Ulysses, also known as Odysseus, was king of Itaca. There he lived with his beautiful wife Penelope and his son Telemachus. Ulysses, together with a group of brave Greek princes, undertook a long journey to take the city of Troy. This city surrounded by walls was impassable.
Ulysses who was very intelligent, after failing several attempts, had the great idea of building a giant wooden horse supported on a base with wheels that he abandoned at the gates of the city of Troy. The Trojans, dazzled by the gigantic horse, opened the city's heavy gate and pushed it inside. They did not know that the horse contained a surprise that would bring them to an end. Inside the horse were hidden numerous soldiers. When night came and the Trojans were resting, the soldiers opened a secret door and sailed into the city. They then opened the heavy gate that ran through the entrance to allow the entry of the remaining Greek troops, who were waiting hidden in a nearby forest.
This resulted in the destruction of the city of Troy.
Once his goal was fulfilled, Ulysses returned to Itaca with his warriors, but due to the various difficulties suffered during the journey, the journey which had to take a few weeks became an odyssey that lasted ten long years.
Here we will know the stumbles and misadventures that Ulysses went through until he managed to reach his kingdom.
Ulysses' ships, like all those of the time, were small. They had nothing but a sail and a handful of rowers to propel them. They tried, as much as possible, not to lose sight of the coast, so that they could seek refuge in the event of a storm.
Many times the weather played a trick on them. In this case, at the time of departure, a strong wind pushed the ships towards an island occupied by the Cisons.
Ulysses found that there was a great treasure on that island and sent his men to collect the loot. The Cicones quickly armed themselves to defend their possessions by engaging in a fierce melee fight against the sailors.
As the Cisons were very numerous, they won the battle. Ulysses lost the loot and many men in the fight. But with those who had managed to save himself, he managed to flee quickly but with great sadness at the adverse outcome of the expedition.
As if the sky wanted to punish them for their daring, a strong storm broke out. The water was pouring in and the sails swelled by the wind to burst. Several days they fought against the adversity of time without rest.
When the calm finally returned to the sea, they took the opportunity to repair the ships and replace the sails destroyed. But again the north wind began to blow away from their route, offshore and then pushing them to another strange island.
The lotophages, they called themselves so because they only fed on the lotus flower. This flower had rare properties. On the one hand it was delicious as honey, but on the other hand it produced side effects for consumers.
Those who taste the lotus flower, immediately forget the near and remote past. Nor do they remember the projects for the future. Their days pass without anguish or suffering, because they do not remember anything, nor do they fulfill their duties and obligations because they have forgotten all the projects. They only spend time, lying on the beach, enjoying their happy dreams while consuming the lotus flower.
As soon as they arrived on the island, Ulysses sent a group of men to investigate as they needed fresh water and other supplies.
The lotophagos were very friendly. Not only did they receive them with open arms, but they also gave them to taste their favorite food - the lotus flower.
What happened? The sailors, as soon as they tasted the delicious fruit, forgot Ulysses, Itaca, the task entrusted to them, the sorrows and sufferings they had endured and laid themselves on the beach forgetting their obligations like the rest of the lotophagos, fantasizing dreams of happiness.
Ulysses, who had stayed on the ship, began to worry fearing that the natives of the island might have annihilated them and went down to look for them.
Seeing what was happening, since no one wanted to return to the ship and only wanted to stay there eating the sweet flower, he brought the rowers down to help him to drag them back to the ships, warning them that they should not try that food for nothing in the world.
The men wept and kicked, they did not wish to suffer any pain again, but Ulysses tied them tightly until they passed the effect of the fatal food.
Ulysses' ships continued their course again and after sailing several days, they saw a beautiful island clipping over the horizon, where they stopped.
As they approached the island with ships, they could see fertile fields, thick forests and even a spring of fresh water flowing among rocks, surrounded by a grove providing a peaceful shade.
Surrounding it, he saw Ulysses, that the island possessed a natural port, ideal for anchoring the ships and exploring that territory.
The next day, Ulysses and a group of twelve brave men entered the forest loaded with wine, honey and other provisions in the hope of meeting their lucky inhabitants.
Ulysses did not know that this island was inhabited by the Cyclops, a wild people who did not know any authority and did not believe in the gods.
Moving forward on their expedition, they soon found a cave hidden among laurel branches. Around it lay a wall of logs and stones of enormous size. The cave was the dwelling place of a giant, but it was not there, for he had gone out to feed his flock of sheep.
The giant's refuge was filled with cheese, neatly arranged. Jars and pots for milk and a group of small kids.
When the men saw all these provisions, they were tempted and said, “Let's take these cheeses, load the kids, and get back to the ships.”
But Ulysses did not approve of the suggestion.
In the evening, the giant returned to his shelter. He was a giant Cyclops named Polyphemus, son of Poseidon.
Seeing the monster approaching, Ulysses and his men ran to hide in the darkest corners of the cave.
Polyphemus entered the cave, followed by his flock with a staggering passage, carrying a huge bundle of wood, which, when he threw it, made every corner of the cave rumble.
Then he headed towards the only access of the cave and without the slightest effort, he took a huge rock and closed the entrance completely.
Polyphemus, without noticing the presence of the intruders, began to milk his flock, then set a fire, and lit every corner of his dwelling. At that moment, Polyphemus, warning of the presence of Ulysses and his men, threw a loud cry that almost leaves them deaf.
The men were petrified from the fright, but the brave Ulysses went ahead and said: - We are warriors of King Agamemnon of Greece. We fought for our king in Troy and now we return to our homeland, but a strong wind deflected us to this island. We ask you to grant us the hospitality our god, Zeus, orders to be granted to foreigners.
Cyclops have no gods and we don't take orders from anyone either. He responded energetically to ask curious: - Which side of the island are your ships anchored?
Our ships sank after a terrible storm. We're the only survivors of the wreck. Ulysses replied with cunning.
Polyphemus smiled with mischief. Then he advanced to the men and took two of them in his hands, beat their heads to break it, then opened them in half with a knife and roasted them in the fire.
When they were ready, he slowly devoured them while sipping a huge glass of milk. Ulysses and the ten remaining companions could not believe what they had witnessed as the ferocity of the giant knew no limits.
As soon as the giant fell asleep, Ulysses met with his men to devise a plan that would allow them to escape from that monster. They knew that the solution was not to kill him, because they would be trapped forever, unable to move the immense rock that covered the entrance. On the other hand, they also knew that if they did not succeed in doing something soon their days were numbered.
In the morning, Polyphemus milked his sheep and then again killed two other men he roasted and swallowed quickly. Then he brought out the flock, and once outside, he covered the entrance with the stone.
Ulysses and his men, desperate, lamented their bad luck. Suddenly, Ulysses saw a huge log and ordered his men to sharpen the tip and hardened it in the fire of the fire in order to sink it into the eye of the cruel Cyclops.
In the evening, the giant returned and after milking his herd, he repeated his bloodthirsty dinner routine two men.
Then, Ulysses, he went ahead to offer him his wine. -Polyphemus, to make your feast perfect you must accompany it with this delicious wine. Polyphemus, he tasted it and saw it was delicious.
“All right, “replied Ulysses. If you want to reward me, I'll tell you my name. My name is Nobody.
Polyphemus threw a laugh. - Oh, yeah. Of course I'll reward you! - Yeah. I'll eat your men and leave you to the end. And he kept laughing with laughter.
Very soon, the giant fell surrendered to the effect of wine in a deep sleep. Then, Ulysses, with the help of his men, took the sharp trunk and then placed its tip on the fire until it turned incandescent red, lifted it up among all and plunged it into the giant's one eye.
Polyphemus, he woke up moaning and cursing with loud screams as the stake continued to be nailed in his only eye. When he managed to tear it off, he wandered blindly through the cave stumbling without relieving his pain.
When they heard his cries, the other cyclops approached the door of his cave to ask him, “What is the matter, Polyphemus?” Did someone hurt you?
Polyphemus replied, “No one has harmed me with treachery!”
In vain the blind giant tried to find Ulysses and his men, as they could easily slip away when the giant groped near.
Then Polyphemus ran the heavy stone of the entrance and settled to guard the entrance hoping that they would want to escape their claws.
But the ingenious Ulysses, he devised a new plan. Among the herd of Polyphemus, there were several large rams. He restrained them with a touch of three, and under their belly he restrained his men, and then tied himself under the belly of three other rams.
When Polyphemus let out his flock, he stroked their loins, not realizing that when the rams came out, men also escaped.
So they escaped, Ulysses and his men from their prison. When they were in a safe place, they cut off their ties with a knife and went quickly to the ships, where the worried crew waited for them in anguish.
After carrying the flock on the ships and when they were already moving away from the coast, Ulysses shouted: “Polyphemus, when someone asks you what happened to your eye, tell him that Ulysses, the king of Itaca, emptied it for you!
Polyphemus hurled a howl: “An oracle predicted me that Ulysses king of Itaca would make me blind. I thought I'd be a majestic hero, not a petty dwarf who would betray me drunk. Since you've been so clever, I beg you to come back and I will treat you as you deserve or my father, Poseidon, will avenge me by sending you a curse. He screamed poisoned with rage.
“Polyphemus threw all kinds of cries, asking Poseidon to avenge him from Ulysses, while throwing huge stones at the ships.
The stones did not cause any damage to the ships, but propelled them offshore, escaping that island and its cruel inhabitants.
Ulysses and his men, after such a wretched adventure, continued sailing in the hope of returning to their kingdom, Itaca.
After several days of sailing, they saw a strange island, surrounded by steep rocks and protected by a bronze wall.
Ulysses, curious, could not resist the temptation to venture into what seemed to be an impenetrable fortress.
Ulysses, anchored the ships, and as soon as they stepped on the land, were greeted by Eolo, King of the Winds, who ruled the island.
Eolo, he knew very well who Ulysses was and gave him the rank of guest. He entertained him with all kinds of banquets and ceremonies in his honor.
Ulysses was delighted, but what he really wanted was to return to his long-awaited homeland, where Penelope, his wife and son Telemachus awaited him.
Eolo understood Ulysses' desire and wanted to give him a great gift. Then he locked all the winds, except the west wind, in a large oxen. Then he tightly closed the mouth of the leather, tying it with silver threads and handed it over to Ulysses who placed it on the bridge of the ship.
Eolo, placed the west wind behind the ships and then ordered him to blow gently accompanying the ships to the desired port of Itaca.
For nine days, they sailed accompanied by a gentle breeze, over a calm sea, until they managed to see the desired island. Soon they were able to distinguish the forests and the hills. Which filled them with peace of mind.
After so many days of sailing without being able to stick an eye, and seeing that his target was so close, Ulysses retired to rest, and defeated by fatigue he fell deeply asleep.
The men who were on the bridge, taking advantage of the absence of their captain, began to plot against Ulysses, saying, - Ulysses is not fair to us! Eolo gave him this huge leather gift that surely hides a great treasure and did not want to share it with us.
And another said, “Have we not fought alongside him?” It is up to share the loot!
And so, moved by greed and taking advantage of the fact that Ulysses snored loudly, they decided to open the oxen's leather when it was very short to reach Itaca.
The winds immediately escaped from the skin causing a hurricane that pushed the ships to the opposite side, pushing them away from their course until turning the long-awaited island of Itaca into an insignificant point on the horizon.
Upon seeing what happened, Ulysses wished to end his life by throwing himself into the sea, but as he was extremely sensible, he ordered his men to return to the island of King Eolo. Eolo, when he saw him, asked him, “Why are you back, Ulysses? “ I gave you everything to make you safe on your island.
Ulysses explained what happened to him and begged him to help him again.
But Eolo, angry answered him, “Get out of here and don't come back again!” If the gods have allowed this calamity to happen to you, you must not be so good.
Ulysses, sad and ashamed, returned to the ships and ordered the men to sail offshore.
The swirling winds made it difficult to advance the oars and could hardly dominate the boats in the face of the fury of the frizzy sea.
Everything seemed to be against him. Six days and six nights fought against the inclement weather and violence of the sea.
After fighting frantically against inclement weather for six long days, the sailors were blessed by a radiant sun and a calm sea. In the distance they saw land and Ulysses ordered to row vigorously until reaching the shore of what looked like a beautiful island. There was a natural port, with calm waters and anchored the ships, except that of Ulysses, which as a precaution left it out of the port, tied to a rock.
Ulysses, moved by curiosity, climbed to the highest rock to try to see what kind of place that was. They only saw a few columns of smoke. Then he decided to send three men to explore the place.
Following in the footsteps of the chariots, they crossed mountains until they ran into the gates of the kingdom. There, they found a beautiful young woman who combed her long hair by a fountain. By their words, they recognized that they were in front of the daughter of the king of the island. She kindly offered to drive them to her mother, the queen.
Huge was their surprise when they saw that the island was inhabited by huge giants who fed on human flesh. The queen, she was a horrible woman, sinister looking and imposing size. Seeing the three men, her eyes shone and immediately called her husband, the king.
The monarch, neither sluggish nor lazy, pounced upon the men, shouting loud cries and taking one of them by the waist, punched him and then swallowed him up with a bite. The other two men fled in fear running as fast as their feet allowed to warn the rest of the sailors of the situation.
But after them ran a group of monstrous cannibals, ready to feast. When they arrived at the port, the giants threw rocks at the ships, sinking them quickly, and the wounded or dying men were dragged to their homes for a feast.
Ulysses, witnessed the tragedy horrified by the bad luck of his men, and seeing that nothing could do against those enemies of colossal force, went to his ship, the only one who was saved from disaster, cut off the moor and gave the order to row his men hard to get away as quickly as possible from that sinister island.
With only one ship, dismayed and sad by the experience suffered, Ulysses and his men sailed several days to Eea Island. Once there, they lay down on the beach crying and grieving for not being able to return to their homeland, Itaca.
Ulysses tried to cheer them up, but he couldn't revive them. Then, a hill headed up to the top, and from there he could see a column of smoke in the distance that ascended until he was lost in the blue sky. It was a sign that someone lived on the island.
As he descended, he crossed a deer, which he managed to kill with his spear. He loaded him to the beach and handed them to his companions saying: - Look what I got! Let's cook it, and when they've eaten, they'll see the future with different eyes.
The men, who were hungry, forgot for an instant their sorrows, and after eating and drinking abundantly they slept placiously.
The next day, Ulysses insisted on the need to explore the island. The men fearful of the experience lived, refused, but the insistence of Ulysses ended up winning his will.
They decided to split into two groups. One in charge of Ulysses and another in charge of Eurilochus, his brother-in-law. They cast their luck to decide which group would do the task of exploration and the destination wanted the Eurylocus group to enter the island. Ulysses had to wait on the beach for his return.
Eurylochus and his men went into the island. After crossing a forest, they found themselves in front of a large palace made of polished stone. In front of the door, there were many lions and wolves that were meek like dogs, who, when they saw them, surrounded them celebrating the arrival of visitors.
The men did not know that this was the palace of Circe, the sorceress, and that these animals were part of the enchanted fauna of the magician.
Arriving at the door of the palace, they heard a woman singing in a voice so melodious that she paralyzed them.
The men knocked on the door and the beautiful magician Circe opened them, inviting them in.
Everyone was admired by its beauty, but Eurilochus, who remembered what happened to the giant's daughter, refused to enter and decided to wait for them hidden behind bushes.
Circe, led his guests to a luxurious salon where he entertained them with tasty delicacies to which he added a potion to make them lose their memory. Then he touched them with his magic wand turning them into pigs and then threw them into a dirty, dark pigsty. Once in the pigsty, Circe threw acorns and waste at them as the only food.
To the greater misery of these men, although they were physically turned into pigs, their intelligence remained human, doubling suffering. Eurylochus waited for hours for his companions. When he saw that they were not returning, he became distressed and desperate, he rushed back to the ship, to give notice of the disappearance of his men.
Ulysses seeing his brother-in-law's desperation. He sought his sword and his bow and asked Eurilochus to show him the way to the palace of Circe, but he refused, saying, “Ulysses, you cannot go there. We can't risk losing you. We'd better run away before another misfortune happens again.
But the hero mocked: If you want, you can stay here, eat and drink, but I will do as I please. And without any company he went to the forest in search of the stone palace.
When he reached his destination, he was met by a beautiful young man wielding a golden wand. Ulysses recognized the god Hermes himself. - Where are you going Ulysses? Your mates are locked up in a pigsty turned into pigs. And he added, “Do you think that only you can save them?” Ulysses looked at him astonished. Then Hermes continued saying: - I will help you. He gave him a plant of white flowers and black roots. Then he said to him, “This plant will turn away any sorcery from you. But when Circe comes near to touch you with her magic wand, you have to pull out your saber and throw yourself at it like you're going to kill her. She'll be scared and offer you her hospitality. You must not accept anything from her. First you must demand her to swear the oath of the gods that she will not try to do anything against you. Then you'll be safe.
Ulysses accepted the instructions of the god and promised to follow his directions.
The hero of Itaca finally arrived at the palace and knocked on the door. The beautiful Circe opened him and invited him to come to the salon offering him all sorts of delicacies mixed with his potion to lose his memory. But it did not affect him in the least, because he carried the plant with white flowers.
When Circe approached with his magic wand, Ulysses pounced on her with his sword as if he were going to kill her.
Circe, then threw himself at his feet saying, - Tell me who you are a foreigner. There's only one man on earth who can resist my spells, and that's Ulysses, the hero of Troy.
And he continued, “If you are Ulysses, sheathe your sword and accept the hospitality that I offer you.”
But Ulysses, recalling the advice of Hermes, said to him, “I can only trust you, if you swear by the gods that you will do nothing against me.
Circe took the oath and then treated him with all sorts of delicacies. But Ulysses refused to eat and drink, because he was very sad at the fate of his companions transformed into pigs.
To which Ulysses replied, “Only when I see my men free and their human figure again, will I believe in your promises again.
Circe then, trying to gain the trust of the hero of Troy, freed the men and as they came out he was touching them with his magic wand so that they could regain their human figure.
The men recognized Ulysses instantly and embraced each other crying with happiness. Circe was touched to tears as he witnessed such a warm reunion and ordered the rest of the men on the beach to give them a splendid feast. Eurylocus resisted in principle, but then also joined the group of guests.
Thus, between feasts and banquets spent almost a year enjoying the hospitality of the beautiful sorceress. But soon they remembered their homeland again and yearned to return to their families.
Ulysses, hearing the pleas of his sailors, who were melancholic to return, came to Circe and said, “I thank you for your generosity, but you know well that we wish to return to Itaca. Please help us!
Circe said to him, “I will not hold them against his will.” - Then he drew him the route that the ship should follow and retreated from each of the dangers they were going to run and what they had to do in each case to overcome them successfully.
Before dismissing them, he warned them: “If you or your men do not follow my instructions to the letter, or do something against which I have just forbidden them, ruin will fall on their heads, you will lose your men, and You will not return to Itaca until a long time and in a miserable state.
The next day and after thanking Circe again they launched into the sea on their ship, hoping to reach their desired destination, aided by the favorable winds sent by the magician as farewell.
One of the many dangers that the sorceress warned Ulysses about was the one they would run as they passed the island of the Sirens.
This island was inhabited by very rare women. From the waist down, they had the shape and scales of a big fish and from the waist up had all the look of a woman. The sirens were very cruel despite having a harmless appearance. They were endowed with an extraordinary voice. Days and nights spent sitting on the lawn, facing the sea, singing sweet and attractive songs. But that melodious and captivating voice was a death trap for the men who listened to it, for they could not resist the temptation to approach them. Once on the ground, the mermaids killed the men and cut them apart. Then they piled up the skulls as if they were trophies.
Circe warned Ulysses, “The man who hears the mermaids song will never see his wife and children again. “Then he advised him how to avoid danger.
The ship was rapidly approaching driven by a gentle breeze, but a sorcery of the sirens stopped the wind and the men had to move slowly using the oars.
Like an echo in the distance, they began to hear what seemed to be a song. Ulysses quickly plugged the ears of his men with wax and then asked them to bind him tightly to the flagpole of the ship and to beg for nothing of the world. Then he ordered them to row with all their might to escape quickly from that terrible attraction.
The ship began to slide along the island and the mermaids redoubled their efforts to attract them by singing the most captivating songs.
Ulysses, hearing those voices, felt a powerful attraction. I could see the beautiful mermaids, lying among the flowers on the edge of the sea. Ulysses cried and kicked, imploring his men to leave him free to meet them.
As the men had their ears covered, they did not suffer the effect of enchantment and instead of releasing Ulysses, they tied him more tightly against the mast as he struggled with all his might to free himself.
The sailors rowed so strongly that they soon found themselves far from that dangerous island. Once on the high seas, the men untied Ulysses and removed their earplugs.
The danger had already passed.
Ulysses and his men continued sailing until they found themselves in front of formidable rocks, where the waves of the sea hit them until they were completely covered. One could hear the roar of the sea as it crashed and a huge swirl threw wrecks to the surface.
Ulysses understood that he was facing another of the many dangers Circe had warned him: The Erratic Rocks.
The crew were terrified of the danger that awaited them, but the brave Ulysses encouraged them to continue saying: - Do not be discouraged companions. We've been through many dangers. Remember Polyphemus. We thought we'd die, and here we are. Just follow my orders and you'll see everything will be fine.
Circe, the sorceress had advised her: When they must cross the erratic rocks, they must sink the oars into the water at high speed and at the same time control the rudder so that the ship stays in a straight line so as not to hit the rocks.
This was what Ulysses indicated and managed to overcome the danger without losing a single man.
Ulysses, who was very prudent, after crossing the erratic rocks, remained silent about the new dangers that would lurk them: Scilla and Caribdis.
I was afraid if I told them about these terrible monsters, they would be terrified, leave their oars and throw themselves into the sea. So he kept Circe's warnings a secret.
After crossing the erratic rocks, the ship had to pass through a very narrow place. On either side of it stood two very high rocks. On the left stood one of them, black, shiny and slippery like polished marble. Needless to say, no one could climb it. Even in the most beautiful days it was covered by a black cloud.
In this rock and inside a hidden cave, lived Scyla. A fantastic monster with twelve legs and six heads from whose mouths pointed sharp fangs. He barked day and night like a rabid dog. He devoured as much animal as he could approach, and every time a ship passed through the place a banquet was made, as each of its heads could swallow a sailor.
In front of the rock that served as the dwelling of Scyla, there was another high rock at whose foot grew a leafy tree. Among its roots, there was a cave and there lived Caribdis, another terrible monster. Caribdis absorbed the sea water three times a day, making it penetrate into his cave. Then he would return him back to the sea, but everything that penetrated the cave, Caribdis would tear him to pieces.
Circe had warned him: “Pay attention, Ulysses. Scyla is not mortal. It's useless to fight her. All you can do is run as fast as you can.
But Ulysses, hearing the barking of Scyla, put on his armor and stood at the bow of the ship, waiting for their heads to come out, intending to face it. Scyla did not look out and with that distraction he was soon surprised by the whirlpool of Caribdis, who had begun to swallow the sea water.
The sailors, scared to death, rowing with all their might to get away from Caribdis, and so they came unnoticed to the rock of Scilla.
Scyla, threw his six heads and with one move took six sailors off the bridge. The men shouted and wept extending their arms, begging for help without their companions being able to do anything to free them from such a fateful death.
This sad spectacle left the sailors in sadness and desolation, as they were fully aware that any of them could have suffered this misfortune.
The ship finally moved away from that dreadful place. The sailors could not forget the looks of their companions as they were caught by the monster Scyla.
After several days of sailing, they saw a beautiful island, covered with green meadows where herds of cows and sheep grazed calmly.
Ulysses acknowledged that he was standing before the island that kept the flocks of the Sun, from which the beautiful sorceress Circe had given him this way: - Ulysses, if you manage to safely pass through the danger of the monsters Scilla and Caribdis, you will soon find the island of the Sun. But pay attention, because if you or your men kill only one of the cows of the sun, a curse will fall on the ship and its crew and even if you manage to save your life, your companions will die and if you succeed in returning to Itaca, you will do so in a pitiful state.
Ulysses, remembering these words and warning about the curse, wanted to go on long, but his brother-in-law Eurilochus began to protest: - How do you expect us to move on? Can't you see we're exhausted? Night is coming and we're tired. What happens if a storm breaks out? How can we cope with it in this state?
The rest of the men joined the protest and Ulysses had no choice but to accept his claims. But before landing he made them promise that they would not touch a sheep or a cow of the sun.
The men assured him that they would not touch the flocks, as the sorceress Circe had given them plenty of supplies to stock up for a long time.
That same night, a terrible storm broke out and lasted for more than a month. As time went on, supplies began to become scarce and starved. Although the island was beautiful, neither hunting nor fishing was enough to satisfy them.
One day when Ulysses went into the forest, Eurilochus began to instigate men by saying: “We have suffered all kinds of misfortunes, but I do not understand why we have to suffer hunger while grazing all these magnificent cows around us. I wonder if we couldn't sacrifice some calves with the promise to build a temple to the Sun as soon as we get to Itaca.
The men, who were already dragging food shortages for several days, folded to the Eurilochus proposal without blinking. Some quickly prepared the fire, and others sacrificed some calves to which they roasted and then feasted with the wine they had left.
Ulysses, who had fallen deep asleep, in the middle of the forest, woke up feeling a strong smell of roast meat and ran to where his men camped. There, horrified, he found that the damage was already done and there was nothing he could do to remedy the evil.
They all witnessed the most horrifying event. From the meat of the roasted cows, there appeared moods of pain, and the leathers that had been left were contoured and writhing, while the sad wailing of cows was heard everywhere.
After six days, the weather improved and Ulysses decided it was time to set sail and move away from the island.
When they met on the high seas, a black cloud landed on the ship and it seemed that the storm was directed exclusively to it. A thunderbolt broke the mast in two and as it fell, it dragged the helmsman into the raging waters of the sea, at the same time it began to set fire, the ship turned to one side, and all the men except Ulysses fell into the sea.
The hero of Troy clung with all his strength to what was left of the ship, unable to fight, just letting himself be carried away by the angry waters.
Hurricane winds pushed the ship back again, to where the dangerous monsters of Scilla and Caribdis were. When Carybdis with his whirlpool began to swallow the waters and to the destroyed ship, Ulysses, in a leap, clung to a branch of the tree at the entrance of the cave of Caribdis, and, when the monster, returned the ship to the sea, in a leap. He clung to what was left of the mast, managing to overcome that contingency successfully. Scyla, fortunately, did not leave his cave and soon Ulysses was freed from these two dangers.
Ulysses soon found himself, alone on the high seas at the mercy of the winds, seeing further the possibility of returning to his homeland alive.
Ulysses clung to the remains of the ship, very tired, got carried away by the waves.
A gentle breeze pushed the ship towards a beautiful island covered with lush trees.
After resting several hours on the sand of the beach, he decided to explore it. After walking a long stretch, he reached the entrance of a cave dug into the rock, from which sweet aromas of cedar and sandalwood came off. At the entrance you could see two beautiful vines from which hung juicy clusters of black grapes.
The place was a paradise. There was a rumour of water coming from various sources of crystal water.
In the grotto, a beautiful woman with golden braids and richly dressed, weaved eagerly. She was the goddess Calipso.
Despite his bad reputation with men, Calipso greeted Ulysses with affection, giving him all kinds of care that helped him recover his health, quite deteriorated by the unfortunate adventures he suffered.
After having lost his ship and his men, Ulysses could do nothing but remain in the care of the goddess. But despite the fact that the island was a paradise and that the goddess cared for it with care, Ulysses could not hide his sadness and spent long hours of the day with his eyes lost on the horizon, longing for his homeland.
Calipso, seeing him so sorry, asked him again and again, “What's the matter with you, Ulysses? You know that if you stay with me, you must not fear sickness or death.
But Ulysses, without wanting to be rude to the goddess, answered him, “I am not afraid of sickness or death. “ What I want is to see again, even once again, the island of Itaca.
So they remained eight long years. This was the punishment that the god Poseidon sent to Ulysses, for having blinded his son the Cyclops Polyphemus.
For Ulysses, Athena, the goddess of wisdom, who saw on the one hand the sadness of Ulysses and on the other, the sorrows of his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus, wished to help him. Athena then went to Mount Olympus and in an assembly told the rest of the gods the misadventures of the hero of Troy and the sadness that seized him.
The gods took pity on Ulysses and his family and sent Hermes to the island of Calypso to solve the problem.
Hermes met Calipso, the goddess of golden braids, who entertained him with all sorts of exquisite delicacies. After enjoying a royal feast, Hermes conveyed to Calipso the gods' desire: That he would allow Ulysses to return to his homeland.
Calipso thought the request was unfair and replied, “Do you now remember the gods of Ulysses?” Did they not allow me to suffer all kinds of hardship? Besides, I don't own any ship. How can I send him back?
But Hermes answered firmly, “If you do not send Ulysses back to Itaca, the gods will punish you harshly.” - and flew again over the fields back to Olympus.
Calypso quickly sought out Ulysses, who, like every day, was crying on the beach with his eyes on the horizon, and said to him, “Do not cry again, Ulysses.” I'm going to allow you to return to your homeland.
Ulysses, mistrusted the words of the goddess, but she led him to a forest where strong trees were growing and reaching him a two-edged axe and other tools encouraged him to build a ship to reach his desired destination.
Meanwhile, Calipso began to weave a large and strong fabric for her to use candles.
Ulysses regained his lost joy and soon began to work hard to build a raft strong enough to reach his homeland.
After several days of work relentlessly, the raft was completed and threw it into the sea loaded with rich provisions that the goddess Calipso, fearful of the vengeance of the gods, gave her to say goodbye.
After eighteen days of calm sailing, he spotted a golden island on the horizon floating like a bronze shield and headed to it.
But what Ulysses did not know is that Poseidon, returning from a long journey, passed the island of Calypso, and when he saw that the hero of Troy had freed himself from his destiny, he rode on cholera. and enraged, he roamed, “Ulysses! “ Did you think all your problems were over? Well, you'll see! - And in a few minutes, she summoned the clouds to unleash a hurricane on the precarious raft, which prey to the indomitable forces of the sea, made her wobble as if it were a paper boat.
Ulysses couldn't believe what was going on. Once again the anguish seized him.
Crying cried, “It would have been much better to die in the city of Troy than to go through all these sufferings.
As soon as he finished saying these words, a gigantic wave spun the raft destroying the mast, throwing poor Ulysses into the sea.
Ulysses, dragged to the bottom of the sea by a giant wave, had to fight with all his might to reach the surface. Once there, he could see the remains of the ship. He swam until he clung to those trunks that were his only salvation.
Poseidon, the god of the sea, did not spare Ulysses and had set out to mistreat him with all the elements at his disposal.
At that moment, a Nymph wandering the seas felt sorry to see the hero of Troy suffer in that way and posing like a butterfly on the raft said to him, “Poseidon has made you the target of his vengeance, but you must know that his power or enough to lead you to death. You must do exactly as I say and you will save yourself: Undress, adjust to your waist this veil that I give you and throw yourself into the sea. Let the raft be drifted, and you swim astray, and when you reach it, throw my veil back into the sea. He'll just go straight to meet me. “After the veil reached him, the Nymph sank into the sea without a trace.
Ulysses, fearing that this is a new trap of the gods, did not obey the advice of the Nymph and continued to cling to the trunks of the raft.
Poseidon's viciousness gave him no respite and another huge wave ended up dispersing the trunks of the precarious raft. Again in the water, Ulysses climated again on horseback from one of the trunks and in despair, decided to follow the advice of the Nymph of the Sea. He stripped his clothes, tightened the veil to his waist, and swam into the sea with all available strength.
Poseidon smiled happily when his revenge was completed and retired to his palace at the bottom of the sea.
Ulysses continued to swim vigorously for two days and two nights.
The goddess Athena, who saw the hardships of Ulysses, ordered to the north wind: - Blow hard to pave the way for Ulysses until he deposited it in the land of the Pheatians.
The north wind followed the goddess's orders, while Ulysses swam relentlessly. So three days and three nights passed, until the sea calmed down and could see land in the distance.
Enthusiasm led him to bend his strength to reach the island. Sad was his disappointment to see that the island was surrounded by reefs. The sea struck the rocks with an unusual noise and it was practically impossible to overcome that barrier.
A wave pushed him on a rock and was about to lose his life if he had not clung to it with his hands hurt by rubbing against the edge of the rock.
Athena, inspired him to continue swimming around the island in search of a suitable place to touch land. But he found a river flowing into the sea. Ulysses, exhausted, asked for help from the river, and the river ordered its waters to run meek until it was deposited on the ground.
Ulysses, very weak, after so many days of swimming relentlessly, approached the beach and detached from the veil and then threw him into the sea. The veil floated gently over the current, and soon the waters opened to make way for the nymph of the sea, She picked up the veil and disappeared again under the waters.
Ulysses, he cried with joy. Then he went to a mountain covered with trees, put together a fluffy bed with leaves and lay down.
Athena, her protector ordered the Dream to help him sleep to replenish his strength after so many hardships.
And Ulysses fell asleep peacefully.
In the land of the Pheatians ruled a king who had only one daughter named Nausica. Nausica was very good and beautiful. Everyone loved her because she was sweet and compassionate to the rest of the subjects.
One night when the princess slept, the goddess Athena appeared to her in her dreams and spoke to her like this: “Nausica, tomorrow, very early ask your father to prepare you a cart with her mules to wash clothes in the river. Because you've grown so much and it's time for you to get married. As soon as she woke up, Nausica remembered her dream and ran to meet her father to ask for the carriage and mules to wash clothes in the river without confessing her dream.
The king caught his attention, but since he loved her so much, he gave him what he asked of him gladly. They prepared a very strong cart to which they tied several mules. His mother the Queen arranged for him a basket with provisions. Other friendly maidens and several slaves also left Nausica to spend the day by the river.
When they arrived, they released the mules to graze in the meadow and they had fun while washing singing and playing splash. It was a beautiful day and it looked like a perfect excursion.
After laying the clothes in the sun to dry, they ate the tasty meal that the queen mother had prepared with such care.
It was a sunny day and they decided to play ball. They set themselves in a wheel and skillfully passed the ball from hand to hand while laughing. Suddenly, one of the maids was neglected and the ball fell into the river. They all shouted alarmed as the stream of the river quickly directed the ball towards the sea.
The cries of the young woke Ulysses who slept very close on his bed of leaves and dried branches.. Ulysses, covered himself with some branches to present himself to the young women because because of the advice of the sea nymph, he had no clothes to cover himself.
His appearance was rattled and fearsome, so the girls ran awfully to see him.
Nausica, always kind and compassionate, stood by the presence of the shipwrecker. Ulysses came up and said, “I am Ulysses. I fought in Troy and wanting to return to my homeland I have experienced many hardships. My men are dead and my ships are destroyed. I've never seen such a beautiful maiden. If you have mercy on me, the gods will reward you.
Nausica listened carefully and after reaching her some clothes to cover her, she replied: You are in the land of the Pheatians. I am Princess Nausica and my father is the king. Then he ordered the slaves to look for a royal suit to dress abroad.
Well dressed, Ulysses wore all his nobility and gallantry.
Nausica was unable to conceal her amazement, she confessed to her friends: “Look at the foreigner now! He looks like a god! If I ever get married, I hope my husband will be like Ulysses.
After feeding him generously, Nausica came up to say, “You can get in the car with us, but before you reach the city limits you must get off and wait a while to avoid malicious comments about me or about you. The Pheatians are good people and anyone will show you the way to get to the palace.
Once in the palace, go to my mother, bend her knee as she introduces you and will surely welcome you kindly and provide you with the necessary means so that you can return to your country.
When Nausica finished giving her advice, everyone got in the cart and quickly walked away leaving the river behind.
Upon reaching the gates of the city of the Pheatians, Ulysses descended from the chariot and sat at the gates of the city for a while. From there, he was able to see the port. There was a large movement of ships arriving and departing and as many anchored ships loading and unloading goods.
After crossing the wall surrounding the city, Ulysses went to the palace. He could not conceal his astonishment at the wealth of the building. Its bronze walls shone under the effects of the sun and its huge doors were made of solid gold.
Ulysses crossed the different rooms until he reached the Queen's stay. When she saw her, she bent her knee and presented herself: “Queen of the Pheatians, my name is Ulysses. I fought in Troy and to return to my homeland, Itaca, I had to go through great dangers. Please have mercy on me and give me the means to return to my country.
The king, seeing the humility of the stranger, invited him to sit next to them and entertained him with a banquet worthy of a prince.
During the banquet Ulysses, he narrated his adventures, and all those present listened to him entertained.
At the end of the party, the queen asked him about his suit, as she had made it with her own hands. Ulysses, was forced to narrate his encounter with Princess Nausica.
The king was surprised. He did not expect such behavior from his daughter, but Ulysses explained the reasons of the young princess and the king understood that he had acted wisely.
Day after day there were parties and games of skill to honor the illustrious visitor. The best choirs were performed singing songs where the siege of Troy and the exploits of Ulysses were told.
The king acknowledged that he was before a true hero and gave him all kinds of distinctions and gifts to honor him, for this was the first time that such a brave man had visited them.
At night, knowing that the hero of Troy would leave at dawn for Itaca, Nausica showed up to say goodbye.
Ulysses was thrilled by such sincerity, he replied: “Princess Nausica. I will remember you all the days of my life, for you have brought me back to life.
The next day, the king chartered one of his best ships to take Ulysses back to Itaca. The Pheatians spread a carpet on the deck, Ulysses lay there and soon fell asleep.
The ship with the help of a gentle breeze slipped over the sea. At dawn the other day, they arrived in Itaca. As Ulysses remained asleep, the Pheatians took the carpet with great care and laid it on the ground without waking it.
Together with him they deposited all the gold and silver gifts that the king had given to the hero of Troy.
While Ulysses is still asleep, his protector, the goddess Athena wrapped him in a thick fog, and when after several hours he woke up, he was greatly distressed, for he did not recognize the place and shouted, “Where am I?” This is not Itaca! The Pheatians set me up! Poor me!
As she was about to unload her crying, the goddess Athena became visible and with her sweet voice she told her everything that had happened in Itaca during her long absence.
Many years he spent Ulysses far from his homeland. Your son. Telemachus grew year after year to become a man. His wife, Queen Penelope, was beautiful and the kingdom of Itaca very rich.
Ulysses' prolonged absence aroused the greed of the knights of the court who sought to take possession of the crown, thinking that Ulysses was dead. These nobles settled in the palace of Ulysses, eating, drinking and enjoying a gift life without Penelope being able to do anything about it.
Every now and then they offered marriage to the queen, but she trusted that her husband would come back one day and not knowing how to get rid of those infamous subjects she plotted a plan: She installed a loom and began to weave an intricate fabric and said to them: - Until I finish this cloth I can not give an answer. Penelope sat all day to work hard before the loom, but at night when everyone slept, he undone the fabric during the day. So the fabric did not advance practically anything.
The pressures of the nobles caused Penelope and Telemachus to suffer greatly, and together they cried with sadness.
One day when Telemachus wandered in anguish, he saw a very handsome foreigner coming in a very rich warrior costume adorned in gold and silver.
Telemachus received him in a place away from the palace, safe from curious people and entertained him with a splendid banquet. From there, the giggles of the suitors who settled in the palace entertained themselves playing and drinking at the expense of the crown.
Telemachus, grieved entrusted him to the foreigner: - those laughs are from my mother's suitors. They believe that my father is dead and for that reason they usurped the palace enjoying my father's possessions and asked him, “Tell me stranger: Do you know if my father is still alive? “
The alien was none other than the goddess Athena, who had transfigured herself as a knight to approach Telemachus.
Trying to capture his trust, he said, “I've seen your father. He's alive, but on a distant island and very soon he'll return to Itaca.
Then he added: - You must follow my advice and you will not regret: Tomorrow you must stand before the nobles and tell them firmly that they must leave the palace. Act boldly and safely and I promise you that future generations will remember your name.
After giving her her recommendations, the goddess Athena instilled her courage and courage. The one who looked like a shy, shy boy became a brave and courageous man.
Telemachus wanted to treat the goddess with gifts but she vanished quickly.
Telemachus, with a new strength in his heart, went to the hall where the nobles were gathered. He said to them, “Enough is enough for today!” Tomorrow I will summon the Council and there we will know if they will continue to live at the expense of the crown or if I can be king of Itaca and owner of my heritage.
The suitors couldn't believe what they saw. They thought Telemachus was a child and now they saw that they were facing a real man.
In the morning, Telémacus summoned the Council and went to the place followed by his two faithful dogs.
When the nobles arrived, Telemachus said to them, “First of all, I want to express my sorrow at the long absence of my father, but I also want to express my regret at the embarrassing behavior of these subjects who call themselves noble, and take advantage of their absence to waste their heritage on revelations as owners and lords of a crown who do not It belongs.
The nobles were angry at the sight of the strength of Telemachus and reproached him: “It is not our fault that we have settled in the palace so long, but of your mother who has deceived us by promising that she would choose a new husband when she finished her cloth, and now we know that she weans at night what she weaves during the day. Once your mother chooses a husband, we'll leave.
Telemachus struck again with force: - If they do not leave the palace right now, the gods will punish them mercilessly.
At that very moment two eagles flew over the place, plaiting themselves in a fierce fight, and they were pecked.
An old man when he saw them said, “This is a sign that something serious will happen to those who claim the hand of Penelope.”
The suitors laughed at the old man's words and replied: “If Ulysses has not returned it is because he must be dead and we will not move from here until Penelope chooses a husband.
Telemachus answered, “Then I will go and find my father.”
The nobles made fun of it once again. Only Mentor supported Telémacus and the Council dissolved.
Ulysses' son, Telémacus, decided to go in search of his father because he could not find a way to get rid of the nobles who had settled in his father's palace.
Desperate, looking at the sky, he asked for the cooperation of the foreign gentleman who had helped him days before.
The goddess Athena appeared again and encouraged him, saying, “Go back to the palace and prepare provisions for a long journey. I will provide you with the best ship and the bravest men to accompany you in this difficult undertaking.
Telemachus left for the palace with a deaf ear to the scoffs of the suitors and sought his nurse. This sweet old woman was in charge of guarding the doors of the place where the treasures of the kingdom were stored under lock and confessed to her plans.
The old lady was sad. They suffered enough with the absence of Ulysses and thought that the young man was Queen Penelope's only joy. He feared that if he sailed he would never return, leaving his mother in the hands of the noble outlaws.
Telemachus reassured her when she told her that the goddess Athena herself had given her that advice and asked her not to say a word to her mother until he had moved away.
The nurse convinced herself that if it was the design of the gods, Telemachus had to fulfill them and helped him get the supplies. The goddess Athena made the nobles fall into a deep sleep and then searched for Telémacus in the middle of the night and took him to the ship. As they were sailing, she sat next to him to cheer him up.
After sailing all night, they spotted an island. There they asked about Ulysses, but nobody knew anything about the Hero of Troy.
Athena left Telemachus in the care of the rulers, and, transfigured into an eagle, flew away from the island.
Meanwhile, in Itaca, Penelope could not stop crying because he missed his son, but he did not know a word of the secret journey and the suitors, who did not know where Telemachus was, thought that he had gone into a forest to hunt.
After several days, the owner of the ship came to the palace claiming his ship as he needs to embark on an urgent journey.
There was a terrible stir. The suitors decided to embark to search for Telemachus and kill him.
Penelope, suffered and cried without interruption. One evil after another was too much for her.
The nurse, seeing her so afflicted, reassured her that the goddess Athena herself accompanied him on his itinerary and that she would return safely and safely from her journey.
Meanwhile, the suitors set sail on the first ship they found and after sailing aimlessly, they decided to disembark on a nearby island to wait for Telemachus' return and be able to kill him.
Ulysses was already on a beach away from Itaca without knowing it, for the goddess Athena had covered him in a thick fog.
Little by little, the goddess evaporated the fog as she explained to her what happened on her island during her long absence.
Ulysses, begged the goddess not to abandon him to his fate, and the goddess spoke to him tenderly: “I will never abandon you, Ulysses. You must follow my advice to the letter: First you must hide all the treasures that Nausica's father gave you... After this, he turned him into a poor and ragged old man, and said to him, “Now you must go to the hut of the pig who cares for the pigs of your palace, for that man has always been faithful to you and follows his instructions.
After giving her such advice, the goddess Athena again became an eagle to fly away over the sea.
Ulysses did exactly what the goddess told him.
As he approached the pig, the dogs next to him pounced grunting and barking. The pig restrained them so that they would not attack him, and then said to him as he invited him to sit in his cabin, “Fear not. I do not think I can bear another misfortune if my dogs hurt you. “And he continued. “Many years ago our king went on a long journey and no one heard from him. Queen Penelope and her son Telemachus, in addition to suffering this long absence, have to endure the harassment of nobles who settled in the palace, forcing her to choose a husband from among them.
As he told this story, he offered him a hearty meal and Ulysses felt safe next to that faithful servant.
At the same time, on an island far from there, the goddess Athena went to look for Telémacus and ordered her to embark as soon as possible to Itaca. So that the suitors could not find out, he wrapped him in fog and thus managed to reach Itaca without hitch.
Telémacus landed very close to the pig's hut and went on to greet him as he was one of the few people who deserved his trust.
The pig could not conceal the emotion when he saw Telemachus safe and sound and invited him to eat together with Ulysses transformed into a poor beggar.
Ulysses, seeing his son become man again and contemplating his good education and friendly treatment, felt proud.
Telemachus ordered the pig to run to the palace to tell his mother that he had returned and that he was well.
When the pig left, the goddess Athena transformed Ulysses back to her true appearance, dressed in the luxurious costume that the king of the Pheatians had given him to present to her son. Telemachus, when he saw him, thought he was before one of the gods of Olympus, but Ulysses said to him, 'Telemachus, I am Ulysses, your father, who came back after ten years of absence. -They hugged tightly unable to believe that this long-awaited moment would come one day, and then they plotted a plan to get rid of the suitors.
Before the swine returned, the goddess Athena again transformed Ulysses into the ragged old man so that no one could suspect anything.
The pig came back with some bad news. The nobles were furious that Telémacus had escaped their hands and now they swore to kill him as they saw him.
Early in the morning, Telémacus returned to the palace where he was received by his nurse and his mother. They didn't think they'd see him again and so they wouldn't stop kissing him and hugging him.
Later, the pig accompanied Ulysses, still in the form of a poor beggar to the city. Ulysses suddenly ran into his faithful but Argos, who was already very old. The dog recognized him as soon as he saw him and approached limping and shaking his tail, but so great was the joy of Argos that his heart did not resist the impact and fell dead instantly.
Ulysses mourned the death of his devoted friend and then settled at the gates of the palace, where Telemachus ordered him to serve a hearty lunch.
When he finished eating, Ulysses entered the palace, where were the nobles who treated him with contempt while throwing food at him as if he were an animal. One of the nobles struck him with a bench as he threw him out of the room.
Ulysses returned to the palace doors and, taking advantage of the fact that the nobles returned to their homes at night, together with Telemachus gathered all the weapons that the suitors had left behind and hid them.
Well into the night, Ulysses returned to the palace, confused among the servants sat in a corner. Suddenly the queen entered the room with a group of ladies and sat by the fire.
When Penelope saw the presence of the poor beggar, he said to the nurse, “Look at the look of that poor man. Looks like you've traveled a lot. Go get a pitcher and wash his feet.
The nurse came out quickly to fulfill the queen's orders.
This old woman had been under the orders of Ulysses for many years and knew many details. For example, Ulysses, when he was young, had been bitten by a wild boar during a hunt. That gave her an indelible scar on her ankle and the nurse knew her by heart. When she began to wash her feet and saw that unmistakable sign, the nurse jumped, throwing the pitcher and shouting: -! You're Ulysses! That scar can only be yours.
Ulysses shut the nurse so as not to be discovered and the goddess Athena, so that Penelope would not witness this scene, clouded the queen's mind and she neither saw nor heard anything.
Penelope, got up from his couch by the fire because it was time to go to rest. As he passed by the beggar, he said to him, “Do you see the twelve axes hanging one next to the other on the wall? My husband used to shoot twelve arrows between them with great accuracy. Now that my suitors have discovered my fabric trick that never ends, I told them I would marry the one who managed to do the same thing my husband did.
The beggar, taking his hand, said sweetly, “Don't worry, Queen Penelope.” When the competition takes place, Ulysses himself will shoot the arrows like in good times.
The queen responded with a smile as she thought about how much life would change her if those words came true.
The next day the competition began. The nobles were eager to get the jackpot: Queen Penelope and the kingdom of Itaca. They laughed and rubbed their enthusiastic hands as they waited in line for their turn.
Suddenly, the queen made her appearance in the hall with the famous bow of Ulysses. He handed it over to Telemachus to start the competition and retired so as not to have to endure such torment.
Telemachus placed the twelve bronze arrows and reached the bow to the first nobleman in the row. This one didn't even have the strength to flex the bow.
One after another went by to test their strength and one after the other failed in the attempt, thus losing their chance of winning the prize.
Suddenly, the old beggar rose and took the bow in his hands, fired the twelve arrows with great precision lying right between the axes.
Then, in a thunder-like voice, he shouted, “The competition is over. I own my wife and property in my own right. And then he added: “Now I will choose another target. “Step forward, he began to shoot his arrows at the suitors killing them one at a time while pleading for mercy on their knees.
Some nobles tried to defend themselves, but Ulysses fought bravely and with all his forces intact leaving a corpses ring around him.
When the nurse saw that ghostly show, she was horrified. But his fright lasted short, as he recognized Ulysses and ran out to find the queen to tell her what happened.
When Penelope entered the room, he couldn't believe what his eyes saw. Emotion did not allow him to react.
When Telemachus saw her so puzzled, he said, “What is wrong with you, Mother?” Don't you recognize my father?
Penelope reacted to the words of his son and ran to meet Ulysses to merge into an endless embrace.
This is the end of Ulysses' adventures.