the odyssey 1-12
What happened to the ships of Odysseus?
All but Odysseus' own are destroyed by the Laestrygonians who throw boulders at them and sink them
What starts off Book 1?
An epic question which is an invocation to the muse to tell the story of Odysseus
When Odysseus is insulted by Broadsea in Book 11, what does he acuse Odysseus of being?
Broadsea accuses Odysseus of being a man concerned only with profits and not with being an athlete
Why does Odysseus get annoyed while watching the games in Phaeacia in Book 7?
Broadsea and Laodamas mock him about his athletic skills
When Athena asks Zeus to let Odysseus return home because he is a good man, how does Zeus react?
He agrees with Athena
How does Telemachus change in Book 1?
He becomes more assertive, referring to himself as the man of the house
How does the Cyclops react to Odysseus and his men being in his cave?
He gets angry and eats two of his men
In Book 11, whom does Odysseus approach for help when he enters the Phaeacian palace?
He grasps the knees of Arete
Why had Odysseus not yet returned home from the Trojan War?
He had angered the god Poseidon by blinding his Cyclops son. The god has palced obstacles in his way so he has been unable to return home
What are the victims Odysseus uses to sacrafice in the House of Death?
animals
In Book 7, how does Athena help Odysseus during his time in Phaeacia?
by putting a mist around Odysseus so that he can walk through town without being noticed, and she disguises herself as a young girl and guiding Odysseus into town
What natural phenomenon is controlled by Aeolus?
he controlled the winds
In Book 7, why does Odysseus sit in ashes when he is asking for Alcinous' help?
he is very humble, lowering himself, begging for help even though he is a king himself
How does Telemachus treat Athena when she comes to Ithaca?
he shows her hospitality, according to the culture of Greeks
What is Athena's most distinguishing charasteristic?
her eyes
In Book 3, what does Nestor compliment Telemachus on?
his way with words
In Book 5, when Odysseus finally makes it to the shore after he swims from Poseidon's storm where does he sleep?
in a bed of dead leaves amongst bushy olive trees
What is the land of the Cyclops like?
it is cultivated, farm land
What do the gods say Odysseus' journey will be like?
it will be "wrung with pains"
Does King Nestor know that Odysseus is alive?
no
In Book 4, what are King Menelaus and his kinsmen busy doing when Telemachus shows up?
preparing a double wedding feast
Who is Arete?
queen of Phaeacia, wife of Alcinous, mother of Nausicaa
How does Athena first present herself to Telemachus?
she comes to his home disguised as Mentes, an old friend of his fathers
What is Calyspo first described doing in Book 5?
singing and working on a loom
What entertainment do the Phaeacians find at Alcinous' feast in Book 7?
singing, dancing, and Olympic games
Who is Proteus?
the Old Man of the Sea who sleeps among the seals
Who is Echeneus?
the eldest lord in Phaeacia
What stories does Demodocus sing about at Alcinous' feast for Odysseus in Book 7?
the story of Odysseus and Achilles at the Trojan War and the story of Hephaetus, Aphrodite, and Ares.
In Book 3, what two things does Telemachus ask King Nestor?
the whereabouts of his father and how Aegisthus killed Agamemnon
Describe the Laestrygonians
they are giants and cannibals
In Book 4, what plot are the suitors devising?
they are going to ambush Telemachus' ship on his way home and kill him
In Book 3, what is King Nestor's warning to Telemachus?
to not stay away from home too long
In Book 7, what directions does Alcinous give to his people to show Odysseus hospitality?
to prepare him a ship and a feast
What tempting offer does King Alcinous make to Odysseus at the end of Book 7?
to wed his daughter, live comfortable, great house, riches
What does Odysseus seek from the Phaecians?
transportation back to Ithaca
What does Odysseus promise to do upon his return to Ithaca?
• Odysseus promises to slaughter a barren heifer in his halls, load a pyre with treasure, and offer a sleek black ram to Tiresias upon his return to Ithaca
Who is Nausicaa?
Daughter of Alcinous, beautiful young girl, virgin
Who has "rose-red fingers"?
Dawn
What is Odysseus' plan to escape the Cyclops' cave?
He makes a stake, gets the Cyclops drunk and then stabs him in the eye.
Why must Odysseus visit the House of Death?
He must consult with th eblind prophet Tiresias, who will tell Odysseus all he needs to know about getting home to Ithaca
How does Odysseus insult Broadsea in Book 7?
He says he has good looks but no brains
In Book 2, what sign does Zeus send to Telemachus' assembly? What is itsmeaning?
He sends a pair of eagles who drop on the heads of the crowd. A man who is skilled in reading bird flight says that its a sign that means Odysseus will return and when he does he will kill the suitors
What does Odysseus' pride cause him to do at the end of Book 9 that endangers him and his men? What does the Cyclops do?
He taunts the Cyclops and mocks him, the Cyclops throws boulders at their ship and yet he still mocks him after
With Athena's help, what athlete feat does Odysseus accomplish?
He throws the discus the farthest
What did Hephaestus do to catch Aphrodite and Ares commiting adultery?
He traps them naked in bed with a net, and calls all the gods to see them and laugh at them
In Book 2, why does Telemachus call the men to assembly?
He wants to publicly address the problem of the suitors
In Book 4, who recognizes the similarities between Odysseus and Telemachus?
Helen and Menelaus
What god helps Odysseus outwit Circe?:
Hermes does
In Book 5, what god brings a message from Zeus to Calyspo?
Hermes, the giant-killer
Why do you think Homer interupts the narrative to have Demodocus sing about the love affair of Ares and Aphrodite?
Homer wants to remind the readers not to commit immortal actions
Who is Pisistratus?
King Nestor's son who will accompany Telemachus on his journey
In Book 3, what are the people doing when Telemachus arrives in Pylos?
Making a sacrafice to Poseidon
What does Alcinous offer to Odysseus to try to get him to stay with the Phaeacians?
Marriage with his beautiful daughter Nausicaa
In Book 6, who discovers Odysseus on the shore in Scheria?
Nausicaa
Who does Athena tell Telemachus to seek out for info about his father?
Nestor in Pylos & Menelaus in Sparta
In Book 5, does Calypso decide to give Odysseus his freedom?
No, but she has to because Zeus says so
What does Odysseus tell the Cyclops his name is?
Nobody
What one piece of information does Athena give Telemachus in Book 1?
She tells him that his father isn't dead, but someone on the seas. She says he is trying to get home
How has Penelope tricked the suitors for the past 4 years?
She tells them she has to finish a blanket, then she will pick someone to marry. But she weaves during the day and unweaves it at night
Who is Telemachus?
Son of Odysseus and Penelope
Who is Eurycleia?
Telemachus' nurse whom he tells his plans too, she bursts into tears protesting his journey because she thinks Odysseus is dead and his plan wont work
In Book 9, who is the first group of people Odysseus and his crew meet after leaving Troy?
The Cicones
Who is Demodocus?
A blind, gifted singer of the Phaeacians
What game does Odysseus say the Phaeacians would most likely beat him in? Why?
Running, because his legs are worn out from swimming for a long time
In Book 11, why is Ajax so angry?
Ajax is upset because Odysseus didn't pick his weapons to use in the Trojan War
Why does Odysseus reveal his name to the Cyclops when they're escaping on the ship?
Bc he wants the cyclops to know who defeated him because he is a proud, brave man
In Book 10, when Odysseus and his men come in sight of Ithaca, why don't they reach the shores?
Because Odysseus' crew are stupid and think the bag that Aeolus gave Odysseus is treausre so they want it and open it and winds send them all the way back to the Aeolian island
Why does Echeneus have to remind Alcinous of his hospitality towards Odysseus?
Because Phaeacia does not get many strangers because it is so isolated, so he forgets how to act
What are the five contests in Phaeacia in Book 7?
Discus, Boxing, Wrestling, Jumping, Running
In Book 11, what does drinking the blood empower the ghosts to do?
Drinking the blood gives ghosts the power to speak to the living
Who is Odysseus?
Epic hero, husband of Penelope, father of Telemachus, king of Ithaca and surrounding islands
Who is Mentor?
Odysseus' friend whom he left his household to, Odysseus told everyone to obey him and that he will keep everything in order
Who is Alcinous?
Ruler of Scheria, helps Odysseus
In Book 5, what happens to Odysseus just as he sights the shores of Scheria after he leaves Calypso's island?
Poseidon sends a huge storm towards him that destroys his raft
How does Odysseus and his men actually leave the Cyclops' cave?
They latch themselves to the Cyclops sheep and are let out when the Cyclops let out his sheep in the morning
What happened when Odysseus and his men travel to the land of the Cicones?
They try to eat Odysseus and his men
What are the suitors doing in Odysseus' house?
Waiting for Penelope to pick one of them to marry. While they're waiting they are eating all the food and drinking everything in the house
What do we learn about the women in the House of Death in Book 11?
We learn about their affairs
In Book 11, what do we learn about Elpenor's body? What does Elpenor ask of Odysseus when they encounter each other in the House of Death?
We learn that Elpenor's body that the crew left his body at Circe's unburied and he wants them to go back and give him a proper burial by cremation with all of his armor on so he is buried with honor
In Book 4, What story does Helen tell? What does Menelaus point out?
When Odysseus disguised himself as a beggar during the Trojan War, Menelaus points out Odysseus' patience and self-control
Odysseus and his men encounter the Lotus-Eaters in Book 9, what happens if you eat their food?
You want to stay with them forever, and you forget about everything but them
Who is Penelope?
Wife of Odysseus, mother of Telemachus, queen of Ithaca
