Odyssey books 11-15

Odysseus learns a lot when he descends in hades.  He finds out his future and his fate from talking to Tiresias.  He then speaks with his late mother Anticeila.  She explains to him how she died waiting for his return and the state Ithaca is in now that he is no longer there.  He meets famous heroes and gets to hear their stories of heroism and how they died and what they're known for.  This is a great learning experience for Odysseus and I believe its a very important part of the book.  Without his descending into hades, he would never have seen his mother again, nor would he know what his future truly holds.