odyssey
6. How long did the Trojan War last?
10 years
7. How many years has Odysseus spent trying to return home?
10 years
4. Where is Odysseus, the "contender," trying to go?
Back to his home of Ithica
Which of the two, Scylla or Charbydis, was the lesser of two evils? Why?
Charybdis was the lesser of the two evils because it caused less death. While the whirlpool was menacing, none of the men died. But Scylla took 6 of the men at once, and none of them were seen again.
24. What was the cyclops response when Odysseus told him of their ship wreck?
He ate two of Odysseus's men.
28.How does Polyphemos hope to avenge his injury from Odysseus?
He curses him and prays to Poseidon to make sure he does not return home any time soon and faces many obstacles on the way.
20. What danger did Odysseus and his men encounter when they landed on the Lotus Eater's island?
He found the lotus eaters, which convinced his men to try the lotus flowers. This caused them to want to stay instead of continuing the journey, since they temporarily lost all their memories and their will to go back home. To keep them, he had to strap his men to the ship and force them to come.
25. What plan did Odysseus contrive to divert Polyphemos?
He gave the cyclops liquor, which caused him to fall asleep.
30. Why must Odysseus journey to Hades, the land of the dead?
He has to go to Hades due to what Circe told him. Circe told him to find Tiresias, who was a prophet that could tell him the dangers that lie ahead, and what he must do to stop it.
23. Describe the cyclops Polyphemos.
He is a large creature who had one eye instead of two. He was also a brute who was not hospitable and was a danger to Odysseus and his men.
10. Who is Hermes and what is his mission?
He is the messenger of the gods who tries to get Odysseus to return home.
14. What tragedy strikes Odysseus at sea?
He loses all his men and his ship.
12. How does Odysseus regard his wife Penelope?
He loves her dearly and wants to return to her.
How did Odysseus keep himself and his men safe when going past the Sirens?
He made his men put beeswax into their ears, and he tied himself up which did not let him jump to his death.
19. Summarize what happened at Odysseus first stop, Ismaros, land of the Cicones, on his journey home.
He stormed the Island and took plunder from the city. Then, they fought back, and he lost a lot of men.
32. What advice does Tiresias give Odysseus regarding the island of Thrinakia?
He tells him to not eat the cattle of Helios.
34.What advice does Circe give Odysseus when he returns from the underworld?
He tells him what dangers he will face and how to avoid them. This includes the Sirens, Scylla, Charybdis, and the cattle of Helios.
22. How did Odysseus solve the problem of the lotus eaters?
He took the men forcefully back to the ship and tied them down so they could not go back.
What threat did Helios make in response to the death of his cattle?
He wants the men to pay for their actions, or he will not light up the earth anymore. Instead, he would go down to the underworld and shine the sun over there.
Of what consequence does Odysseus warn his men about on island of thrinakia?
He warns to not touch the cattle, because they will pay dearly if they do.
15. How is Odysseus received on the island of Scheria, home of King Alcinous?
He was received well and was asked to share his stories. He also receives a ship from the king.
9. Who is narrating the story?
It changes, but mostly Odysseus
16. Describe Ithaca.
Ithica is Odysseus's home, and it is a rocky island.
26. What is ironic about the use of the name "Nohbody" by Odysseus?
Nohbody is ironic because it is the opposite of what Odysseus is. Odysseus is a very famous man, and at the start of the poem it even says, "this fame has gone above the sky's rim." That shows that Odysseus is well known, and not a nobody. It is also a clever trick that Odysseus came up with. He decided to do this so if Polyphemus tries to tell other cyclopes about it, they will hear that nobody hurt him.
Who survives the punishment of shooting lightning at the ship?
Odyesseus
27. After blinding the cyclops, how do Odysseus and his men escape the cave?story of his adventures?
Odysseus and his men hide under the rams, which are somehow large enough to hold them. They then are let outside by polyphemus, and they untie themselves and return to the ship.
29.How heroic are Odysseus' acts in the part with the cyclops? In what ways does his help or endanger his men? What customs of Greek society are observed in this story?
Odysseus does many things in this episode which are both heroic and reckless. He helps his men by making a clever plan to escape, which does succeed. If he did not make this plan, they all would have died either to Polyphemus or in the cave. But he does endanger his men at the end, when he lets his pride take over. He tells Polyphemus exactly who he is, and with this he was able to pray to Poseidon for Odysseus's downfall. This led him to be cursed and ensured that all his men would die in the journey. It also shows many customs about Greek society. Greek society puts a huge emphasis on hospitality, which is why they despise Polyphemus so much. He was the opposite of hospitable and ate his men. That is why Odysseus was so mad, and let his pride take over to taunt the cyclops.
17. From his self introduction, how do you think Odysseus views himself?
Odysseus sees himself as better than everyone and is very prideful. He also cares for his men and is very brave.
31.How does Odysseus summon the spirit of Tiresias?
Odysseus summoned the spirit of Tiresias by presenting him gifts. This included sweet milk, honey, wine, and water.
18. What line signals Odysseus' flashback to the past, where he begins telling the
On line 18, Odysseus says, "I am Laertes son, Odysseus" and then he starts talking about his past adventures
2. What is a muse?
One of the 9 goddesses who are important to the arts and sciences
11. Of whom is Calypso seemingly jealous?
Penelope since Odysseus is in love with her.
5. Which god is plotting against Odysseus?
Poseidon
Describe Scylla and Charybdis.
Scylla is a huge creature with 6 heads. Charydbis is a giant whirpool that sucks in and pushes out water.
8. Who is Calypso and what is her relationship to Odysseus?
Sea goddess/nymph who is in love with Odysseus
13. How does Calypso assist Odysseus on his journey home?
She builds him a raft.
When and why did Odysseus' men decide to kill the cattle?
The men decide to kill the cattle once they run out of food, because they think that starvation is the worst way to die.
35.Describe the Sirens. What danger do they pose?
The sirens are creatures that have the body of a bird and the head of a beautiful woman. They use their voice to lure sailors to their deaths, by making them jump off their ships.
33. If Odysseus doesn't follow Tiresias advice at Thrinakia, what does the spirit foretell?
The spirit foretells that his crew and ships will be destroyed.
Who owns the cattle on the island of Thrinakia?
The sun god Helios.
3. What happened in Troy?
The trojan war
Who punished Odysseus' men? How?
Zeus punished them by throwing a lightning bolt at the ship. This destroyed the ship and caused the men to be swung off to their deaths.
1. Who is speaking in this opening scene?
homer
a21. What did the lotus eaters people eat
lotus flowers
