Aeolus

Reaching Aeolus’ island was a relief. The gracious son of Hippotas was kind and welcoming to my men and me. We stayed on his floating islands with ramparts of indestructible bronze rise and rock cliffs shooting up to the heavens. For a month we feasted on his roasted meats and heady wine and were treated like royalty. Finally when I worked up the courage to ask him to leave he did not deny me. He sealed all winds in an ox-skin bag, and he tied it so tight with a silver cord that not even mighty Zeus could undo it. Great Aeolus only left the west wind to blow freely, the one that would carry us home to Ithaca. Finally, after being blown off course, after encountering the Lotus-Eaters, and the Cyclops I finally felt like my luck was turning. I felt that in the near future I might hold my beloved wife Penelope in my arms, gaze across my vast kingdom, and lie in my familiar bed once more.

The next nine days were arduous and brutal. We sailed for nine days and nights nonstop. It seemed as though time went by twice as long as normal. Everyday I ached with excitement and anxiety about seeing Ithaca. Then finally on the tenth day when dawn rose with her rose-red fingers, she revealed Ithaca. I could almost see the fires on land with goat sausages packed with blood and fat sizzling. I was so overwhelmed by the sight that a deep sleep enhanced me. I awoke later to the sound of whirling winds and crashing waves. My crew had opened the bag full of winds against my orders! I was infuriated. How dare they disobey me, their commander, their leader and their king! However, once I saw my homeland fading away in the distance, being swallowed by the sea, my anger ceased and I began to weep. At that very moment, weeping on the deck of my great ship, I thought of throwing myself off the ship into the dark blue water. I wanted this whole journey to be over, I wanted to end my suffering once and for all. But I couldn’t do that to Penelope, she is hurting just as bad as I and it would not be fair to her. I decided that taking my life was not the answer, and that I would take things one day at a time, and I would just have to tough it out a little longer.