The nymph Calypso, obeying Zeus's command, allows Odysseus - after keeping him on her island for seven years - to return to Ithaca. The journey is not painless: Odysseus is shipwrecked and, after incredible hardships, arrives at the hospitable island of the Phaeacians. There, he is cared for by Nausicaa, the daughter of King Alcinous, who promises to help him return to his homeland.