The Odyssey - Book 6 (NAUSICAA)

• As Odysseus slept under the bush, Athene came to the country of the Phaeacians. 
• The Phaeacians used to live in Hypereie as neighbours to the Cyclopes. Until one day Nausithous took them and settled them in Scherie. 
• There Nausithous put up temples for the gods, built houses and divided up the land for cultivation. However he met his fate in "Hades Halls" and now the "divinely inspired" Alcinous ruled them. 
• "To his palace the right-eyed Athene made her way, intent on plans for the great-hearted Odysseus' return"
• Alcinous had a daughter called Nausicaa who was as "tall and beautiful as a goddess" 
• Nausicaa was asleep in her "richly decorated room" with her two maids who were sleeping at either side of her door-posts. 
• "The polished doors were closed but Athene swept through like a breath of air to the girls bed" 
• Athene took the form of the daguhter of a ships captain named Dymas "a girl of Nausicaa's own age and one of her closest friends"
• Athene said to Nausicaa "How did your mother come to have such a lazy daughter as you?" as there were clothes all over her floor- "lying around neglected". Athene then goes on to tell her that she will soon be married and will need beautiful clothes in order to gain a good reputation with people. 
• "Every nobleman in Phaeacia, where you yourself were born and bred, wants you for his wife". 
• Athene tells Nausicaa to ask her father for a wagon with a couple of horses in the morning to take her to the city's wash-pool so she can clean her sashes, robes and bright rubs.
• After she has finished talk, Athene went back to Olympus "where people say the gods have made thir everlasting home"
• When she woke up Nausicaa was amazed by her dream and went through the palace to tell her mother and father about it.
• She found both of her parents in the house, her mother was "spinning yarn dyed with sea-purple" and she met her father on his way to join the distinguished princes at a conference. 
• She then asked her father if she could take the fine clothes to the river and wash them- as he will need to wear clean clothes in the future for other conferences and there are 5 of his sons in the house "3 active bachelors" who will also need clean clothes to take to the dances with them. 
• Alcinous told Nausicaa that it was fine to go, he told his servants to get her a "fine high-sided wagon with a hood to it". 
• Whilst the servants were fetching the wagon and the mules and preparing them, Nausicaa fetched all of the clothes and linen which she was going to wash. 
• Nausicaa's mother also packed some appetizers and delicacies to go with them.
• As Nausicaa got into the wagon her mum handed her some olive oil in a flask so Nausicaa and her ladies could rub themselves in it after bathing.
• "Nausicaa took the whip and the gleaming reins, and flicked the mules to make them start"
• Nauciaa's ladies came with her so that she was not alone. 
• "They reached the lovely river with its never-failing pools, in which there was enough clear water always bubbling up and swirling by to clean the dirtiest clothes"
• They unharnessed the mules and let them eat the sweet grass. 
• they then took all of the clothes from the wagon and began to tread them down quickly in the washing pools. 
• They spread the clothes along the sea shore when they were rinsed until they had no dirt left on them. 
• After they have bathed and rubbed themselves with the olive oil, they ate their meal by the riverside as they waited for the sun to dry the clothes. 
• When they had all finished their food they took off their headgear and began to play with a ball, while Nausicaa sung and kept time for their game. 
• As Nausicaa and her ladies folded the clothes and set out for home Athene arranged for Odysseus to wake up and see Nausicaa "who was to serve as his escort to the Phaeacian city"
• When Nausicaa threw the ball back to one of her maids, they missed it and it fell into the current of the river, as all of the ladies let out a shriek it awoke Odysseus. 
• Odysseus sat up and wondered what was going on around him, and what kind of people are around him. 
• he them emerged from the bush naked, "then he advanced on them like a mountain lion who sallies out, defying wind and rain in the pride of his power, with fire in his eyes to hunt down the oxen or sheep or pursue the wild deer" 
• "Grimy with salt he was a gruesome sight, and the girls went scuttling off in every direction along the jutting spits of sand" 
• Nausicaa was the only one to stand her ground as Athene put courage in her heart which "took the fear from her limbs". 
• As she stood still "Odysseus considered whether he should throw his arms round the beautiful girls knees and beg for her help, or to just keep his distance and beg her with all courtesy to give him clothing and direct him to the city"
• Odysseus decided it would be best to keep his distance and then so started speaking with kind words in order to persuade Nausicaa to help him. He explains that he was at sea for 19 days, escaping Ogygia when the gods decided to land him on another unfamiliar island on his way home. 
• Nausicaa tells Odysseus that she will take him to the city and tell him who they are etc. She tells him she is the daughter of Alcinous who is the source of the Phaeacian people. 
• Nausicaa then turns around to her ladies and tell them not to flee at the sight of a man, "there is no man on earth, nor ever will be, who would dare set hostile feet on Phaeacian soil. We are at the edge of the world and come in contact with no other people"
• She goes on to tell her maids that Odysseus is an unfortunate wanderer who has accidentally ended up there and that they have nothing to worry about. 
• The girls all stood together comfortign each other, until they had the guts to take Odysseus to a sheltered place where he could sit down as Nausicaa had ordered. On the ground beside where he sat lay a tunic and a cloak for him to wear- they also gave him some olive oil and told him to wash in the river before he got dressed. 
• Odysseus stood in the water and washed off the salt which encrusted his back and broad shoulders, he scrubbed his head as well to get rid of the scurf left by the sea. 
• After he had thoroughly washed and rubbed himself with olive oil he put on the clothes which the maids had lay out for him. 
• Athene helped Odysseus out by making him look more attractive - changing his silver into gold 
• When Odysseus sat back down by the sea shore he was "radiant with grace and beauty"
• "Nausicaa gazed at him in admiration" and said to her maids that him arriving to Phaeacia was not opposed to the gods at all, and in fact he now looks like one of the gods in heaven. "I wish I could have a man like him for my husband" she then tells her maids to get something for him to eat and drink.
• Her maids at once carried out her orders and fetched food and drink for Odysseus, who ate it quickly as it was a long time since he ate properly.
• After folding the clothing up and putting it into her wagon, Nausicaa stowed her wagon and called back to Odysseus telling him to follow her wagon with her maids and she will direct him to her fathers house. 
• Nausicaa tells Odysseus how she does not want any gossip spread about her, and how she does not want a bad name for herself and so she gives him directions on when to stop following her. She says he needs to go by the wood of Athene and wait for Nausicaa to drive off, then when he thinks she has probably reached the palace he is to head into the city and ask for directions to the palace. She said it is an easy palace to recognise "any little child could show it to you" as the palace is built differently to the rest of the buildings. 
• She tells him to walk through the courtyard and through the great hall until he reaches her mother who will be sat spinning yarn by her fathers throne. He is to clasp her mothers knees and if she is sympathetic towards him he can expect to see his friends again.
• "When she has finished, Nausicaa used her shiny whip on the mules, and they soon left the flowing river behind them"
• Once they reached the sacred place of Athene, Odysseus sat down and prayed to Athene. He prayed that the Phaeacians would receive his with greatness and kindness"
• Athene heard his prayers but refrained from appearing before him