Did Odysseus Cheat on Penelope in Homer's The Odyssey? (Spoilers: No)
I'll start with Calypso, because that is the more cut and dry one. She hold's him prisoner on her island for 7 years (no, she is not trapped there against her will, that is a creation by Rick Riordan - we have no ancient sources (to my - admittedly limited - knowledge) that claim that she is unable to leave herself, just that she does not leave), and repeatedly rapes him. That is not up for debate, the text makes it very clear that Odysseus is an unwilling participant in any sexual acts they engage in. "In the nights, true, he'd sleep with her in the arching cave - he had no choice - unwilling lover alongside lover all too willing..." (Fagles 5.171-72).
I don't know how much more clearly it could be stated that Odysseus did NOT want to sleep with Calypso. And to address the line before that one "...since the nymph no longer pleased." That line can be interpreted in many ways, but, with the following context being Calypso forcing herself on Odysseus, I personally view it as him no longer being able to even tolerate her presence, thus him sobbing day in day out on the headland. I have also seen the interpretation that the line is meant to be Calypso's POV of Odysseus' behavior, which I think is an interesting, and equally plausible interpretation of that line. What I am saying is that, while yes, in isolation that line could imply that Odysseus at some point liked, or even loved Calypso, it in context with the rest of what is told to us both by the narrator of the poem, and by Odysseus himself, seem to imply instead that this line is more meant to mean that at one point he might have be able to tolerate her presence, but now, after enduring 7 years with her, is unable to do so. In book seven, Odysseus refers to her as a "danger" and claims that despite her attempts she "never won the heart inside [him]" both lines implying that there was never a point in time where he viewed her or her advances of him favorably, even if he has to be careful with his word choice when talking about her, do to her being a minor goddess.
As for Circe, that one is a bit more complicated. Hermes shows up to Odysseus as he is on his way to attempt to rescue his men from Circe, who turned them into pigs. Hermes gives him moly, and then instructs him to lunge at her with his sword drawn after her spell fails to take hold. This will startle her, and she will then ask to take him to bed, in which Odysseus is to agree, but not before making her swear that she will not harm him or his men further. So, Odysseus technically has a choice. He can follow Hermes' plan, or he can let his men remain pigs - leave them in the hands of Circe to live out the rest of their lives as animals. (It is also worth noting that these are instructions given to him by a god, not following them would no doubt be deeply unwise). So, seeing as Odysseus' reasoning for approaching Circe at all was an attempt to get his men back, he goes through with the plan. But he is not happy about it. "Now, Hermes went on his way to the steep heights of Olympus, over the island's woods while I, just approaching the halls of Circe, my heart heaving a storm at every step, paused at the doors..." (Fagles 10.342-45).
I don't know about y'all, but that does not sound like a man excited that he gets to sleep with a nymph/minor goddess. The opposite in fact. The turn of phrase "my heart heaving a storm" in particular gives insight into the mindset that Odysseus in approaching this with. Fear and apprehension. He is going through with this plan to save his men, there is no joy in the act, no deep longing to sleep with her, only a desire to return his men to there rightful forms so they may continue on their journey home. In short, this is a emotionless exchange at best, and coercion at worst, neither being a good basis for consent. His headspace is similar after they make love, too. "She pressed me to eat. I had no taste for food. I just sat there, mind wandering, far away... lost in grim forebodings" (Fagles 10.413-15).
Again, those are not the thoughts of a man riding the high of sleeping with an immortal goddess/nymph. Hell, I would even argue that those lines could imply that Odysseus is actively disassociating while telling this part. The shorter, more clipped nature of his speech (as he is the narrator of this part of the epic) in comparison to the sentences prior which were much longer and more (for lack of a better word) flowery in nature. That is gone in this part. Now, this could just be a translation decision on Fagles' part, but I still find the change in sentence structure interesting and worth pointing out regardless.
Now, as for why Odysseus and his men stay for a year after Circe rights her wrong and transforms his men back. For one, she asks them to stay a while. "'Royal son of Laertes, Odysseus, tried and true, go at once to your ship at the water's edge, haul her straight up on the shore first and stow your cargo and running gear in caves, then back you come and bring your trusty crew'" (Fagles 10.401-5) Her asking them to drag the ship fully ashore implies that she wishes them to stay for a decent stretch of time. Now yes, Odysseus could decline, but it is important again to remember that Circe is a goddess, a wielder of magic, and that denying her could potentially bring them more trouble, even if she did swear to cause them no more harm. It is also worth noting that these men had been at war for 10 years, and on ships trying to get home for a few months minimum at this point. They are *tired*. The prospect of getting to stay on an island paradise to rest and recover would have no doubt been incredibly enticing. In Fitzgerald's translation, it is also implied that Circe's magic in part bewitches the men to want to stay as long as they do, Odysseus in particular. It is also never stated that Circe and Odysseus sleep together again after the initial time. It is also never stated that they *don't* but again, it would be a hard interpretation to argue for, seeing as there is hardly any proof for either.
When they do leave Circe, Odysseus supplicates himself before Circe to beg them to leave. Which again, despite the fact that they stay for a year, does not paint the picture of a man who feels that he is free to leave whenever he likes. He was not trapped as he was at Calypso, but I would argue that he at the very least felt compelled to stay for as long as he did. Whether it be the result of magic, the desire to gain an ally in Circe after she restored xenia, whether he wanted to give his men chance to rest and rebuild their strength. Whatever the case, I do think that there is enough in the text to point to him staying for so long being more than he found Circe hot and simply wanted to sleep with her more.
(And before I get "but in the Telegony-" I am not talking about the Telegony, I am explicitly talking about Homer's The Odyssey. The Telegony was written by a different poet years after the Odyssey. It is not necessarily "canon" to it in that way. It's not fanfiction, like I have seen some people claim, but rather a different variation of events that take place after the original myth ends. It is not the definitive continuation of these characters stories, simply one poet's (or group of poets) version of it. You can take it or leave it.)
