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Athena, the daughter of Zeus, seeing Odysseus struggling through the waves, pitied him, and bade the winds become quiet. Two days and two nights Odysseus floated about, but on the third the wind calmed down and the sea became smooth.
In a short time he found himself near land once more. But the shore was wild and full of sharp rocks and high cliffs. He could see no place on which to set foot, and he grew downhearted. His knees gave way, and, groaning deeply, he cried out: "O, luckless one! In vain have I braved the dangers of the sea to escape death. Now all hope has abandoned me, since there is no way for me to get out of the water. I fear that when I try to approach the land the waves will throw me against the cliffs, and should I try to find a safe landing-place by swimming, the surf may carry me back into the wild sea, where some sea-monster will swallow me up. Whatever I may do, I see no help for me."
While he pondered over these things a huge wave cast him on the foamy shore. His bones were nearly broken, and he lay exhausted until the wave returned, when he was hurled again with great force back into the sea. Now the unfortunate wanderer took to swimming as his last resort, and reached the mouth of a river, where he was able to land.
Too tired to breathe or speak, he sank down in a swoon. His knees and arms trembled, and his whole body was bruised and swollen. When his senses returned he rose and untied the veil that Ino had given him and cast it back into the sea. Then he knelt down and kissed the earth, and moved to a sheltered spot where a wild and a tame olive-tree were standing close together, whose branches had mingled with one another, and there he found a safe hiding-place.
Then the godlike Odysseus lay down on a bed of dry leaves, covering himself up as one does an ember, lest it should go out. Athena came and poured sweet sleep over his eyes, that he might find quiet rest after all his toils.