shroud (combined with his distinguished appearance at his first meeting with King Alcinous and Queen Arete, which lead them to believe him a divine being), he explains his mortal origins while refraining from revealing his identity.

The Phaeacians are a seafaring people, known for their kindness toward wayward, storm-tossed travelers. But they even surpass what might be considered normal hospitality, accustomed to providing passage, food, supplies, and even parting gifts to those in need. For those who have suffered especially great travails, they may exceed even these standards. So the Homeric poet obliquely suggests (not only through the response of King Alcinous to the presence of Odysseus but also through his reliance on the advice of his aged counselor Echeneus) that the visitor's integrity and the veracity of his long, dramatic account of his adventures are subject to their judgement.

But as evinced by this passage in book 11, they are finally satisfied that they are in the presence of the man they already know as a hero of legend:

Odysseus, when we gaze at you, we certainly do not think of you as one of those liars and cheats the black earth breeds in such numbers among the ranks of humankind, men who fashion falsehoods out of things beyond experience. You have a wise and eloquent heart, and have told us your adventures and of the Argives' sad misfortunes with the skillfulness of a bard.

In TheOdyssey, the main character Odysseus suffers for ten long years while trying to get home to his beloved wife Penelope and his dear son Telemachus. After being blown off course, Odysseus and his men land at the Lotus-Eaters land. After his men become addicted to the lotus plant, Odysseus had to drag his men to the ship to try and get home. 

Next, Odysseus and his men fight the Cicone men. When the Cicone men retaliate, Odysseus loses several of his men. 

Then Odysseus and his men face the one-eyed Cyclops. Again, Odysseus loses several men to the Cyclops.

Later, Odysseus faces Circe and she turns his men into animals. Odysseus has to sleep with her and betray his wife in order for Circe to turn his men from animals.

Finally, Odysseus is kept prisoner by Calypso for seven years. Odysseus faces one difficulty after the other.   

From Sirens to Charybdis to Scylla, Odysseus is faced with unimaginable obstacles. His story is almost too much to believe. 

When Odysseus washes up on the Phaeacians land, the Phaeacians are enthralled in meeting the great hero Odysseus. Because the Phaeacians are so in awe of Odysseus, they are apt to believe any story that Odysseus would tell them.

Odysseus does tell his story and weeps as he recalls all the dangerous encounters he had just faced. No doubt, Odysseus' story seems unreal. The fact that Odysseus is weeping and being overly dramatic could call into question the truthfulness of his story. The Phaeacians idolize Odysseus. He has a reputation of greatness in their eyes. No doubt, Odysseus does not want to let them down. This fact could call into question the truthfulness of his story. Odysseus has to live up to the Phaeacians honorable view of Odysseus being such a brave hero. The Phaeacians are fascinated by Odysseus' tale of his difficult journey home. No doubt, Odysseus could have stretched the truth. No doubt, Scylla is a six-headed monster that could have been invented by Odysseus' creative imagination. Only Odysseus knows the truth for he alone survived.