The Greek hero Odysseus is most famous for his journey back to Ithaca after the Trojan War, as related in Homer’s Odyssey. However, Ancient Greek accounts refer to a second journey he undertook. Unlike the first, Odysseus’ second journey has mostly been forgotten today, but what do we know about it?
The Telegony, the story of Odysseus’ second journey
The story of Odysseus’ forgotten second journey comes from an epic poem called the Telegony. Unlike the Odyssey, this epic poem has not survived down to our time. We only know of it through references of ancient writers such as Eutychius Proclus, a writer of the second century AD, and his near-contemporary Pseudo-Apollodorus. Fortunately, due to these extensive references, we have a good idea of the plot of this ancient poem.
The basic idea of the Telegony was that it narrated the story of Odysseus’ life after his return to Ithaca. The name of the poem refers to a son of Odysseus called Telegonus. He was the son of Circe, with whom Odysseus stayed for a year during the events of the Odyssey.
Odysseus’ voyage to Elis
Odysseus’ second journey starts off with a voyage to Elis to check on his cattle. This is the region of western mainland Greece somewhat further south than Odysseus’ own island of Ithaca. After arriving at Elis, he received the hospitality of an individual known by the name of Polyxenus.
We do not know much about this figure, but some scholars believe he was responsible for overseeing Odysseus’ stables. In any case, Proclus’ summary of the Telegony includes the fact that Polyxenus gave Odysseus a bowl as a gift. Nothing is actually known about this bowl and its importance, but the fact that Proclus thought it worthy of mention indicates it was special in some way. After this, Odysseus returned to Ithaca once again.
Odysseus’ sacrifice to the gods
In the Odyssey, there is a passage in which the prophet Tiresias tells Odysseus to travel to a land far from the sea where the inhabitants are unfamiliar with sailing. There, he is to make an offering to Poseidon to appease him after having offended him during the events of the Odyssey.
The Odyssey ends before Odysseus has an opportunity to go to this place. It is, however, mentioned in both of our main sources for the Telegony. Interestingly, there is some confusion in what these sources relate, but by comparing both of them with Homer’s account of Tiresias’ instructions, we can come to a reasonable conclusion.
Proclus’ summary says that Odysseus returned to Ithaca from Elis and then carried out the sacrifice prescribed by Tiresias. After that, he then went to Thesprotia in Epirus. However, this is inconsistent with Homer’s version, in which Tiresias tells Odysseus to perform the sacrifice in a land where sailing is unfamiliar. This obviously cannot be Ithaca, Odysseus’ own island. In the version by Pseudo-Apollodorus, we find the following claim:
“And after sacrificing to Hades, and Persephone, and Tiresias, he journeyed on foot through Epirus, and came to the Thesprotians, and having offered sacrifice according to the directions of the soothsayer Tiresias, he propitiated Poseidon.”
This account speaks of two sacrifices. The first evidently took place on Ithaca, while the second took place in the land of Epirus. It is this second which Pseudo-Apollodorus explicitly presents as the one which fulfilled the instruction of Tiresias.
This version is consistent with Homer‘s account. Therefore, this is evidently correct, with Proclus’ having evidently conflated the two different sacrifices.
Odysseus’ journey to Epirus
Hence, we can conclude that once having returned to Ithaca from Elis, Odysseus sacrificed to Hades, Persephone, and Tiresias. After this, as established, he journeyed to the land of Epirus on the Greek mainland to the north of Ithaca.
According to Pseudo-Apollodorus, Odysseus journeyed through this land on foot. What he evidently means is that, after arriving in Epirus following a brief voyage, he traveled inland so as to reach a place where sailing was not well known, as per the instructions of Tiresias.
Within Epirus, Odysseus traveled specifically to the territory of the Thesprotians. The queen of that territory was a certain Callidice, who insisted that Odysseus stay and become king. Odysseus accepted, marrying Callidice and becoming the king of Thesprotia.
Like in the case of his first voyage, Odysseus’ second journey kept him away from Ithaca for a significant amount of time. After marrying Callidice, the two of them had a son named Polypoetes. Both Proclus and Pseudo-Apollodorus indicate that Odysseus only returned to Ithaca after this son had become old enough to succeed him in the kingdom of Thesprotia.
Therefore, we can conclude that this second forgotten journey of Odysseus probably kept him away from Ithaca for another twenty years.
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