was alive.

The poem at this point takes up the story of Odysseus himself. Going
to the isle where he was held captive, Hermes after admiring its great
beauty delivered Zeus' message to Calypso to let the captive go. She
reproached the gods for their jealousy and reluctantly promised to
obey. She found Odysseus on the shore, eating out his heart in the
desire for his home. When she informed him that she intended to let
him go, he first with commendable prudence made her swear that she did
not design some greater evil for him. Smiling at his cunning, she
swore the most solemn of all oaths to help him, then supplied tools
and materials for the building of his boat. When he was out on the
deep, Poseidon wrecked his craft, but a sea goddess Leucothea, once a
mortal, gave him a scarf to wrap round him, bidding him cast it from
him with his back turned away when he got to land. After two nights
and two days on the deep he at length saw land. Finding the mouth of a
small stream, he swam up it, then utterly weary flung himself down on
a heap of leaves under a bush, guarded by Athena.

The next episode introduces one of the most charming figures in
ancient literature. Nausicaa was the daughter of Alcinous, King of
Phaeacia, on whose island Odysseus had landed. To her Athena appeared
in a dream, bidding her obtain from her father leave to go down to the
sea to wash his soiled garments. The young girl obeyed, telling her
father that it was but seemly that he, the first man in the kingdom,
should appear at council in raiment white as snow. He gave her the
leave she desired. After their work was done, she and her handmaids
began a game of ball; their merry cries woke up Odysseus, who started
up on hearing human voices. Coming forward, he frightened by his
appearance the handmaids, but Nausicaa, emboldened by Athena, stood