Scheria

Scheria, the island kingdom of the Phaeacians, is the last foreign land Odysseus visits before his return to Ithaca. It is a place of almost supernatural prosperity, advanced seamanship, and generous hospitality, and it functions as the crucial bridge between Odysseus's ten years of wandering and his long-delayed homecoming. The Phaeacians, under King Alcinous and Queen Arete, not only shelter the shipwrecked hero but also give him the ships, crew, and treasure that allow him to reach Ithaca at last, making Scheria the final threshold of his journey.

Geography and Origins

Scheria is described as a fertile, walled city located far from other peoples. The Phaeacians originally lived in Hypereia, near the lawless Cyclopes, who plundered them; their king Nausithous therefore moved the entire population to Scheria, where he surrounded the city with a wall, built houses and temples, and divided the lands. After Nausithous's death, his son Alcinous became king. The island is presented as a land's end jutting into the sea, with a good harbour on either side and a narrow entrance to the city. The palace of Alcinous is of breathtaking splendour: walls of bronze, doors of gold, silver pillars, and gold and silver mastiffs fashioned by Hephaestus guard the entrance. The surrounding garden of about four acres is an eternal orchard where pears, pomegranates, apples, figs, olives, and grapes ripen in unbroken succession throughout the year, and two streams irrigate the grounds. The Phaeacians themselves are superlative sailors, their ships gliding "like thought, or as a bird in the air," and they pride themselves on their masts, oars, and vessels rather than on archery or infantry.

The Phaeacian People and Their Customs

The Phaeacians are a seafaring folk who live apart from other nations, dear to the gods. They are not archers but excel in sailing, running, dancing, and feasting. Their society is governed by King Alcinous and Queen Arete, who is honoured by her children, her husband, and the whole people as a goddess. Arete is a wise and influential figure; she settles disputes and is the key to winning the Phaeacians' aid. The Phaeacians hold assemblies, athletic contests, and banquets with bardic song. Their hospitality is lavish but not without risk: Alcinous recalls his father's prophecy that Poseidon would one day wreck a Phaeacian ship returning from an escort and bury their city under a high mountain because they are too free in granting safe passage.

Odysseus's Reception and the Games

When Odysseus arrives on Scheria, naked and exhausted after a shipwreck, he is first found by Nausicaa, Alcinous's daughter, who gives him clothes and directs him to the palace. Athena shrouds him in mist as he walks through the city, and he supplicates Queen Arete. Alcinous welcomes him, offers him a seat, and promises an escort. The next day, a full assembly is called, a ship is prepared, and a great feast is held with the blind bard Demodocus singing of the Trojan War. At the athletic games, Odysseus is taunted by the young Euryalus, who accuses him of being a merchant rather than an athlete. Stung, Odysseus seizes a discus far heavier than those used by the Phaeacians and throws it far beyond all marks, proving his prowess. He then declares himself skilled in archery, javelin, and all sports except running, where his sea-weakened condition might fail him. Alcinous praises him and orders the dancers to perform, and Odysseus is delighted by their skill.

Odysseus's Narrative and the Phaeacian Gift-Giving

After the games, Odysseus is asked to reveal his identity and tell his story. He declares himself Odysseus, son of Laertes, and recounts his adventures from the Cicones to Calypso's island, including the Cyclops, Aeolus, the Laestrygonians, Circe, the Underworld, the Sirens, Scylla and Charybdis, and the cattle of the Sun. The Phaeacians are enthralled. Alcinous then organizes a collection of gifts: each of the twelve chief men, plus the king himself, contributes a cloak, a shirt, and a talent of gold. Euryalus gives his bronze sword with a silver hilt and an ivory scabbard as an apology. Arete packs the treasures in a chest and binds it securely. Odysseus is given a warm bath, new clothes, and a final banquet before his departure.

The Return Voyage and Poseidon's Wrath

That night, the Phaeacian crew rows Odysseus to Ithaca while he sleeps profoundly. They land him on the shore, still asleep, and place the gifts by the olive tree at the head of the harbour of Phorcys. As they return, Poseidon, furious that the Phaeacians have defied his grudge against Odysseus, turns their ship to stone and roots it in the sea just as it enters the harbour. Alcinous recognizes the fulfillment of his father's prophecy and orders a sacrifice of twelve bulls to Poseidon to avert the threatened burial of the city under a mountain. The Phaeacians thereafter cease their practice of escorting strangers, and Scheria fades from the narrative, having served its purpose as the final threshold of Odysseus's nostos.