The book describes the beautiful Circe, telling Odysseus that he may pass a monster if he makes an offering to the beast of six of his men. The great tactition immediately questions her, asking if he and his crew could get past the beast by killing him, rather than sacrificing some of his men. Circe rebukes him, stating that he cannot fight this type of beast, one who is "the incarnation of chaos and evil itself."(XII, 120-40) .
Part of the problem posed with coming home for Odysseus is to get over this fighting instinct. Fighting is as much a part of him as the scar upon his leg. It is now what makes Odysseus, well, Odysseus. However, as the end of the tale draws closer, he learns come over this instinct, at least to a certain extent. Not only did he follow the goddess' orders, but he restrained himself in his conflict with the suitors. The translated text states: .
At this the man of randing mind, Odysseus, cried:.
"So hard beset! An end like Agamemnon's .
might very likely have been mine, a bad end, .
bleeding to death in my own hall. You forestalled it,.
goddess, by telling me how the land lie. .
Weave me a way to pay them back. .
I'll take on fighting men three hundred strong .
if you fight at my back, immortal lady!"(XIII, 480-92).
Although ready for battle at the moment of quote, he instead returns to his hall under the disguise of an old man. At any moment he could have burst into his hall and fought the suitors within, although this would likely not have gone well. We can see this as a victory for the Son of Laertes over his own mind, and eventually the suitors. .
Through the long campaign of Troy, men died in a various assortment of ways. Arrows through the throat, bodies sliced to pieces, spears stabbed through heads, and many other forms of death were common on the battlefield. After a decade of this, Odysseus is immune to the shock, making it quite easy for him to go overboard. After killing all of the suitors, Homer translates the great tactitioner as a ferocious beast, saying, .
