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What gift does Aeolus give Odysseus?
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Odyssey: A Reader’s Guide to Homer’s Epic
Engraving of Homer by Hieronymus Wierix, 16th century; in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
In Homer's Odyssey, the wind god Aeolus assists Odysseus by providing him with a favorable wind to aid his journey home. Additionally, Aeolus gives him a bag in which all the unfavorable winds are securely confined.1
Tragically, this gift fails to bring Odysseus home because his companions, suspecting the bag contains treasure, open it while he is asleep. The trapped winds escape, creating a storm that drives the fleet far off course.1