Odysseus wakes up to find himself on a misty beach, surrounded by the gifts he received from the Phaeacians. He is unsure where he is until Athene, disguised as a young man, tells him that he has at last reached Ithaca. Odysseus doesn’t fully trust this information until Athene reveals her true identity and promises to help him deal with the suitors who are trying to steal his wife and kingdom. Odysseus cannot enter Ithaca openly, as doing so will put him in danger from the suitors, so Athene disguises him as an old beggar. She tells him to stay with the swineherd Eumaeus, who is still loyal to him. Odysseus does not reveal his identity to Eumaeus but assures him that Odysseus is alive and will soon return to Ithaca.

Meanwhile, Athene visits Telemachus in Sparta and tells him that it is time for him to return home. She warns him of the suitors’ ambush and tells him to return by a different route to avoid them. On Ithaca, Telemachus visits Eumaeus’s farm and Odysseus sees his son for the first time in nearly 20 years. When they are alone together, Odysseus reveals his identity to Telemachus.