Odyssey: A Daily Odyssey through Homer’s The Odyssey
Sep 5, 2026 · 11 min · 11 segments
A month of unbroken wind turns an island into a prison, and hunger becomes the loudest voice on the shore. In *The Odyssey*, Book 12, the South Wind blows without ceasing, trapping Odysseus and…
Landon SolanoHost
Then for a whole month the south wind blew without ceasing, and no other wind arose save only the east and the south.
Now so long as my company still had corn and red wine, they refrained them from the kine, for they were fain of life.
but when the corn was now all spent from out the ship, and they went wandering with barbed hooks in quest of game as needs they must, fishes and fowls, whatsoever might come to their hand, for hunger gnawed at their belly.
Then at last I departed up the isle, that I might pray to the gods, if perchance some one of them might show me a way of returning.
And now when I had avoided my company on my way through the island, I laved my hands where was a shelter from the wind, and prayed to all the gods that hold Olympus.
But they shed sweet sleep upon my eyelids, and Eurylochus the while set forth an evil counsel to my company.
Truly every shape of death is hateful to wretched mortals, but to die of hunger and so meet doom is most pitiful of all.
Nay, come, we will drive off the best of the kind of Helios, and will do sacrifice to the deathless gods who keep wide heaven.
but if he be somewhat rough for his cattle with straight horns and is fain to wreck our ship, and the other gods follow his desire, rather with one gulp at the wave would I cast my life away than be slowly straightened to death in a desert isle.
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Then for a whole month the south wind blew without ceasing, and no other wind arose save only the east and the south.
Now so long as my company still had corn and red wine, they refrained them from the kine, for they were fain of life.
but when the corn was now all spent from out the ship, and they went wandering with barbed hooks in quest of game as needs they must, fishes and fowls, whatsoever might come to their hand, for hunger gnawed at their belly.
Then at last I departed up the isle, that I might pray to the gods, if perchance some one of them might show me a way of returning.
And now when I had avoided my company on my way through the island, I laved my hands where was a shelter from the wind, and prayed to all the gods that hold Olympus.
But they shed sweet sleep upon my eyelids, and Eurylochus the while set forth an evil counsel to my company.
Truly every shape of death is hateful to wretched mortals, but to die of hunger and so meet doom is most pitiful of all.
Nay, come, we will drive off the best of the kind of Helios, and will do sacrifice to the deathless gods who keep wide heaven.
but if he be somewhat rough for his cattle with straight horns and is fain to wreck our ship, and the other gods follow his desire, rather with one gulp at the wave would I cast my life away than be slowly straightened to death in a desert isle.
