The early and difficult part of Odysseus's journey is coming to an end. Book XII is full of adventure. They return to bury Elpenor, sail by the Sirens (the men put beeswax in their ears and tie Odysseus to the mast), lose six men to Skylla, skirt Charybdis, and end on Helios's island. The men disobey Odysseus for the last time, eat the holy cattle, and then die at sea; Odysseus survives and lands on Kalypso's island (where he stays for 7 years). Two ideas are reinforced in this book. One is that Odysseus is a man of the mind, so eager to learn that he must hear the Siren's song. The other idea is that Odysseus's men die because they do not listen to him. He does not fail as a leader/hero, his men fail to follow his leadership and they die.
Book XIII is a transition from the journey to the homecoming. Odysseus gets lots and lots of gifts and a ship home. It also features a reversal of the xenia idea because the Phaiakians are punished for being good xenos. However, this might simply be an extension of the idea that the gods are capricious - even when you do what is asked they get you. Please note the familiar lines about the nature of the islands natives: " Alas, 'he exclaimed, ' among what manner of people am I fallen? Are they savage and uncivilized or hospitable and humane?" He does not even know that he is home. Also note that Minerva/Athena helps by changing his appearance to that of an old man. She does this because he is in danger as a result of the suitors.
Book XIII is a transition from the journey to the homecoming. Odysseus gets lots and lots of gifts and a ship home. It also features a reversal of the xenia idea because the Phaiakians are punished for being good xenos. However, this might simply be an extension of the idea that the gods are capricious - even when you do what is asked they get you. Please note the familiar lines about the nature of the islands natives: " Alas, 'he exclaimed, ' among what manner of people am I fallen? Are they savage and uncivilized or hospitable and humane?" He does not even know that he is home. Also note that Minerva/Athena helps by changing his appearance to that of an old man. She does this because he is in danger as a result of the suitors.
The theme of xenia is joined with that of loyalty in Book XIV. We meet "O swineherd Eumaeus," the loyal swineherd and slave of Ulysses/Odysseus. The book cements Eumaeus as a good xenos and slave, and a person whom Odysseus can trust to help with the suitors.
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