Homer's Odyssey, Book 6

“So he lay there at rest, the storm-tossed great Odysseus, borne down by his hard labors first and now deep sleep as Athena traveled through the countryside and reached the Phaeacians’ city.”

Art: Odysseus and Nausicaa, by Salvator Rosa and Studio (ca. 1655)

An interesting opening to Book 6, where Athena travels ahead of Odysseus, as he sleeps, to the court of the Phaeacians. The narrator reveals how, generations ago, they used to live closer to the island of the Cyclops. But the beasts terrorized them and plundered their lands, forcing a previous king to move the entire civilization here, to a walled city that they built. A reminder that Polyphemus and his crew aren’t quite the innocent victims they present themselves to be when Odysseus shows up on their island. In other words, Polyphemus and Odysseus are both somewhat unreliable and biased narrators—aren’t we all to some extent? There’s a lesson in there.

Athena visits princess Nausicaa as she sleeps. Sweetening her mind with promises of marriage to come, she inspires her to go and wash her clothes come morning. This, of course, is how she’ll meet Odysseus.

Odysseus wakes to the cries of Nausicaa and her maids as they play ball. Imagine what a striking difference this must seem to him, compared to the cries of war and years of woe while trapped by Circe—truly, a new dawn. The sounds of peace. He cuts off an olive branch to hide his privates and at the sight of him, the maidens scamper, all but Nausicaa, who is inspired by Athena. At the midpoint of the book, Odysseus flatters and praises the princess, comparing her to a goddess, in the hopes of gaining her favor and help. That’s when he hears the words he must yearn to hear her speak—but she does so not for vain flattery, but out of respect for the gods: “every stranger and beggar comes from Zeus.” He bathes, cleans off the crime of his past adventures, once more marking a new beginning. Athena, too, wraps him in godliness. And Nausicaa leads him on to the royal palace, but not before giving him food and drink from their picnic. In every way, this encounter proves a sharp contrast to the visit to the island of the Cyclopes.

As we complete Book 6, we’re 1/4 of the way through the epic, and it shows. Just like in a modern screenplay today, a new adventure begins, marked by the crossing of a threshold. After many years held far from home, Odysseus begins his journey back to Ithaca in earnest. He wakes to a new day, bathes and washes off the past, and dons new clothes. Let Act 2, the “fun and games” begin!