Canto V Odissea: Odisseo e Calipso

In the V canto of the Odyssey Homer mentions the Olympians and in particular Zeus and Athena, who recalls the misadventures of the “divine Odysseus”. In fact, the king of Ithaca is on an island held captive by nymph Calypso. The gods have decided for his return home and have sent Hermes, their messenger, to talk to Calypso and tell her that it is time to let him go. She reluctantly submits to Zeus’s order and lets desperate Odysseus go. After one last night of love, she helps him prepare for his departure on a stocked raft so that he can get home safe and sound.

In his woodcut Remo Giatti has rendered the moment of goodbye between Odysseus and the nymph. In the foreground, he is on his knees with a protruding arm towards Calypso. She is depicted from behind and her suffering for his lover’s departure is palpable. (Alessandra Durante)