9.27–28 my Ithaca is set apart, most distant, / facing the dark: The suggestion is that Ithaca is farthest west, facing the setting sun (“the darkness”), whereas the other islands are more east. It is impossible to reconcile this claim with actual geography.
9.41 the Cicones in Ismarus.: The Cicones, a Thracian people, were allies of Troy. But the passage does not suggest that Odysseus’ piracy is motivated by any particular military objective.
9.125 red-cheeked ships: Ships were decorated with red at the prow.
9.298 unmixed milk: The word for “unmixed” is generally used for wine undiluted with water. The text is making a sort of joke since milk is the equivalent of wine for this mostly teetotal character.
9.302 feeling for his liver: Odysseus imagines having to move by feel, since the cave is entirely dark.
9.349 a holy offering: The term used here is usually applied to drink offerings given to the gods.
9.414 the “no man” maneuver: There is a pun here in the Greek: metis means “nobody” but also “cunning.” “Maneuver” is designed to hint at the wordplay.
BOOK 10 SUMMARY
The fleet reached the floating island of Aeolus, guardian of the winds, who gave Odysseus a bag containing multiple winds as a gift to help him on his way. The fleet almost reached Ithaca, but Odysseus fell asleep at the rudder. The men, jealous that Odysseus was acquiring all the treasure on the trip and sharing none of it, opened the bag of winds, and the ship was blasted back to Aeolus’ palace, from which they are then sent harshly away. They reached the land of Laestrygonia, and all the men except Odysseus moored inside the harbor. The inhabitants turned out to be cannibal giants, who skewered all those in the harbor and ate them. The lone remaining ship sailed to the land of Circe, who turned half of Odysseus’ men into pigs. With the help of Hermes, Odysseus managed to persuade Circe to turn them back into human form. They all stayed with Circe for a year, recuperating. Then Odysseus asked Circe to help them on their way, but she told him they must first visit the house of Hades and consult the dead spirit of the prophet Tiresias, who would advise him about his journey. Before they left, the youngest crew member, Elpenor, fell from the attic in Circe’s house and died.
10.82 Lamos: Lamos is apparently the founder of this mythical place.
10.83–84 A herdsman there . . . another herdsman going out: The idea is that in this strange country, herdsmen work around the clock, a day shift and a night shift.
10.87 the paths of day and night are close together: This odd phrase presumably means that the nights are almost nonexistent here, as in areas near the Arctic Circle during the summer. Attempts to plot Laestrygonia on a real map have not been convincing; this is a fictional place, melding several elements of actual geography.
10.178–79 and took / their cloaks down from their faces: People in Homer cover their faces in grief; the men in this small band of survivors have been grieving at the loss of the other eleven ships and their crew members.
10.236 Pramnian wine: Apparently, a particular type of wine rather than from a particular location; it is described as black and harsh by the medical writer Galen. The same wine is used for the potion made in Nestor’s cup in Iliad Book 11.
10.304 this plant Moly: Moly is probably an imaginary plant, although the legend may be connected to the ancient idea that garlic (which also has a white flower and dark root) can be used against bad spirits and vampires.
10.518 a cubit wide and long: A cubit is a unit of measure roughly equivalent to a human forearm.
10.520 honey-mix: A mixture of honey with some other substance, perhaps milk.
BOOK 11 SUMMARY
They reached the dark land of the Cimmerians, and Odysseus performed a sacrifice, praying to reach his homeland. He dug a ditch and filled it with blood; the spirits of the dead appeared. First was Elpenor, who asked for proper burial. Next came the spirit of Anticleia, Odysseus’ mother; but Odysseus spoke first to the prophet Tiresias, who foretold many dangers ahead. Odysseus spoke to his mother, wept for her death, and tried to embrace her, but she slipped away. Then came a parade of famous mythical women, all associated with even more famous male heroes and gods. Odysseus pauses his story, but Alcinous begs him to continue. He tells of meeting the ghost of Agamemnon, who told him how he was murdered, and the ghost of Achilles, who regretted trading his life for honor. The ghost of Ajax refused to speak to Odysseus. After glimpsing other male heroes, seeing the torments of the dead, and speaking to Heracles, Odysseus returned to his ship.
11.85 Autolycus’ daughter Anticleia: The name of Odysseus’ maternal grandfather, Autolycus, suggests “Wolf Man.”
11.172–73 Or did the archer Artemis destroy you / with gentle arrows?: Artemis, goddess of hunting and childbirth, was particularly associated with the deaths of women.
11.297–98 Iphicles set him free as his reward / for prophecy: The story goes that the prophet Melampus, after an unsuccessful attempt to drive off Iphicles’ cattle and win his daughter’s hand, prophesied that Iphicles, who had been impotent, would be able to have more children. In reward for the good prophecy, Iphicles set Melampus free. For a different version of the story, see the note to 15.227–28.