💡 This is a chapter from The Wanderings of Odysseus, by C. Witt & F. Younghusband ← Go there to read the full book free online; it is also available in paperback and Kindle editions.
The long war against Troy had at last come to an end, and the Greek heroes were now preparing to return to their homes.
To no one did this thought bring greater pleasure than to Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, for, though at the call of Agamemnon he had brought twelve ships to join the army of the Greeks and had distinguished himself throughout the war as one of the bravest of the heroes, he had longed many a time that the siege would come to an end and leave him free to return to his own country. He loved dearly his stony little island of Ithaca and would not have exchanged it for the most fertile country; and he now rejoiced with all his heart at the prospect of being soon restored to his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus, who had been but a child when he left home.
The ships, which had so long been left standing high and dry upon the shore, had now their prows turned towards Greece; and when Odysseus had prayed and offered sacrifices to the gods, he set sail with his followers, hoping for a swift and prosperous journey.
After some days, Odysseus and his men came to the land of the Ciconians, who had taken the part of Troy in the war and fought against the Greeks. They made a sudden attack upon the city, and the surprised inhabitants fled from it, leaving behind all their goods. Of these the Greeks took possession and then returned to their ships.
Odysseus was of opinion that it would be best, after this, to proceed without delay, but his companions were unwilling to leave until they had made a great feast on the shore, and he yielded to their wish. Sheep and cattle were slain and roasted, and great jars of wine opened; and after they had revelled till far into the night, they lay down near the ships and went to sleep.
But meanwhile the Ciconians had summoned their neighbors to come and help them, and scarcely had the morning dawned when the sleeping Greeks were awakened by the clash of weapons and the approach of a great army. They sprang up quickly and made a brave resistance, though they were far outnumbered by their enemies — Odysseus fighting always in the foremost rank. Till midday neither side could be said to have gained any advantage, but, as evening approached, the Greeks found it impossible to hold their ground, and at last they turned and fled in confusion to their ships, leaving behind them the corpses of their comrades.
Seventy of their number had fallen, and, as it was impossible to pay them the last funeral honors, Odysseus caused a herald to cry aloud the name of each one three times following. This was all that could be done, for they were obliged to hasten away from the land of the Ciconians and continue their voyage with all speed. (The Greeks believed that the souls of those whose bodies remained unburied had no rest in the Lower World, and the burial of the dead was therefore a sacred duty. In extreme cases, however, it was considered sufficient to sprinkle a little dust over the corpse and pour out libations to the gods, or, if even that was impossible, to call aloud three times the names of the departed.)
They had not proceeded far when for the first time they saw the mountains of Greece in the distance before them and hoped within a few days to be at home again. But their happiness was short-lived, for there came a storm which lasted for nine days and drove them about first in one direction and then in another, till on the tenth day they came to some land where they resolved to stop and rest.
Odysseus sent forward some of his men to discover what sort of people the inhabitants were, and report whether they would be likely to receive them kindly; but when a long time had passed by and they did not return, he feared they had met with some misadventure, and resolved to go himself to see what had become of them.
He found them, however, well and happy, and apparently quite at home already among the people of the country. As soon as they saw him, they hastened towards him, holding out some of the fruit that hung in quantities on the trees, and said, “Eat, Odysseus, and thou wilt no longer have any desire to return to thy home. Nowhere is life so pleasant as in this land.”
It was the country of the Lotus Eaters, and the fruit was the magic lotus, which has such power over the hearts of men that, when once they have tasted it, they forget everything else. Odysseus was obliged to bring his companions back by force and, when they were again in the ship, he bound them with cords to the rowing seats, or they would have returned without delay. He then ordered the ships to be put out to sea again immediately, that the rest might not also be tempted.