S8E2 - You Odyssey This: Beach Party Gone Wrong

The stories featured in Greaking Out are original adaptations of classic Greek myths.

This week's story features a stranger in their birthday suit on the beach, an island of birds, compassionate nymphs, the consequences of actions, and Poseidon's rage.

Gods, like podcasters, aren't supposed to have favorites, but you know they totally do.

And Odysseus was definitely one of Athena's favorite mortals of all time, ever.

I mean, if we know nothing else about the Greeks, we know that they prized cleverness over everything else, even brute strength and courage.

And while Odysseus had some of those traits, too, he was famous for his quick wit and his intellect.

So it makes sense that Athena, goddess of wisdom and battle strategy, would take a shine to him.

Many of the Olympian deities had specific mortals that they seemed to help more than others.

Aphrodite helped Paris during the Trojan War.

Apollo had a friendship with King Admatis.

And Hera helped Eurystheus torment Heracles.

But now we're back to the question, where was Odysseus?

The Trojan War ended almost 10 years ago and everybody else was back home already.

And as we learned last time, things in Odysseus' home of Ithaca were getting pretty tense.

And Odysseus?

Well, he was trapped on the island of Ogygia with the nymph Calypso.

Calypso was the daughter of Atlas, who lived alone on the island of Ogygia.

She was in love with the hero Odysseus and refused to let him leave.

He had been trapped there for seven years.

That's right.

Seven years of crying on a beach because he had lost everything.

Calypso wanted Odysseus to be in love with her, even offered him immortality, but he refused.

He wanted, as always, to get back to Penelope and Telemachus.

Now, Odysseus was there in the first place because the gods were mad at him and he was in kind of a cosmic timeout.

We'll get to the reasons why over the course of the season, but for now, it's important to know that even though her temple at Troy was desecrated, Athena was ready to forgive her favorite mortal.

In fact, she had kind of been watching over his son Telemachus for a while now.

After the failed council that Telemachus called, Athena felt it was time to call a little council of her own.

She would need to get the other gods on board if she were to bring the king of Ithaca home.

So, with Zeus's permission, Athena called a council of the gods.

Now, as you might remember, there had been a fair amount of, let's say, family tension among the Olympians lately because of the whole Trojan War thing.

Well, now that it was over, most of the gods were ready to move forward, but a few of them were still holding grudges.

It's probably not nice to name names, of course, but there were some.

Poseidon.

Yeah, okay.

Thanks, Oracle.

Poseidon, the god of the sea, hated Odysseus.

And every time Odysseus got on the ocean, Poseidon made sure he regretted it.

So, of course, Poseidon didn't even bother to show up at this meeting that Athena was calling.

He was probably off somewhere carving Odysseus stinks over and over into a rock or something like that.

But all of the other gods assembled together on Olympus and listened to Athena as she made her plea.

I think it was pretty convincing when she laid out all of Odysseus' fine qualities, and most of the Olympians agreed.

They just weren't sure if he should be let off the hook just yet.

And Athena used that to her advantage.

Well, then, it's obvious how we must proceed, the goddess of wisdom explained.

From this day forward, we shall allow no mortal king to be kind, wise, or just in the way Odysseus has been to his people.

It is obvious that these characteristics will not be rewarded.

The other gods began to look awkwardly around the room.

Was this what they meant?

In fact, Athena continued, any ruler who displays this kind of intelligence or love for his people should be condemned by the gods immediately.

Irony is the technique of expressing one's meaning by using language that would normally mean the opposite.

Athena is being ironic.

Well, suddenly, there was a whole lot of hamming and hawing in the council hall on Olympus.

Some of the gods objected.

Others began to backtrack a little, softening their stance on Odysseus.

I wasn't just saying I don't really mean that, per se.

But then Zeus spoke up and quieted the group.

You have made your point, Athena, and made it well, he said.

It is time to bring Odysseus home.

At that moment, Zeus summoned Hermes, messenger of the gods, and instructed him to fly to the island of Ogigia, where Odysseus was being held prisoner by Calypso, the nymph.

Tell Calypso that Zeus instructs her to release Odysseus.

She will just have to give up her new favorite toy.

Athena beamed with satisfaction and thanked Zeus for his decision.

Zeus just nodded and smiled, impressed once again by his daughter's cleverness.

Obviously, Athena wasn't the only god who had a favorite.

You should return to Telemachus, Athena, Zeus said.

It seems Odysseus is not the only son of Ithaca who is in need of our help.

Zeus was right, of course.

While Telemachus had managed to sneak away from the freeloaders calling themselves suitors in his palace, once he left Helen and Menelaus' kingdom, he was about to walk right into an ambush set by those same freeloading suitors.

So yeah, Athena had to get moving if she was going to keep Telemachus alive.

Meanwhile, on the island of Ogygia, Hermes arrived to release Odysseus from his captivity.

Now, Ogygia was in the middle of the Ionian Sea and it was paradise.

It was full of beautiful plants and flocks of colorful birds.

Historians have long believed that Ogychia is actually the modern-day island of Othenoi, which is part of the modern country of Greece.

Like many Greek islands, it is gorgeous.

Not a bad prison as far as they go, a beach on an island, but Odysseus was still a prisoner.

As beautiful as the island was and as nice as Calypso treated him, he was not there by choice.

So, when Hermes found the great Odysseus, king of Ithaca and hero of the Greek army, the man was curled up in a ball on the beach, weeping into the sand and lamenting his long-lost home.

Odysseus, Hermes exclaimed, stand and be comforted.

for I come with great news.

Zeus has decreed that after seven years, Calypso must finally release you from this enchanted island and allow you to return home.

Odysseus stood, wiping the sand from his face and blinked hard as he stared at the golden, glowing Olympian before him.

I can't believe it, he stammered.

I've been on this island for seven years?

You got it, you're kidding me.

I didn't live that way.

And again, he began to wail.

For his part, Hermes decided it was best to let Odysseus work through this thing on his own.

I'm just going to go have a chat with Calypso, the messenger said.

I'll be right back.

Don't go anywhere.

Where am I going to go?

said Odysseus.

It's ridiculous.

I've been stuck here seven years ago.

Right, Hermes said.

Well, you know what I mean.

And with that, Hermes zipped away further into the island to confront the nymph Calypso and deliver the news from Zeus.

Honestly, it was a little unsettling for him to see such a great warrior and clever king so distraught and undignified.

But Hermes wasn't too surprised.

He had spent a lot of time around mortals and he understood their pain.

Odysseus, in particular, had already been through more than most people would go through in a lifetime, maybe a dozen lifetimes.

And the guy had probably not even begun to process all the horrors he saw in the war, let alone everything else.

So Hermes was willing to cut the guy some slack.

In no time, the messenger of the gods found himself outside of a small, unassuming cave at the base of an unimpressive mountain in the island's center.

But as soon as Hermes entered the cave, he moved through a small passage that opened out into a posh and expansive interior that seemed impossible.

There was a roaring fire burning in the hearth, and the smell of cedar, cypress, and juniper filled the air.

Somehow, a thick, lush forest was actually growing inside the cave, with gorgeous vines and flowers blooming, and even four fountains, each bubbling with bright, fresh water.

Birds of all descriptions were fluttering here and there.

They were flashes of colors coming in and out of the light.

Kermes was impressed.

He was no stranger to sorcery, but this was definitely solid work.

From a distance, he could hear a beautiful voice humming a quiet but alluring tune, so he followed the sound through the woods in the cave thing until he discovered Calypso herself sitting by a loom weaving a bright cloth.

Just like Penelope was back in Ithaca.

Yeah, that's right, Oracle.

Calypso was kind of play acting what a dutiful wife of the day would be doing, even though she was a magical nymph on a bird-filled island.

Hermes, Calypso said in a rich, beautiful voice that didn't show even a trace of surprise that the messenger of the gods was in her home.

I assume you have come here with news from Olympus.

I have, Calypso, he replied.

And I assume this news involves the release of my beloved Odysseus.

This took Hermes by surprise.

Beloved, he said.

I just saw him on the beach curled up at a ball crying like a baby.

Whatever feelings you may have for Odysseus, I don't think he returns them.

Unrequited love is when one person loves someone who does not love them back.

Calypso sighed a heavy sigh and looked up from her loom.

She was distractingly beautiful, as many nymphs are.

Sparkling eyes, long flowing hair, and a voice like warm honey.

This is so.

As much as I wish him to marry me, the man refuses.

He is as stubborn as he is loyal.

But he is still mine, and I do not wish to give him up.

Of course, Hermes told Calypso that she didn't have much of a choice in the matter.

This was a decree from Zeus himself, and he would not be refused.

Oh, Zeus, why didn't you say so?

The nymph laughed sarcastically.

Oh, of course, we will do whatever Zeus says.

Like all of the boys up there on your mountain, Zeus gets to do what he wants, when he wants, with whomever he wants, with no consequence.

Gods forbid, a lowly nymph tried to do the same.

Yeah, that's not really for me to say, mistress.

Hermes was getting a little uncomfortable.

This was not how he imagined this conversation going when he worked it out in his head.

Very well, said Calypso.

I will release him.

But only because I choose to.

He was my favorite of all of the creatures on this island, but I also see his desire to return home.

I am all compassion.

Hermes bit his tongue to keep from saying something snarky in reply.

Calypso was many things, but someone who holds someone else prisoner for seven years can hardly be described as compassionate.

Zeus also insists that you provide him with a way to return to Ithaca.

His crew is long dead and his ships have been destroyed, so you must help him put to sea and provide him with provisions for the journey.

Suddenly, Calypso seemed angry.

Her eyes flashed, and her smile was filed down to a tight line across her face.

Fine, she said flatly.

So be it.

Hermes left the cave and returned to the beach to find that Odysseus had collected himself and seemed a bit more composed.

I have spoken to Calypso, he said.

At the instruction of Zeus, she has agreed to release you as her prisoner.

She will provide you with gear and a way to sail home to be reunited once again with your family.

Odysseus could hardly believe what he was hearing.

After all he had been through, he sometimes felt like he was on the verge of madness, so it took him some time to process what Hermes was telling him.

I'm really going home, he said slowly.

You are, the god replied.

Odysseus had to take a minute to keep himself from bursting into tears yet again.

He took a deep breath and bowed graciously to the messenger of the gods.

Thank you.

Thanks to Zeus and Athena.

I cannot believe that I am finally going home.

But of course, it wasn't going to be that easy.

For Odysseus, nothing ever was.

Before Odysseus gets back on the ocean again, though, let's stop for a quick commercial.

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Well, there's a Webby award-winning show called Girl Tales that takes classic stories and puts a unique twist on them, giving girls the chance to save the day, use their intelligence and bravery, and show that they can be the heroes of their own stories.

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Okay, we're back.

And so suddenly, just like that, Calypso was all happy to help Odysseus.

She had kept him like one of her birds in a gilded cage for the past seven years, but now she insisted that she could not, in good conscience, keep him a prisoner any longer.

I'm sure the fact that Zeus demanded his release had nothing to do with that, right?

That was sarcasm.

It is a form of irony, but specifically directed at a person with the intent to criticize.

Yeah, right, thanks.

Anyway, Calypso stood on the beach and hugged Odysseus one last time as he prepared to make his journey home.

Alas, tasty Odysseus, the nymph said tearfully, I am afraid that our love was just not meant to be.

It is time for you to return home to your family.

No, no, no, no, do not argue.

I know this will be hard for you, but try to move on and live your life.

Odysseus just smiled and nodded politely, thanking the nymph for her hospitality.

He was wise enough to hold back any sarcastic comments of his own just in case she had a sudden change of heart.

He gave her a quick hug, loaded the last of his supplies onto his makeshift raft, and pushed it out to sea.

It is worth noting that he was not given a ship.

No, he was not.

Or a boat of any kind.

Nope.

But this wasn't his first shipwreck, and Odysseus was resourceful enough to construct a seaworthy raft on his own.

Calypso may have allowed his release and agreed to, quote, help him as Zeus instructed, but she certainly didn't go out of her way to make it easy for him.

And this turned out to be important for the story, because if Odysseus had been traveling in a ship, or a sailboat, or even a boat of any kind, actually, he may have had a better chance of making it to Ithaca.

But that was not in the cards for him because Poseidon.

Poseidon was one of the 12 Olympians in ancient Greek mythology.

He ruled over the sea, storms, earthquakes, and horses.

Horses?

Really?

Yes, he created horses.

Some say that's why the sound of teams of horses running sounds like the roar of ocean waves.

Oh, cool.

Well, you might remember that Poseidon was not present at the gathering of the gods that Athena had called and that Odysseus was not exactly his favorite person.

Even though Poseidon was all teen Greece during the Trojan War, the sea god was still angry with Odysseus for what happened after the war.

You see, once the city of Troy had fallen, most of the Greeks set sail and returned home right away.

Odysseus and his men were among the last to leave, but they failed to pay tribute to Poseidon, and that did not sit well with him.

But the real insult was what Odysseus did to Poseidon's son, the Cyclops named Polyphemus.

This story is told in our monster mashup episode in season one.

Yeah, that's a great episode.

You should definitely check that one out.

But I'll do a quick recap here.

Okay, so Odysseus and his crew stop on this island of the Cyclopes.

Yeah, that's the plural of Cyclops, Cyclopes.

Go figure.

Polyphemus, the Cyclops, caught them trying to eat his sheep and decided that Greek sailor sushi sounded really good.

But Odysseus, who told the Cyclops that his name was Nobody, managed to get Polyphemus to drink a whole lot of wine and fall asleep.

When they were sure the giant was out, Odysseus and his crew blinded him with a sharpened stake right in the eye and escaped the next morning when the sheep were let out to pasture.

And just as they were sailing away, when the Cyclops was standing on the beach yelling, Nobody has blinded me, nobody has blinded me, and his buddies, the other Cyclopes, weren't taking him seriously, Odysseus Odysseus stood on the stern of his ship and shouted to Polyphemus, son of Poseidon, My name is Odysseus.

Odysseus has blinded you.

This was the first in a long line of bad decisions in this story.

In Greek mythology, this kind of behavior is known as hubris, which generally refers to excessive self-confidence and pride, particularly towards or in the defiance of the gods themselves.

It rarely goes unpunished.

Exactly.

So here we have Odysseus leaving Ogia on a makeshift raft, trying desperately to sail back home.

And guess who he runs into?

It is Poseidon.

Yes, yes, it's Poseidon.

Of course it's Poseidon.

It's obviously Poseidon.

But yeah, he was on his way back home from, I don't know, a business trip in Ethiopia, and he happened to catch a glimpse of a scrawny, bearded Greek sailor clinging to the mast of a leaky raft.

And as he looked closely, Poseidon realized this was none other than Odysseus himself.

And he really hates that guy.

And at this point, Odysseus had been at sea for 18 days.

He was starting to give up hope that he was going to ever make it home, but just then, he thought he saw a speck of land way off in the distance.

So with the last of his strength, Odysseus paddled on, pushing his leaky sea craft with new enthusiasm.

But Poseidon wasn't having any of that.

He had marooned Odysseus on Calypso's Island so he'd never have to see him again.

And he had to admit, this Odysseus guy was surprisingly resilient for a mortal.

But he knew that wasn't gonna last long.

With one wave of his trident, the god of the sea sent a huge storm down upon the unsuspecting king of Ithaca.

In seconds, the tiny raft was destroyed, and Odysseus was plunged into the cold water, eventually left half alive, clinging desperately to one remaining log as he was tossed and thrashed about in the stormy sea.

Once Poseidon was satisfied that Odysseus was in fact doomed, he returned home.

As Odysseus's grip began to loosen on the log, feeling his heavy, water-logged cloak pulling him down under the waves, he heard a voice.

Odysseus, the voice said, hear me now.

You must remove your cloak, let go of the raft, and sink into the water.

Trust me, and I will protect you.

Odysseus looked down into the waves beneath him and saw the golden, glowing figure of a beautiful sea nymph.

Most men might be enchanted by this, but remember, Odysseus spent the last seven years on an island as a prisoner to a sea nymph, so let's just say he was less than impressed.

And yet, as he looked in the eyes of this particular water goddess, Odysseus saw kindness and something he felt he could trust.

She looked a little sad and more than a little wise, and so he did as she told him.

He dropped his cloak and let go of the log that kept him afloat.

As Odysseus sank beneath the waves, the sea nymph approached him.

I am Leukothea, she said.

I have watched your journey, and I cannot let you die here.

Take my veil and wrap it around yourself.

It will keep you safe in the water through the storm.

When you reach land, throw it back into the ocean, where I can retrieve it.

Leucothea reached out and offered Odysseus a light, shimmering veil.

It didn't look like much.

It was almost like a see-through blanket.

but it was surprisingly warm and strong.

And as soon as he wrapped it around himself, Odysseus was pulled above the waves and despite all the wind and the storm his head was held high and he was able to breathe as the current pulled him toward the island.

Leucothea was once a mortal princess named Eno who took care of Dionysus as a baby.

Hera was enraged and Eno and her son jumped into the sea to escape becoming immortal sea creatures.

So I guess it makes sense that she would take pity on Odysseus after seeing him tormented by Poseidon, but either way, Odysseus had more challenges to face.

The shores of this island were surrounded by treacherous rocks, and the violent sea was pushing him forward.

Odysseus knew he needed to swim away or he would be smashed to pieces.

He swam with great strength, but the current was stronger still, and he was pushed closer and closer to the sharp, jagged coast.

Odysseus floundered about and tried to get his bearings.

He could only see part part of the beach, but then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of something gold and shiny off to his left.

It looked like a person?

Someone in gilded armor and bathed in gold light?

It was the goddess Athena, standing on the shore.

Odysseus hadn't even seen that side of the shore before, but now he couldn't miss it.

He swam towards it with all of his might.

This time, the current was with him, and it pushed him forward, but on the other side of the dangerous rocks.

Eventually, the current carried the weary sailor to the shore and even up a small river inlet, where he collapsed on the ground, barely alive.

On average, most human beings can safely hold their breath for one to two minutes.

Given the amount of time we're going to spend at sea this season, I thought this data would be helpful.

Thanks, Oracle.

Well, luckily, Odysseus didn't have to worry about that anymore.

He was back on dry land, but he had nothing.

No ship, no weapons, no supplies.

He was just a shipwrecked sailor in his birthday suit on a strange island.

He staggered up the beach and tossed the veil of Leucathea back into the sea with a prayer of thanks.

Then...

He walked back to the small inlet and followed the river upstream.

Of course, Odysseus had no way of knowing knowing this, but he had actually washed up in a very good place.

This wasn't his home of Ithaca, but it was actually not far away.

Odysseus had landed on the island of Scyria, home to the Phaeacian people.

All Odysseus knew was that he was on another beautiful, lush island.

The sun was shining brightly now, and after a long drink of cold water from the river, Odysseus was hopeful that he might find some help if he just followed it further inland.

This This turned out to be a clever idea.

Before long, Odysseus could hear voices on the riverbank up ahead.

As he made his way around a bend in the river, he could see three women filling clay jugs with water.

He had hoped not to startle them, but of course he was a strange naked man on a riverbank, which is startling all by itself.

Two of the women ran away screaming, but one of the women paused a moment and saw that Odysseus was desperate and in need of help.

You poor man, the young woman said, You must have been washed ashore from a shipwreck.

You are lucky to be alive.

The woman had beautiful dark eyes and was dressed in rich, fashionable clothes.

Odysseus could tell right away she was royalty, so he wasn't surprised when she introduced herself as Princess Nausica of the Phaeacians.

Odysseus began to introduce himself in return.

I am.

But then he stopped himself.

Perhaps it wasn't wise to reveal himself just yet.

I am overjoyed to have found people.

Thank you, princess.

I am in your debt.

And so the princess and her handmaidens helped Odysseus make his way up the river to the palace of Scyria, where he would meet the king and queen and hopefully find his way back to Ithaca.

But we'll get into that and a lot more on the next episode of Greaking Out.

Greaking Out.

Thanks for listening.

Next week, hear Odysseus tell his story to Princess Nausica and her family.

Listen, and you'll see it's Greaking

Out.

National Geographic Kids Greaking Out is written by Kenny Curtis and Jillian Hughes and hosted by Kenny Curtis, with Tori Kerr as the Oracle of Wi-Fi, audio production and sound design by Scotty Beam, and our theme song was composed by Perry Gripp.

Dr.

Diane Klein is our subject matter expert, and Emily Everhart is our producer.