回家之路可谓是一波三折，心系家乡的Odysseus抵达自己的故土时，却似乎无法肯定，仍需再三确认。
第一次，终于踏上自己的土地，但是一切都已是物是人非，已不是他当初所离开的模样，面对此情此景，无奈感叹道：
Man of misery, whose land have I lit on now?
What are they here—violent, savage, lawless?
or friendly to strangers, god-fearing men?
第二次，当Athena以年轻人的模样出现在Odysseus前，无人问津的Odysseus突然看见他的到来，就向他询问：
And tell me this for a fact—I need to know—
where on earth am I? what land? who lives here?
Is it one of the sunny islands or some jutting shore
of the good green mainland slanting down to sea?
第三次，Athena道明来意时，要帮助Odysseus能够成功夺回自己的一切，他还是不能确信自己是真的回到家中，便再次问道：
Tell me the truth now,
have I really reached the land I love?”
待Odysseus终于明白自己是真正抵达自己的故乡时，Athena便为他谋划。
首先，他将他的财宝埋在了山洞隐蔽之处，以保存自己的财富。
Come,quick, let’s bury your treasures here
in some recess of this haunted hallowed cave
where they’ll be safe and sound,
then we’ll make plans so we can win the day.
其次，考虑该如何手刃这些据点在Odysseus家中的无耻追求者。
think how to lay your hands on all those brazen suitors,
lording it over your house now, three whole years,
courting your noble wife, offering gifts to win her.
而且，Athena指出Odysseus的妻子对于Odysseus本人的回来早已是绝望了，此刻的她已是勾起每个追求者的希望，其摇摆不定的心，给以每个追求者暗示。
But she,forever broken-hearted for your return,
builds up each man’s hopes—
dangling promises, dropping hints to each—
but all the while with something else in mind.
这样的举动，让Odysseus不禁想起了Agamemnon的遭遇，恐自己也遭此横祸。所以，他就遵照Athena的指示，共同谋划自己“回家”之路。而且，Athena也有此感受，最终Odysseus会手刃这些无耻之徒。
I have a feeling some will splatter your ample floors
with all their blood and brains.
那么具体怎么做呢？
First I will transform you—no one must know you.
I will shrivel the supple skin on your lithe limbs,
strip the russet curls from your head and deck you out
in rags you’d hate to see some other mortal wear;
I’ll dim the fire in your eyes, so shining once—
until you seem appalling to all those suitors,
even your wife and son you left behind at home.
第一步，就是将Odysseus变成一个无名之人，进行“改头换面”，变得众人皆不识，包括他的妻子和儿子。
But you,you make your way to the swineherd first,
in chargeof your pigs, and true to you as always,
loyal friend to your son, to Penelope, so self-possessed.
You’ll find him posted beside his swine, grubbing round
by Raven’s Rock and the spring called Arethusa,
rooting for feed that makes pigs sleek and fat.
第二步，去养猪人那，坐在那里，等候他，那么他就会告诉Odysseus所知道的一切。
而Odysseus的儿子Telemachus之前按照Athena的指示来到斯巴达寻找他父亲的消息，Athena现在则要Telemachus回家。
I’m off to Sparta, where the women are a wonder,
to call Telemachus home, your own dear son, Odysseus.
既然计划已经拟好，两人就各自出发，共同谋划着Odysseus“回家”之计。
正如Athena所说的
Anyone else, come back from wandering long and hard,
would have hurried home at once, delighted to see
his children and his wife.
要是常人，离家近二十载，踏上自己的故土怎么会不急切地回家呢？而我们的英雄Odysseus，他就不是常人，回家之前他在打探他的孩子和妻子的消息，他为人小心翼翼，一改往日的英雄形象，尽量设法去伪装保护自己，这也许是出于历经多年漂泊之路后，本能地去保护自己吧。
