Editing Odyssey (section)

=== Books 6-10 ===
Book 6 begins with Athena appearing in a dream to the Phaecian princess '''Nausicaa''', disguised as her friend; she encourages the princess to wash her clothes in the river so that she looks more fetching to the men who are courting her. While she and her handmaids are frolicking naked in the water, Odysseus encounters them; he too is naked, after his tumultuous journey, but he pleads for their help without revealing his identity. Nausicaa, showing compassion and adherence to the norms of hospitality, provides Odysseus with clothing, oil to clean himself, and food and drink. She leaves him alone to bathe and Athena makes him seem especially handsome; when the princess sees him again, she begins to fall in love with him. She gives him directions back to the palace and advice on how to approach the queen (Arete), and he sets off. 

In Book 7, Odysseus travels to the palace of king Alcinous in Scheria. Athena disguises herself as a girl who offers to guide the hero, and she hides them in a mist that protects him from the Phaeacians, who dislike outsiders. She reminds him to look for help with the queen Arete, who will know how to get him home; the goddess delivers him to the palace and then returns to Athens. When he visits, the palace is holding a festival to honor Poseidon. As soon as he spots Arete, Odysseus throws himself at her feet and the mist that had hidden him dissipates. After he explains himself, the royal couple agree to help him with a Phaeacian ship in the morning. Later in the evening the queen realizes that she made the clothes he is wearing for her daughter; she interrogates him, and he tells her about his encounter with the princess. Alcinous ends up being so impressed with Odysseus conduct that he offers the hero his daughter's hand in marriage. 

Book 8 starts with Alcinous' assembly the next day, and Athena makes sure it's well-attended by spreading gossip about a god-like visitor to the island who will also be in attendance. The king proposes providing a ship to the visitor so that he could return to his homeland, and the measure is approved. Alcinous invites the counselors to his palace for a feast in honor of Odysseus. A blind bard named '''Demodocus''' sings of the quarrel between Odysseus and Achilles at Troy; it is enough to make the hero weep, while everyone else listens with pleasure. The king notices his grief and ends the feast, declaring that the games should begin. These included boxing, wrestling, racing, and throwing discs; Odysseus is asked to participate, but he's too melancholy. This causes a young athlete named '''Broadsea''' to insult him; he decides to participate after all, and easily wins the discus toss. He also challenges any other athlete present to duel him in any event of their choosing. Pride flares among the men, but Alcinous settles things down by declaring yet another feast.  There, the youths compete in singing and dancing instead. Afterward Odysseus receives gifts from all the men, including Broadsea and the king; and he asks Demodocus to sing about the <u>Trojan Horse</u> and the sack of Troy. He can't bear to listen and begins to cry again, and Alcinous stops the music. Finally, he demands to know who Odysseus is, where he's from, and where he's going. Odysseus' lack of passion for the competitive games of the boys, and also for Nausicaa's immature affections for him, demonstrate the maturity he has gained from his long time at war. He is no longer considered with such trivial games of honor and glory, as he has won true honor and glory, and his concerns are on his family, and his home. 

Book 9 starts with Odysseus telling the tale of his wanderings, in a revelation about his identity. Starting at Troy, Odysseus and his men are swept away by the winds to the city of '''Ismarus''', populated by a people called the '''Cicones'''. The Achaeans plunder the land but are driven away by reinforcements; when Odysseus and his crew finally escape, they have lost six men per ship. Zeus sent a storm which carried them away for nine days; when it stopped, they found themselves in the land of the '''Lotus-Eaters'''; the natives gave Odysseus some lotus fruit, which intoxicated the men and made them lose any thought of returning home. They only wanted to stay there and eat more of the fruit; Odysseus had to drag his men back to the ship and lock them up in order to get them off the island. 

They then sailed to the land of the '''Cyclopes''', the one-eyed giants. There they ate some wild goats they had found on an offshore island, and then they crossed to the mainland where they found a cave full of sheep, with crates of milk and cheese scattered around. The men want to steal some of the food and run off, but Odysseus gets curious; soon, the cave's owner returns. '''Polyphemus''' is the son of Poseidon; he pretends to be a gracious guest, but soon turns hostile against Odysseus and his crew, devouring two of the men and imprisoning the rest for future meals. Only Polyphemus was strong enough to move the rock blocking the cave-prison, so the men could not escape without trickery. Odysseus convinces the giant to get drunk on wine from their ship, and while they're chatting he tells the cyclops that his name is 'Nobody'. When the giant has passed out, Odysseus and his men use a stick from the cave and jam it into his single eye, blinding him. The creature screams out, but his neighbors leave when he tells them that 'Nobody is killing me!'Polyphemus eventually has to let his sheep out of the cave to graze, and because he could not see, he groped around on their backs to make sure the Greeks weren't escaping - but he didn't think to check their bellies. Once Odysseus is back on his ship he calls out to Polyphemus and reveals who he is - the monster is furious, and prays to his father Posiedon for vengeance. This explains Poseidon's rage toward Odysseus, revealed in earlier books of the narrative. 

In Book 10, the heroes sail to the home of '''Aeolus''', the ruler of the winds. He gifts Odysseus with a bag filled with all of the winds and inspires a west wind to guide the hero home. Within ten days they can see '''Ithaca''', but the sailors are convinced that Odysseus was given significant treasure in precious metals inside the bag, and they rip it open. This releases the winds, causing an enormous storm that pushes them all the way back to '''Aeolia'''. Aeolus refuses to help them further, and they are forced to row to the land of the '''Laestrygonians'''. This is a race of giants ruled by King '''Antiphates''' and his queen, who eat Odysseus' scouts, and throw boulders at the ships of the heroes as they flee for their lives; only Odysseus' ship remains seaworthy. 

From there the ship travels to '''Aeaea''', where '''[[Circe]]''' the witch-goddess dwells. She turns a number of Odysseus' remaining men into pigs after drugging them. Odysseus searches for the missing men and encounters a disguised '''[[Hermes]]''', who tells him to eat the herb called '''moly''', which will protect him from the witch's drug. He confronts Circe and overpowers her, forcing her to restore his men to human form. He then becomes the witch-goddess' lover, and he lives in luxury for a year with the woman who had turned his men into pigs - which made them none too happy. They have to persuade Odysseus very forcefully to leave, and when he finally agrees, he asks Circe how to get back home. She tells him to sail through '''[[Hades]]''' to speak to the dead prophet named '''Tiresias''', who would guide him back home. The men set out the next day, though they are not very happy about the course they have to take.