachus all get into armor, and start their journey.
- - - - The swineherd tells Odysseus of the suitors and how they take pigs to eat. The swineherd believes that Odysseus is dead, and tells Odysseus of Telemachus' strength and handsomeness, but also how he is in danger. Then he asks Odysseus about his story and life.
        
        Odysseus makes up a lie about his identity, and says that he is from Crete, and was the leader of troops in different battles. He battled at Troy, and then lived in Egypt for seven years. Eventually he went to sea, the ship was destroyed, and he got to Thesprotia, where he learned that Odysseus was alive. He went to sea again to travel, where he was enslaved. Luckily he got out of his bondage, and swam to shore. He hid and they did not find him. Then he came to the swineherd's house.
        
        Odysseus tries to convince the swineherd to trust him that Odysseus is alive, but the swineherd is still skeptical.
        
        The rest of the men who tend to the pigs come home, so they make lots of food from a large pig, and drink wine.
        
        Odysseus tells a story of how he got a cloak for warmth, and they give him clothing, at least until the morning. The slaves only have one pair of clothes.
        
        They all sleep.
- - - - Odysseus knows that Athena and Zeus will help them, so they make a plan. Odysseus will look like a beggar again and go into town. The suitors will harass him, but Telemachus must not react. Then Telemachus will take all their weapons away except for enough for Odysseus and him, and then they will attack.
        
        Odysseus and Telemachus eat, and Athena turns Odysseus into an old man again. Eumaeus returns home and tells them of his experience and how he thinks the suitors might have come home.
- - - - Telemachus learns Odysseus wants to kill the suitors, but Telemachus thinks there are too many to launch a frontal assault.