The Odyssey: A Discussion of the Final Volume, Book XXIVHomer's epic, The Odyssey is the classic story of return to the country of the warrior and king Odysseus. It is one of the most enduring works of literature known to man. The lessons and stories of the epic are unforgettable. However, the contemporary reader encounters several difficulties with The Odyssey. These include issues such as difficult language, tangential stories, and the verse style in which they were written. However, this article focuses on the final volume of the epic. This volume, Book XXIV, is generally considered rather anticlimactic. Many believe that it is simply an epilogue (the epic actually ends in Book XXII, when Odysseus killed the suitors.) Some scholars believe that the final book is not even Homeric. This essay will explain why Book XXIV is a good conclusion and how it relates to the rest of the story, which would prove it to be Homeric. In Book XXIV, entitled "Warriors, Farewell", Homer does not seem to want to have a big ending, but rather carefully summarizes all the details. There are three main parts to this book, they include: the journey of the suitors' shadows to Hades and the dialogue between Agamemnon and Amphimedon; the story of Odysseus and Telemakhos visiting Odysseus' father Laertes; and the beginning of the feud between the families of the suitors and the house of Odysseus and Laertes (which could have torn the land of Ithaca apart) which was stopped by Zeus and Athena. Homer begins Book XXIV in Hades as Agamemnon and Akhilleus greet. the shadows of the suitors that Odysseus killed in Book XXII. One of the shadows tells Agamemnon how faithful Penelope was and how Odysseus returned for revenge. Agamemnon, who, on his return after the Trojan War, was killed by his adulterous wife, was surprised by this story. This is perfectly consistent with Agamemnon's earlier portrayal in Hades (Book XI) in which he tells Odysseus to be wary of Penelope because she may have been unfaithful. This meeting between Agamemnon and the shadows of the suitors takes on its full meaning since the story of Agamemnon is often mentioned during the epic. This is how the story of Agamemnon ends. The introduction of the nuances of the suitors also serves to once again reinforce the theme of hospitality..