When the bright star that heralds dawn began to show, the ship drew near land. In Ithaca there is a harbor of the old merman Phorcys, between two headlands that shut it from wind and wave, so a ship may lie inside without even a mooring.
At the head stands a large olive tree, and nearby a cave sacred to the Naiad nymphs, with stone mixing-bowls and wine-jars where bees hive, and looms of stone on which the nymphs weave sea-purple robes. It has two entrances: one facing north for mortals, one from the south that belongs to the gods.
Into this harbor they brought their ship, for they knew the place. She ran half her length onto the shore. They lifted Odysseus, still asleep on his rug and sheet, and laid him on the sand. Then they set out the gifts Athena had persuaded the Phaeacians to give him, by the root of the olive, clear of the road. Then they sailed for home.
But Poseidon did not forget his threats against Odysseus. He took counsel with Zeus: “Father Zeus, I will no longer be held in respect among you gods if mortals like the Phaeacians, who are my own flesh and blood, show me so little regard.
“I said I would let Odysseus get home when he had suffered enough — I knew you had nodded to that — but I meant him to suffer plenty on the way. And now these men have brought him sleeping over the sea to Ithaca, with bronze and gold and woven clothes more than he would ever have won from Troy if he had come home unharmed.”
Zeus answered: “Lord of the Earthquake, what are you saying? The gods are not short of respect for you. As for mortals: if any treats you with insolence, deal with him as you think fit.”
Poseidon said: “I would have done so at once if I were not anxious to avoid displeasing you. Now I want to wreck the Phaeacian ship as it returns from its escort, to stop them escorting people in future — and bury their city under a huge mountain.”
“My friend,” Zeus answered, “at the moment when the people from the city are watching the ship, turn her into a rock near the land, looking like a ship. That will astonish everyone. Then bury their city under the mountain if you wish.”
When earth-encircling Poseidon heard this, he went to Scheria and waited until the ship had got close in. Then he turned her to stone and drove her down with the flat of his hand so she rooted in the ground. After that he went away.
The Phaeacians began talking: “Who can have rooted the ship in the sea just as she was getting into port?” Alcinous said: “I remember my father’s prophecy. He said Poseidon would wreck a ship returning from escort, and bury our city under a mountain. Now it is coming true. So stop giving escorts, and sacrifice twelve choice bulls to Poseidon, and pray that he may take pity.” So the chiefs prayed round his altar.