Returns

The Returns; one of the fragmentary remains of the Epic Cycle which described the return of the Greek heroes after the sack of the city of Troy.

We have none of the actual poems from the Returns, which are attributed to Agias of Troezen, but instead we have a very brief description of the original five books; we can assume from the existing fragments that the temple of Athene (Athena) at Troy was either destroyed or defiled because Athene caused a quarrel between the leader of the Greek army, Agamemnon, and his brother, Menelaos (Menelaus); Agamemnon stayed at Troy to appease Athene but Menelaos and his wife, Helen, sailed unsuccessfully for home and lost all but five of their ships before they were finally stranded in Egypt.

Another interesting statement from the Returns concerns Iason’s (Jason’s) wife, Medea, and his father Aeson; Medea is said to have bewitched Aeson and turned him into a young man.

One confusing statement from the Returns concerns Herakles (Heracles): he was said to have been attacking the city of Themiskyra; this is confusing because Herakles was supposed to have died before the siege of Troy which would be ten years before the Returns took place.

The Returns also informs us that Odysseus’ son, Telemakhos (Telemachus), married the nymph, Kirke (Circe), and Kirke’s son, Telegonos, married Odysseus’ wife, Penelope.

For the complete translations of the Epic Cycle I recommend the Loeb Classical Library volume 57, ISBN 0674990633; you can sometimes find this book at the library or you can order it from the Book Shop on this site which is linked to Amazon.com.