The Story
Odysseus, known to the Romans as Ulysses, was a Greek king of Ithaca and the protagonist of Homer's poem the Odyssey. Odysseus also plays a large role in Homer’s Iliad, and other great works. According to Homer’s poems Odysseus was the husband of Penelope. He had one son who was named Telemachus. Odysseus is known for his intelligence cleverness and is also known by the nickname Odysseus the Cunning. He is most well known for the Odyssey, the ten year journey where he returned after the ten year Trojan War. Odysseus made many conquests throughout his ten year adventure in the Odyssey, and one of those journeys was to the mythological underworld. In book XI of the Odyssey, Odysseus and his crew travel to the end of the world, to gain access to the underworld.
When Odysseus’ men finally convince him to begin making the journey towards home, Odysseus consults Circe, a sorceress, for a way back to Ithaca, their final destination. She tells them that they have to sail to Hades, in the realm of the dead, to speak with the spirit of Tiresias, a blind prophet who will tell him how to get home. This obviously initiates a journey to the underworld. Odysseus travels to the River of Ocean in the land of the Cimmerians. There he performs sacrifices as Circe earlier instructs him to do to attract the souls of the dead.
The Spirits
When Odysseus’ men finally convince him to begin making the journey towards home, Odysseus consults Circe, a sorceress, for a way back to Ithaca, their final destination. She tells them that they have to sail to Hades, in the realm of the dead, to speak with the spirit of Tiresias, a blind prophet who will tell him how to get home. This obviously initiates a journey to the underworld. Odysseus travels to the River of Ocean in the land of the Cimmerians. There he performs sacrifices as Circe earlier instructs him to do to attract the souls of the dead.
The first soul to appear is the soul of Elpenor, the crewman who broke his neck falling from Circe’s roof. He begs Odysseus to return to Circe’s island and give his body a proper burial, and his requests are accepted. The next soul to appear is that of Tiresias, a blind prophet. Tiresias conveys some important information, and advises Odysseus not to touch the flocks of the sun when he reaches Thrinacia. He also informs Odysseus of the prophecy, that he himself will survive the journey back to Ithaca, but if he touches the flocks of the sun, his crew will not survive the journey. When Tiresias departs, Odysseus calls other spirits toward him. He speaks with his mother, Anticleia, who updates him on the affairs of Ithaca and relates how she died of grief waiting for his return. He then meets the spirits of various famous men and heroes and hears the stories of their lives and deaths.
The first soul to appear is the soul of Elpenor, the crewman who broke his neck falling from Circe’s roof. He begs Odysseus to return to Circe’s island and give his body a proper burial, and his requests are accepted. The next soul to appear is that of Tiresias, a blind prophet. Tiresias conveys some important information, and advises Odysseus not to touch the flocks of the sun when he reaches Thrinacia. He also informs Odysseus of the prophecy, that he himself will survive the journey back to Ithaca, but if he touches the flocks of the sun, his crew will not survive the journey. When Tiresias departs, Odysseus calls other spirits toward him. He speaks with his mother, Anticleia, who updates him on the affairs of Ithaca and relates how she died of grief waiting for his return. He then meets the spirits of various famous men and heroes and hears the stories of their lives and deaths.
The Escape
Odysseus now cuts short the tale and asks his hosts to allow him to sleep, but the king and queen urge him to continue, asking if he met any of the Greeks who fell at Troy in Hades. He meets Achilles, who asks about his son, Neoptolemus. Odysseus then tries to speak with Ajax, an Achaean who killed himself after he lost a contest with Odysseus over the arms of Achilles, but Ajax refuses to speak and slips away. He sees Heracles, King Minos, the hunter Orion, and others. He witnesses the punishment of Sisyphus, struggling eternally to push a boulder over a hill only to have it roll back down whenever it reaches the top. He then sees Tantalus, in pain because of hunger and thirst. Tantalus sits at a pool of water overhung by bunches of grapes, but whenever he reaches for the grapes, they rise out of grasp, and whenever he bends down to drink, the water moves away from him. Odysseus soon finds himself mobbed by souls wishing to ask about their relatives in the world above. He is overwhelmed with the sudden attention, and flees to his ship, sailing away from the underworld.
A Cheesy Summary of Book XI
https://youtu.be/TQZuOK2GqCU