The Role Of Wind In The Odyssey

Once escaping from the cyclops, Odysseus and his men arrive at Aeolus’ home, where they're greeted with hospitality, and kept there for a month. Aeolus, being the master or winds, presents Odysseus with a bag of winds. Aeolus guide Odysseus and his men a guide home. After ten days, Ithaca is clearly visible on the coastline, but, Odysseus’ men take hold of the bag of wind thinking it's a stash of gold and silver. They tear the bag open with ease, but the winds escape causing a storm to occur. The storm pushes Odysseus’ boat back to Aeolia. Unfortunately, Aeolus refuses to help them a second time. With only a small amount of wind within their sails, they manage to row to the land of the Laestrygonians, inhabited with powerful giants. Their King, Antiphates, and their unnamed Queen decide to devour most of Odysseus’s men. Odysseus and his remaining men flee to the ships, but …show more content…
There he performs sacrifices as instructed to do by Circe to attract the spirits of the dead. The first soul to appear was that of Elpenor, a young member of Odysseus’s crew that recently died drunk. He begs that Odysseus would return to Circe’s island and perform a proper burial. Odysseus then speaks to Tiresias, who reveals that Poseidon is punishing his men for blinding his son. He foretells of Odysseus’s fate, and reveals that he will reclaim Ithaca and make it safely home. He warns Odysseus to not touch the cattle of the Sun when he reaches Thrinacia, otherwise he will not be returning with his crew. When Tiresias leaves, Odysseus calls to the other spirits to gather around him. He speaks with his mother. She explains how she died with , hoping her son would return. Odysseus now tired, asks his Phaeacian hosts to allow him to sleep. But the king and queen insist that he'd continue. He explains what he saw, what sorrow he felt for all the tortured spirits. Out of discomfort, he explains, him and his men flee back to his