Calypso's Island,

Odyssey Notes:

Calypso's Island

We first meet Odysseus in Book 4 where he is sitting on the shore of the lovely Calypo's island weeping with longing for his wife and son whom he has not seen in twenty years. It seems that Odysseus has grown tired of the beautiful goddess and wishes to go home to Penelope. Athena, the goddess of Wisdom, his patroness, takes pity on Odysseus and goes to Zeus to beg for his safe return to Ithaca. Zeus sends Hermes, the messenger of the gods, to give the seductive Calypso an offer she cannot refuse - either give up Odysseus and allow him to go home to his beloved Penelope - or Zeus will send her island plummeting to the bottom of the ocean. Calypso reluctantly agrees, but before allowing him to leave, Calypso offers Odysseus a romantic little dinner for two and over candlelight she asks him the age old questions, "What does she have that I don't?" Odysseus, the wiliest of all the Greeks - which is why he is the favorite of Athena, the goddess of Wisdom - casts his far ranging mind for an answer and comes up with this answer - although Penelope, being a mere mortal, cannot compare to the beauty of a goddess, he misses his quiet wife and wishes to grow old with her. Calypso reluctantly gives him permission to build a small boat to set sail for home, and bids him adieu.

But Poseidon, the god of the sea, still has not forgiven Odysseus for blinding his son, Polyphemus the Cyclops, and once again sends storms and winds to keep him at sea for weeks. Finally, Odysseus is shipwrecked on an island and exhausted from his weeks of battling sea storms, falls into a deep sleep. Meanwhile, Athena is up and about, setting the stage for his rescue.