Ν- Return to Ithaca

All the lords of the Phaeacians agreed and the very next day a boat full of gifts was prepared to return the king of Ithaca to his homeland. When everything was ready, Odysseus expressed his gratitude to King Alcinous, Queen Aretis, Nausicaa and her brothers and boarded the ship of the Phaeacians bound for his homeland. After a while the sea was calm and so Odysseus surrendered to Morpheus. All night long the ship traveled, when finally before dawn it arrived at an abandoned port in Ithaca. There the sailors carefully placed the mattress where Odysseus slept on the ground and left his gifts next to him, without waking him. Then they sailed away as quietly as they could.

At dawn Odysseus also woke up. At first he was afraid when he saw that he was alone in an unknown place. Then the goddess Athena appeared before him transformed into a shepherd. She revealed to him that she was in Ithaca, which made Odysseus kneel with tears in his eyes and kiss the soil of his homeland after so many years. He had finally reached the birthplace and homeland of his ancestors.

When he rose from the ground he saw to his great surprise that before him stood the goddess Athena in full splendor. She then helped him to hide the gifts of the Phaeacians and informed him that his house had been occupied by Penelope's suitors, who were eating and drinking from his life. It was therefore necessary for him to arrange his return to the palace in order to punish them as he saw fit.

The goddess then transformed Odysseus into an old beggar, and advised him to go find Eumaeus, the swineherd who tended Odysseus' animals. Athena even promised him that she would protect his son Telemachus on his return from Sparta to Ithaca.