The island of good living
The Phaeacians live far from other people and are visited rarely. Their palace has bronze walls, golden doors, and gardens that bear fruit all year; their ships are swift and self-guiding. They are a utopian society in the Odyssey’s geography, and their hospitality is the best Odysseus receives.
They are also vulnerable. Their king remembers a prophecy that Poseidon will punish them for helping strangers, and the poem shows the prophecy fulfilled. Their generosity is real, and it has a cost.
The last crossing
The Phaeacians feast Odysseus, listen to his story, give him gifts, and put him on a ship for Ithaca while he sleeps. When the ship returns, Poseidon strikes it with his hand and turns it to stone, and the harbour is closed by a mountain. Alcinous says that the prophecy has come true.
The episode ends the Phaeacian episode and marks the limit of human help. Odysseus reaches home, but his helpers are punished for their kindness, and the poem does not return to Scheria.
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The following entries mention “The Phaeacians”.