Odyssey: Circe, Land of the Dead, Sirens, Scylla

• The notes below summarize Odysseus' encounters with Circe, the Land of the Dead, the Sirens, and Scylla and Charybdis.

Circe

• Odysseus's men open the bag of wind from Aeolus, mistaking it for treasure, which releases winds that blow them off course.
• In the land of the Laestrygonians, giants destroy all but one of Odysseus's ships and eat many of his men.
• Eurylochus leads a party of 23 men to check out Circe’s island
• The wolves and mountain lions outside Circe’s house are docile due to her bewitchment.
• Circe tricks the men by inviting them to a feast laced with a potion.
• She transforms the men into pigs.
• Eurylochus fears a trap and alerts Odysseus.
• Odysseus resists Circe’s sorcery with "moly" (a kind of garlic).
• Circe instructs Odysseus to seek wisdom from Teiresias in the land of the dead to reach Ithaca.

Land of the Dead

• Odysseus calls the souls of the dead by digging a trench, pouring libations, sprinkling barley, and sacrificing a ram and ewe, allowing the blood to flow into the trench.
• Elpenor, who fell off Circe's roof while drunk and died, asks Odysseus for a proper burial.
• Odysseus sees his mother's ghost, Anticlea, and grieves, unaware of her death.
• Teiresias, a blind prophet of Apollo, is sought by Odysseus for guidance on returning home and his future.
• Teiresias predicts Odysseus will return to Ithaca, face suitors, and eventually die peacefully in old age.
• Odysseus should take revenge on the suitors.
• After dealing with the suitors, Odysseus should journey to a distant land where no one knows of the sea and sacrifice to Poseidon before returning home.

The Sirens

• Odysseus should be wary of the Sirens because their enchanting songs lure sailors to their deaths.
• Odysseus has his crew tie him to the mast and ignore his pleas to be untied.
• Odysseus protects his men by putting wax in their ears so they do not hear the Sirens' song.
• Odysseus is intrigued by the Sirens' song and begs to be released.
• The Sirens' song says sailors should turn their ships to Achaea to be happy
• The Sirens' song also states that no one can avoid the Sirens because of their song which ties the sailors into temptation
• The Sirens' song says that the person is pleased by the notes that they sing which leaves the person in a state of yearning or longing
• The Sirens' song also states that the sailors are happy when they hear their song and that they will become more knowledgeable in a way that leads to their death
• The Sirens' song is also a reminder to the crew of the hardships they have faced that the gods have forced upon them
• The Sirens' song states that even if the men do not stay, the sirens will always be in the world and that no one can hide from them in their dreams

Scylla and Charybdis

• As Odysseus and his crew near Scylla and Charybdis, his men are filled with fear and dread
• Scylla is a six-headed sea monster, often depicted with twelve legs, and a voice like a puppy, who devours sailors.
• Scylla snatches and devours six of Odysseus's crew members.
• Odysseus keeps the dangers of Scylla and Charybdis a secret from his men.
• Odysseus is an effective leader by prioritizing the survival of his men
• Odysseus chooses to sail past Scylla rather than Charybdis because sacrificing six men is preferable to risking the entire ship.
• Charybdis, the giant whirlpool, would swallow the entire ship and its crew if they get too close.