The tale of Odysseus's arrival on the island of Scheria begins not on land, but in the churning, vengeful heart of the Ionian Sea. Having spent seven years as a captive of the nymph Calypso on the island of Ogygia, Odysseus was finally permitted by the gods to build a raft and set sail for his beloved Ithaca. However, the god of the sea, Poseidon, returning from Ethiopia, spotted the hero’s progress. Infuriated that the other gods had conspired behind his back to allow Odysseus to escape his fate, Poseidon summoned a colossal storm. The winds howled from every corner of the compass, and waves as high as mountains crashed upon the fragile wooden raft. Odysseus, a man of many wiles, found himself stripped of his vessel and left to the mercy of the brine.
For two days and nights, Odysseus drifted, buoyed only by a divine veil given to him by the sea-nymph Ino, also known as Leucothea. He was battered by the elements, his skin encrusted with salt, his muscles screaming with exhaustion. Every time he tried to approach the rugged coastline of Scheria, the surf threatened to dash his broken body against the jagged rocks. It was only through the intervention of Athena, who calmed the winds and whispered courage into his heart, that he found the mouth of a gentle river. Here, at the site traditionally identified as the bays of Paleokastritsa on the island of Corfu, the hero finally crawled onto dry land. Weak and shivering, he found shelter beneath the thick foliage of two olive trees—one wild, one domestic—intertwined so closely that neither wind nor rain could penetrate their canopy. He buried himself in a thick bed of fallen leaves and fell into a deep, death-like sleep.
While Odysseus slept, the goddess Athena was busy weaving the threads of his rescue. She travelled to the magnificent city of the Phaeacians, a people renowned for their seafaring skills and their proximity to the gods. Athena entered the bedchamber of Nausicaa, the young and beautiful daughter of King Alcinous and Queen Arete. Disguised as one of Nausicaa’s friends, the goddess spoke to the princess in a dream, chiding her for the neglected state of her clothing. Athena suggested that with the prospect of marriage looming, the princess should take the family’s linens to the river to be washed. Inspired by the dream, Nausicaa awoke and asked her father for a wagon and a team of mules. Alcinous, sensing the divine influence or perhaps simply wishing to please his daughter, granted her request.
Nausicaa and her handmaidens travelled to the banks of the river where Odysseus lay hidden. They spent the morning washing the robes and tunics, treading them in the clear pools of the river and spreading them out to dry on the sun-warmed pebbles of the beach. After their work was done, the girls bathed and enjoyed a meal. To pass the time while the clothes dried, they began a game of ball. It was a scene of idyllic peace, sharply contrasted by the rugged, salt-caked man sleeping just a few yards away in the thicket. During the game, Nausicaa threw the ball to one of her maids, but it missed and splashed into a deep eddy of the river. The girls let out a piercing shriek of laughter and surprise.
The sound jolted Odysseus awake. Disoriented and fearful, he wondered if he had landed among savages or god-fearing men. Lacking any clothing and looking like a wild beast, he broke off a leafy branch to cover his nakedness and emerged from the bushes. The handmaidens, terrified by the sight of the brine-streaked, haggard stranger, scattered in every direction. Only Nausicaa stood her ground, her courage bolstered by Athena. Odysseus, ever the master of rhetoric, realized that to approach her and clasp her knees in the traditional gesture of a suppliant might frighten her further. Instead, he stood at a distance and addressed her with honeyed words, comparing her beauty to a young palm tree he once saw in Delos and pleading for her mercy.
Nausicaa, impressed by the stranger’s eloquence and noble bearing, recognized that he was no ordinary beggar. She called her maids back and commanded them to provide the stranger with food, drink, and oil for bathing. Odysseus washed away the salt of the sea in the river, and Athena cast a cloak of grace over him, making him appear taller, stronger, and more handsome than before. When he reappeared, Nausicaa was struck by his transformation, even secretly wishing for a husband of such caliber. However, mindful of her reputation and the gossip of the Phaeacian sailors, she gave Odysseus careful instructions on how to reach the palace. She told him to follow the wagon at a distance and, once inside the city, to pass by her father and go directly to her mother, Queen Arete. If he could win the Queen’s favor, she explained, his return to his homeland would be guaranteed.
As Odysseus walked toward the city, Athena shrouded him in a thick mist so that no curious citizen would harass him. He marveled at the Phaeacian harbor, the bustling marketplaces, and the formidable walls of the city. When he reached the palace of Alcinous, the mist dissipated. The palace was a marvel of bronze walls, golden doors, and silver doorposts. Outside, a lush garden grew, where fruits of all seasons—pears, pomegranates, apples, and grapes—ripened year-round, never failing regardless of the weather. Odysseus entered the great hall, where the Phaeacian leaders were pouring libations to Hermes. He moved swiftly to the center of the room and threw his arms around Queen Arete’s knees just as the mist fully vanished. The hall fell into a stunned silence.