Book Seven: Phaeacia's Halls and Gardens

Odysseus leaves Athena's grove to try and find Alcinous' palace. Athena shouds him in a mist, so he is unable to be seen  by the less refined folks of Phaeacia. Athena disguises herself as a young girl, and leads Odysseus to the palace, when he is still enshrouded in mist. Odysseus is struck by the beauty and lusciousness of the court, and when he enters, he begs Arete for some way home. Alcinous is shocked, but the oldest lord reminds him to be a good host to Odysseus. After feasting, Odysseus tells of his arrival at Calypso's and journey to Phaeacia. Alcinous and Odysseus agree that Odysseus is to use a ship and crew to return home swiftly. In this chapter, Athena does a lot of small things to assist Odysseus when it comes to leading him to the palace to shrouding him in a concealing mist. Also, the fact that Alcinous and Arete take Odysseus' word about his arrival and what he is doing with a ship seemed odd, since that would not happen nowadays.