When Odysseus and his men reached the shore, they set sail. After a long time they reached the river of Oceanos, which was the boundary of the world. Odysseus made a pit in the ground and prepared the sacrifice just as Circe instructed him to do with honey, milk, wine, water, barley, and blood from a black ewe and a black ram. When the sacrifice was finished, ghosts crowded around the pit, wanting to drink the sacrifice, but Odysseus wouldn't let them until the prophet Circe told him to find, ThebanTeiresias, came. As Odysseus waited for the ghost, he saw other ghosts, like his mother, who had been alive when he left Ithaca, and one man of the crew.
Then Odysseus saw the ghost of the prophet. The prophet recognized Odysseus and asked him what he was doing at Hades's house and told him to back away from the offering so that he could drink it. When Teiresias had finished drinking, he told Odysseus that God would make his journey home difficult because Poseidon was mad at him for blinding Polyphemus. Despite this fact, Teiresias said that Odysseus would still make it home, but he will have suffered a lot before that time. The prophet said that Odysseus and his men would find themselves on the island of Thrinacia, which is where Helios kept his cattle and sheep. If Odysseus and his men did not touch Helios's herds, then they would all make it home safely. If not, then Odysseus would still make it home, but his crew and ships would not. Odysseus would then arrive home late in someone else's ship to find men in his house forcing his wife to marry one of them. The prophet said that Odysseus would kill them all, however. After doing that, Odysseus must sail until he finds a country where the people do not know the sea and do not add salt to their food. When he gets there, Odysseus must make a sacrifice to Poseidon of a ram, a bull, and a boar-pig. This would reconcile him with Poseidon. Teiresias said that Odysseus would die at sea when age was his "only burden". The prophet also told Odysseus that any ghost he let drink from the sacrifice would tell him the truth, but if he didn't, then they would go away.
Odysseus let his mother's ghost drink from the sacrifice and she asked him what he was doing in the Land of the Dead. Odysseus said that he was coming home from Troy and he got lost and was still trying to make his way home from Ithaca. He asked his mother why she had died. She replied that she was so sad that he was gone, that she had died of grief. Odysseus's wife was still at home, but he days were filled with tears. His father was still alive, but stays in the country. When Odysseus heard this, he was very sad and wanted to hug his mother, but he couldn't because he was only talking to her spirit, not her body.
During their conversation, a group of women had surrounded Odysseus and his mother, wanting to taste the sacrifice. First Odysseus met Tryo, who gave birth to Pelias and Neleus, then Antiope, who's sons created the stronghold of Thebes. Next came Alcemene, who was Heraclese's mother, then there was Epicaste, Chloris, Pero, Leda, Iphimedeia, Phaidra, Procris, Ariadne, Maira, Clymene, and Eriphyle. Odysseus stopped his story, saying that he could not name all that he saw and that it was time for bed anyway.
Arete and Alkinoos asked Odysseus to stay another day so that they could hear the rest of his story. Odysseus agreed to stay another day and Alkinoos commended Odysseus for his wisdom and asked him if he had seen any of his comrades from Troy there. Odysseus said that he saw Agamemnon who told his story of his travel home and his murder by Agisthos. Agamemnon lamented his death and bemoaned his wife's turn of loyalty. Agamemnon asked about his son, Orestes, and how he was. Odysseus said that he did not know and told him that it is not good to babble.
Odysseus saw Achilles. Achilles asked how his his father his son were. Odysseus replied that he hadn't heard anything of Achilles's father, but his son, Neoptolemos had fought with Odysseus, and that he was an excellent soldier and that he wasn't wounded at all when he came out of the wooden horse at Troy. After Achilles heard this, he walked away, happy that his son had made a mark on the world. After his talk with Achilles, Odysseus wanted to see the rest of the dead. He saw in the Fields of Punishment Tytos, Tantalus, and Sisyphos. In asphodel Odysseus saw Orion and Heracles. After a while, Odysseus decided to go back to his ship because he was scared that Persephone might send a monster after Odysseus.
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