The Odyssey Book I

Odysseus has been gone for 19 years. He went to the Trojan War and has not returned. In Book I the Gods are together talking about Odysseus's fate. Odysseus is in a Sex Goddess's cave. Her name is Calypso and she lives on Pylos and she has told Odysseus that she will make him immortal if he will stay and become her wife. He refuses immortally because he believes that he will get back to his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus. Calypso is keeping him in her cave and he has been there for about ten years. All the God's except Poseidon, God of the Sea, are at the meeting talking about letting Odysseus get home. Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and War and daughter of Zeus, says that he has been there long enough and suffered through enough. Athena then goes to Telemachus' house disguised as Mentes a friend of Odysseus and tells him that she has heard that his father is still alive and he needs to to different places and find if what she said was true. She says that the God's must be in charge of what happens to him but if he goes and asks these people if his father is still alive then Telemachus can save his mother from being married. Telemachus tells Athena that he is sure his father is dead and if he was still alive he would be back. He claims that his house has become ruins for all the suitors that his mother will not get married to. His mother says that she will not get married until she finishes the burial shawl for Laertes father of Odysseus. Athena says not to lose hope and that when Odysseus does return the suitors will either leave running or be killed by Odysseus. She tells him he must go and find a ship and crew. He is to sail to Pylos and visit Nestor, then to Sparta's king. Then when he has finished and come home if he has heard that Odysseus is still alive wait one more year. If he is dead then make Penelope get married to one of the suitors. After Athena leaves he stands up to the suitors and tells them to leave by the next day. If not they would be killed. Telemachus then goes to sleep. His nurse and maid Eurycleia assist him as he gets ready. He falls to sleep thinking about his journey.