The Odyssey: Book Twenty-Four

Odysseus plays one last trick before the story ends
He goes to see Laertes in his orchard and pretends
to be a traveller. He asks "old man, d'you know
If this is where Odysseus lives? I met him long ago."
"Oh woe is me" Laertes cries "that man you seek's my son
He's been away for twenty years, I'm sure that he is done!"
"Not so, it's me!" his son exclaims "I have come home at last"
He recounts the whole story which we'll skip over quite fast
Though the suitors have gone down to Hades, now their kin
Would avenge the murders and a battle does begin
But, no sooner's battle joined then Athene descends
Down from Mount Olympus and proclaims "Let's all be friends"
No-one's all that keen to fight and they agree to cease
Everybody goes back home, and Ithaka's at peace.

The Odyssey: Book Twenty-Three

Eurykleia tells Penelope her husband's back
And has killed the suitors in a furious attack
She is highly sceptical and doesn't think it's true
"This is just the kind of trick the gods are known to do!"
She goes to Odysseus but still remains unsure
Orders that his bed be brought and set upon the floor
"What?" he says "My bed? I don't think that it can be moved
I made it from an olive tree that grows there" - thus he's proved
He really is Odysseus - now no more need be said
After twenty years apart, he takes his wife to bed.

The Odyssey: Book Twenty-Two

Struck down by an arrow, Antinous is slain
"Yes! I am Odysseus - I've come back home again!"
The door is blocked, the suitors are all trapped inside the hall
Odysseus, his son and friends proceed to kill them all
The singer and the herald are allowed to go free
But the treacherous goatherd is tortured horribly
A dozen of the servant girls are judged to have been loose
and disrespectful, so their heads go in the noose

The Odyssey: Book Twenty-One

After feasting, it’s time for the contest of the bow
All the eager suitors are lined up to have a go
But the bow’s enormous, because of its great length
None of them can string it for they do not have the strength
To the swine- and cowherds Odysseus shows his scar
Proving his identity! Their master’s back – hurrah!
At the contest of the bow he asks for an attempt
But the suitors fear that they’ll be treated with contempt
If against a vagabond like him they all could lose
So his challenge to compete they would all refuse
Eumaios the swineherd gets the bow, he is on hand
Takes it to Odysseus just as they had planned
Odysseus strings it easily, and with a single shot
Hits all of the axes – the victory he’s got!

The Odyssey: Book Twenty

The next day the suitors are returning for a feast
Melanthius the goatherd slights Odysseus; at least
The cowherd Philoetius is loyal and he’s thrilled
When he’s told that very soon the suitors will be killed
At the feast, Ctessipus picks up an ox’s hoof
And throws it at Odysseus – he gets a stern reproof
“It’s lucky that you missed my guest” Telemachus declares
“Or I would kill you. I will take on any man who dares”
So the suitors hold their peace, although they feel superior
Now Athene makes the suitors laugh – its mass hysteria!

The Odyssey: Book Nineteen

Odysseus tells Penelope that he's from Crete
She asks him if at any time her husband he did meet?
He claims to have seen him on the way to Ilion
Convinces her by telling of the clothes that he had on.
Now Odysseus is in Threspotia, quite near
He promises her husband will be home within the year.
Then he has his feet washed by the nurse Eurykleia
But she recognises him from an old hunting scar!
He was wounded when he was a young man, by a boar
Eurykleia promises the secret she'll ignore
Penelope plans to stage an archery contest
She'll marry the suitor who can shoot the bow the best!

The Odyssey: Book Eighteen

There's another vagabond called Iros, he's a fool
He insults Odysseus and asks to fight a duel
All the suitors watch, Antinous says the winner
gets to stay inside with them and partake of their dinner
Iros is knocked to the floor, much to his surprise
Underneath his rags Odysseus has mighty thighs!
Penelope tells the haughty suitors that they ought
To give lots of presents to the woman they would court.
She gets some new earrings, a gold necklace and a dress
From her many suitors who are hoping to impress.
Odysseus argues with the handmaid Melantho
And annoys Eurymachos, who gets a stool to throw
He misses Odysseus but before they fight
Telemachus tells the suitors to go home tonight.