Odysseus' trip to Hades

After the Trojan war, Odysseus spent many years trying to get back to his wife and son. He had many adventures along the way, and on one of his stops, he came to the island where Circe, the daughter of Hecate and Helios dwelled. Circe was a powerful witch, and changed almost all of Odysseus' men into swine. But Hermes came to the rescue and gave Odyseus a magic herb that would protect him from spells.

Oddyseus was prepared to force her to change his men back with the point of his sword, but when Circe saw that her spells had no effect on him, she was so impressed that she fell in love with him. They spent nearly a year together on the island. When Oddyseus decided to venture home once again, Circe used her magical powers to determine that Oddyseus must enter Hades and speak to the former prophet of Thebes, Teiresias, who will tell him how to get home safetly.

Following Circe's advice, Oddyseus set sail westward toward the river Ocean and the shores of Persephone. He the went into a cave, taking honey, milk, wine, and a black goat. He dug a hole and poured in the ingredients followed by the blood of the goat. This attracted all the shades in Hades, who have a thirst for blood. Oddyseus was terrified by the sight of them.

Odysseus kept them all at bay with his sword until Teiresias appeared. The prophet told him not to kill any of the oxen of the Sun, which he would encounter on his way home. He also told him that trouble would await him when he reached home, but that he would prevail.

Odysseus then met the shade of his mother Anticles, who told him about the state of his family. He saw the shades of the ancient heroines and heroes, and chewed the fat with Agamemnon and Achilles. Ajax kept his distance because he was upset that Oddyseus had received the armor of Achilles. Oddyseus snuck a peak at Tityus, Tantalus, Sisyphus, and Heracles. But he was scared into running back to the surface when he saw one of the Gorgon sisters (possibly Medusa) coming his way.

When Odyssues returned to his home, he found that his wife, Penelope, had been faithful to him all those years. But another survivor of the Trojan war was not so lucky. He was killed by his wife and her lover. But his death was avenged by his troubled son,
Orestes

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