NovelGuide: Odysseus: Novel Summary: Chapters 7-8

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Chapters 7-8

Chapter 7: Nausikka returns to her house, and Odysseus waits in a forest outside of town until she has arrived, and then Athena, in the form of a little girl, protects Odysseus as he walks to the palace.� He is covered in a mist until he reached the feet of Alkinoos' wife Arete, and begged for mercy and hospitality.�� Odysseus is given a seat at the table, and during dinner, he tells the king and queen how he escaped from Calypso and was shipwrecked.� Alkinoos agrees to help Odysseus return to his home, no matter where it is.�
Chapter 8: Preparations are made to procure a ship to take Odysseus home, although no one else knows where he is from at this time.� Odysseus hears stories of the Trojan War, and cries when they are told.� Games are arranged to cheer him up, but he is sad and refuses to compete.� Then, Euryalos, a young man, insults Odysseus, and so Odysseus decides to compete out of pride.� Odysseus excels in throwing a discus, and everyone adjourns to a festival with singing by Demodokos, a superb harp-player.� Demodokos sings about the love affair of Ares and Aprhodite, and afterwards, Eurylaos apologizes for his insult.�
Odysseus is made ready to leave with provisions and a crew, and he says goodbye to Nausikka.� She is sad that she cannot marry him, but she understands. Only then is he asked his identity and the rest of his story.