The Odyssey - Book 11 (THE BOOK OF THE DEAD)

• Odysseus' first task when they reached the ship was to put the mast and the sails onto the ship. 
• Then they picked up the sheep and goats and put them on board before they got on board themselves. 
• Circe sent them a favourable wind to set their ship back into the sea. 
• The ship reached the furthest part of the oceans where the Cimmerians live. 
• They beached the ship there and headed along the coast until they reached the place which Circe had described. 
• Perimeters and Eurylochus kept hold of the sacrificial victims whilst Odysseus poured libations to all of the dead - which a mixture of honey and milk then some sweet wine and water. 
• Odysseus then promised them that when he got back to Ithaca he would sacrifice a barren heifer in his palace and make Tiresias a seperate offering of a black sheep. 
• When Odysseus has finished making his prayers to the dead he took the sheep and cut their throats over the trench so that their blood poured in.
• Then the souls of the dead started pouring up Erebus. 
• The first spirit which came up was Elphenor which was Odysseus' own comrades as he had not been buried. Odysseus started to cry when he saw his friend. 
• Elphenor told Odysseus that "the malicious decree of some god and too much wine were my undoing", he went on to tell Odysseus how he had had too much to drink and fell asleep on the roof of a building and in his sleep rolled off the roof and broke his neck. 
• Elphenor then begged Odysseus to remember him, but his body with the arms which he possesses and raise a mound for him. 
• Odysseus promises that he will do everything as Elphenor had asked. 
• The next spirit Odysseus saw was Anticleia, his mother. Odysseus refused to let her aproach the blood before he had spoken to Tiresias. 
• Tiresias then came up which his "gold sceptre in his hand" and drank the dark blood. He then told Odysseus that "the earthshaker" is making it difficult for him to get home. He says that Odysseus and his friends will not reach Ithaca without suffering. He says that Odysseus will soon come across the island of Thrinacie where they will find the sun gods cattle, if Odysseus leaves the cattle alone then he will return home but not without suffering. Whereas, if he hurts the cattle his ship and crew will be destroyed and if he happens to escape the destruction and reach home he will find trouble him his home. 
• Odysseus then asks Tiresias how he can make his dead mother recognise him. Tiresias replies saying that his mother needs to have access to the blood in order for them to speak the truth. 
• Tiresias then left into the hall of Hades after giving Odysseus his prophecies. 
• Odysseus then waited for his mother to come and drink the blood. She instantly recognised him and gave a cry of relief. His mother asks him why he is in the hall of Hades to which he replied telling her that he has come to see Tiresias. He then asks what happened to her as she was alive when he left for Troy, he then asks of Telemachus and Penelope and if the kingdom is safe or if Penelope has remarried and another man is in charge of the kingdom. 
• His mother replied saying that Penelope is still living in his home but "her eyes are never free from tears as the slow nights and days pass sorrowfully by", and that Telemachus attends all of the public banquets and is a good leader whereas Laertes "he lies in his misery, with old age pressing hard upon him, and nursing his grief and hearing for you to come back" she goes on to explain that she died of heartache for Odysseus. She tells Odysseus to remember what he has learnt there so can tell Penelope one day. She then left. 
• Odysseus saw more spirits coming towards his blood and he withdrew his sword to prevent them from drinking the blood. 
• The first he saw was Tyro, the second was Antiope, then Epicaste (Jocaste), then Chloris, then Leda, then Iphimedeia, then Phaaedra and Procis and then Ariadne. 
• Odysseus then stops speaking to the Phaeacians and Alcinous said that Odysseus is able to go but should wait until tomorrow so that he can get all of Odysseys' gifts together. 
• Odysseus replied saying that he would be happy to spend a further year with him in his palace. 
• Alcinous says that he trusts Odysseus but he wants to know if he came across any heroic comrades in Hades. 
• Odysseus says that he saw Persephone drive off all of the women's ghosts and it was then that he was approached by Agamemnon who told him about how he was killed by his wifes lover. 
• he says how he then saw Achilles, Ajax and Antilochus. 
• He said how he then saw Tityus, Tantalus, Sisyphus and Heracles. The all of the spirits rose up and Odysseus got scared and so went back to his shop.