Book 12 Odyssey

The Odyssey In Book Twelve of the Odyssey, recounted by Homer, Odysseus uses the knowledge gained from Circe and his own wisdom to overcome the obstacles and protect his men during his return to Ithaca. Departing from Circe’s island with a depleted crew and dwindling hope of their return to their home in Ithaca, Odysseus has to travel through difficult, diverse situations. Heeding Circe’s warnings, Odysseus knows how to handle the danger caused by the Sirens. When sailing by the Island of the Sirens, Odysseus does as was instructed by Circe. He “stopped the ears of (his) comrades one by one”, because the song sung by the Sirens draws the men in, which would lead them to their unavoidable death on the sharp rocks of the island. Although he has instructed his men to stop up their ears, Odysseus has a different plan for himself. Having been told by Circe that the song of the sirens tells of the future in addition to entrapping the sailors, Odysseus demands that his men tie him to the mast with his ears unplugged. Under the spell of the Sirens, Odysseus “signaled the crew to set (him) free”, but his men hold strong. Odysseus learns more about the perils ahead from the Sirens and is able to keep his men safe. Odysseus again shows his wisdom when he is forced to travel in the area of Scylla and Charybdis. Odysseus knew the threat each one posed; Scylla, the six headed sea monster, would snatch up six men away from the ship, making herself a much lesser threat in comparison to Charybdis, a potentially ship destroying whirlpool monster. Odysseus chooses to “lose six men and keep your ship (rather) than lose your entire crew.” Because of this judgment, Odysseus brings the ship father away from Charybdis, passing under Scylla, where they, as expected, lose only six men. The decisions made by Odysseus based on the advice he receives from Circe on the way home to Ithaca protect him and his men from grave danger.