A Phantom’s Comfort, a Silent Ambush (Homer’s The Odyssey, Book 4 – Part 24)

While violence is set in motion, mercy takes a gentler form. The night carries both threat and reassurance.

In The Odyssey, Book 4, Antinous quietly rallies the suitors to act on their murderous plan, selecting twenty men and readying a ship to lie in wait for Telemachus under cover of darkness. As they arm themselves and watch for nightfall, Penelope remains alone above, fasting and consumed by fear for her son’s life.

At last, sleep overtakes her grief. In that stillness, Athene sends a phantom in the likeness of Iphthime to stand at Penelope’s head, bidding her cease her tears and take heart—for Telemachus, she is told, is not hateful to the gods and will yet return.

 

New to the journey? Start from the beginning at: http://theodysseypodcast.com

Want to talk theories, themes? Join the conversation on our Discord: https://discord.gg/Sg2prdm

Support the project on Patreon and receive full-length, story-only audio after each book: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod

Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or follow along on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC036TeD3DkuF1VSCQJfKGtw

 

Odyssey is a daily podcast reading one page at a time from Homer’s classic epic — every day. Whether you’re starting from the beginning or joining mid-journey, each episode brings you deeper into the story of The Odyssey.