ABSTRACT
Of all the adventures of Odysseus, which number over a dozen, only two are described directly and in full detail by the poet himself. These two are Odysseus’ stay at or rather departure from Ogygia, island of Calypso, and his stay with the Phaeacians. All the other adventures are told by Odysseus to a Phaeacian audience so that they are, as it were, encapsulated within his stay in Phaeacia. Why has Homer selected the two episodes of Calypso and Phaeacia for direct, full description?
