This week's reading really set the 'present day' plot moving forward. I can't wait to see Odysseus handling the suitors.

Next week we will be reading books 17 and 18. As usual the questions will be in the comments.

Summary:

Book 15:

Athena visits Telemachus, who is still staying at Menelaus’ place, and warns him that he needs to return to Ithaca to keep his wealth intact. She tells him that an ambush is waiting for him at home, but that he can avoid it if he goes to Eumaeus’ house instead of heading to the main palace.

Meanwhile, Odysseus is still staying with Eumaeus. He intends of scoping out the suitors by pretending to be a beggar around town for a bit. Eumaeus tells him to stay with him and his shepherds and then tells him a little bit about his origins; he was once a prince of Syria until he was abducted by a slave of his father’s and some pirates.

Telemachus starts his journey home and meets up with a murderer/prophet that is on the run: Theoclymenus. Book 15 ends with Telemachus reaching Ithaca and heading for Eumaeus’ house.

Book 16:

Telemachus reaches Eumaeus’ house and meets the beggar Odysseus in disguise. Telemachus gives Eumaeus instructions to go to the palace and tell Penelope of his return but that he should limit that information to only her. Eumaeus and Telemachus get on really well and Eumaeus brings up wanting to tell Laertes. Telemachus tells him to tell Penelope to send a servant girl to tell him. Eumaeus leaves and Athena lets Odysseus reveal himself to his son. Their reunion is full of tears but they soon set to plotting to kill all of the suitors. Altogether the suitors have 118 men with them, whom Telemachus and Odysseus have to fight on their own. Odysseus convinces Telemachus that, with the help of Athena and Zeus, two will be enough and that it would be too risky to even reveal Odysseus’ return to Eumaeus.

Antinous and the small team of suitors that went with him to ambush Telemachus return just as Penelope gets news that her son is back. The suitors all know that Telemachus has evaded them and they are angry. Antinous begins plotting another way to kill Telemachus off, even though he lies to Penelope’s face and swears he will not harm Telemachus. We find out that Antinous is from Ithaca itself and that Odysseus helped his family out during hard times. We also find out that Penelope, while still denying all of the suitors advances, has a favourite suitor called Amphinomus.