Odyssey test review

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What happens to the disloyal serving women?

They had to help clean up the bodies but were then killed by swards

What does Athena counsel Telemachus to do to the suitors?

To find away to get back in control because the suitors are taking advantage of him and Penelope

Why does Odysseus lead his men into Polyphemus' cave?

To get information

What is Zeus' command to Calypso?

To let Odysseus go

Why does Laertes wear rags and not bathe?

To not show his identity???????????

Why does Athena want Odysseus to beg from the suitors?

To test the suitors- "so we can tell the innocent from the guilty."

How does Odysseus finally convince Penelope that he IS Odysseus?

By telling her about the bed he made that no one knows about

Why does Odysseus visit the house of Hades?

Circe makes him, so he can consult the ghost of Tiresias

When Odysseus awakens, what is his plan for the day?

Have Penelope stay and home and go and talk to his dad

What happens to Odysseus at the end of Book V?

He finally makes it to shore and sleeps in the woods

Why had Odysseus not yet returned from the Trojan War?

He had gotten lost along the way on his journey and also had been captured

What words are used to describe the suitors?

a. Mob

What are Scylla and Charybdis?

a. Monsters

Which men does Odysseus spare for the slaughter? (Include name and job)

a. Phemius-bard

In the ORAL EPIC, there is much REPETITION. List some lines/phrases that have been repeatedly used by the poet?

a. When dawn with her rose-read fingers shown again

epithet

an adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned

hero's quest

an archetype in which a character follows steps in order to accomplish a task or transform into a better person

ethos

appeal to credibility

pathos

appeal to emotion

logos

appeal to logic

What kind of creature does Odysseus encounter in the next land?

cyclops

hubris

exaggerated arrogance

How does Aeolus show goodwill when Odysseus is about to leave?

given them a sack with winds in it

Where does Odysseus go next? In book XXIV

his dad's (Laertes)

epic hero

main character who is heroically larger then life with superhuman strength and the source of the legend

What does Athena do when the families of the dead suitors attack Odysseus?

make them forget about the killing of the suitors

What does Penelope do that makes Odysseus happy?

she tricks the suitors by telling them that Odysseus told Penelope to marry another person when Telemachus started to grow a beard

Using a dictionary, define "portent".

something that foreshadows

rhetoric

the language we use to persuade

vehicle

the object whose attributes are borrowed in a simlie or metaphor

tenor

the subject to which the attributes are ascribed in a simlie or metaphor

invocation of the muse

the summoning of a deity or the supernatural/muse

Why, at first, does Penelope not believe that Odysseus is who he says he is?

thinks it may be a "fraud" so the person can become king

bard

tribal poet singer skilled in composing and reciting verses on heroes

What natural phenomenon does Aeolus control?

winds

What reward does the still-disguised Odysseus give Amphinomus for helping him?

wine

metis

wisdom and strategic skills

Tantalus

Committed crimes against the gods, he was compelled to suffer everlasting torment: the fuit and water that hovered near his lips would always somehow slip beyond his reach when he tried to satisfy his eternal thirst and hunger.

Ino

Daughter of Cadmus and HArmonia. Zeus saved her when she was near death-because she had, as a girl, protected Dionysus from Hera's wrath - and then transformed her into a sea-goddess, known thereafter as Leucothea.

Penelope

Daughter of Icarius and the naiad Periboea, faithful and devoted wife of Odysseus, mother of Telemachus.

Helen

Daughter of Zeus and Leda. She was the beautiful wife of Menelaus whose abduction by Paris was the cause of the Trojan War.

How has Telemachus changed since the beginning of Book I, and how does Penelope react?

He has gained more confidence because Athena talked to him and willing to fight against the suitors; Penelope was "astonished" that he was more mature?????

Why does Theoclymenus call ("wail") out?

He is mad that Cresippus threw a horse shoe at Odysseus

What punishment is Sisyphus enduring?

He is trying to get a bolder to stay on top of a hill but it just keeps rolling down

What action does Odysseus take now? In book XIX

He makes a plan for how to kill the suitors

Why does Odysseus not let his mother come near the blood?

He wanted to question Tiresias first ?????

Telemachus

He was just an infant when his father left home to fight the Trojan War. Spends books 1-4 searching for his father or word of his fathers fate.

Odysseus is insulted by Broadsea. What does he accuse Odysseus of being? Why?

He was not very athletic so he feels intimidated by Odysseus; doesn't want to lose to Odysseus in the Olympic Games???

37. Odysseus asks Aeolus for further help. What is his reply?

He will not help Odysseus because he is cursed and he needs to get out of his palace

What god or goddess brings Zeus' command to Calypso?

Hermes

Who helps Odysseus outwit Circe?

Hermes

Book 24

Hermes takes the souls of the dead suitors to the land of the dead, where them meet Ajax, Agamemnon, and Achilles. Meanwhile, in Ithaca, Odysseus goes to the house of Laertes and sends in people to prepare food. He searches for his father, who is out working fields. Before revealing himself as his son, he tests his father; Odysseus pretends to be someone else and talks about 'Odysseus' to Laertes and he cries in grief. Odysseus reveals himself and the two embrace; Odysseus tells Laertes of the battle with the suitors, and that they are all taken care of. Eumaus and Telemachus have prepared the meal for the family to eat. In the meantime, Ithican townspeople have heard news of the killings and have a meeting; most believe the killings to be justified, but a good number are reallied by Antinous's father and run to get their arms and seek revenge against Odysseus. When the two parties meet in confrontation, Antinous's father is immediately killed but the voice of Athena prevents the fight from worsening, and she disguises herself as Mentor to make peace beteen the 2 parties.

Athena gives Telemachus one piece of information about his father. What is it?

His father is not dead

Book 13

His story now finished, Odysseus looks forward to leaving Scheria. The next day, Alcinous loads his gifts on board the ship to Ithaca. Odysseus sets sail as soon as the sun goes down. He sleeps the whole night, while the Phaeacian crew commands the ship. He remains asleep even when the ship lands the next morning, so the crew carries him and his gifts to shore and sets sails for home. When Poseidon spots Odysseus in Ithaca, he becomes enraged at the Phaeacians. He complains to Zeus, who allows him to punish the Phaeacians. Just as their ship is pulling into harbor at Scheria, the prophecy is fulfilled: the ship turns to stone and sinks to the bottom of the sea. The onlookers ashore immediately recognize the fulfillment of the prophecy and resolve to abandon helping wayward travelers. In Ithaca, Odysseus wakes to a country he doesn't recognize, for Athena has shrouded it in mist while she plans his next move. Athena, disguised as a shepherd, meets him and tells him that he is indeed in Ithaca. Odysseus conceals his identity from her until she reveals hers. Athena announces that it is time for Odysseus to punish the suitors. She tells him to hide out in the hut of his swineherd, Eumaeus. She tells him that Telemachus has gone in search of news of him and gives him the appearance of an old beggar.

What is the purpose of the first ten lines of the poem?

Homer is asking the muse, goddess of poetry, to inspire him and help him tell a good story

Book 23

In the morning, Eurycleia goes to Penelope, who slept through the entire battle; she tells her Odysseus has returned home, it was he who was the beggar all along, and that he has killed all the suitors.. Penelope doesn't believe her and goes to look for herself; She recognises Odyssues, but still isn't sure. She orders for their Olive wood bridal bed to be removed from their room, and Odysseus flares up in rage. He recounts all the details of the process of making the bed, and Penelope bursts into tears; She knows that this is the real Odysseus. They get reaquainted and tell eachother stories of what happened during his absense.

What occurs between Odysseus and Irus? Why?

Irus: beggar

Why does Odysseus reveal his name to Polyphemus after his escape?

It won't matter then because Polyphemus won't be able to get him; and he wants to spite Polyphemus and get him annoyed

Alcinous

King of the Phaeacians, husband of Arete, father of Nausicaa.

Hephaestus

Lame god of fire and metal-working, and master of the arts associated with it. He made many magical objects used by the gods and by mortals. In the Odyssey he is the wily husband of Aphrodite.

"Moly"

Magic herb, that can only be picked by gods. Given to Odysseus by Hermes to protect him from Circe's magical powers.

Athena tells Telemachus to seek information about his father from which men?

Melelas and King Nestor????

Laestrygonians

Monstrous cannibal giants who lived in Telepylus. They destroy all of Odysseus' fleet except his own ship and eat all of his men except his crew.

Who is Eumaeus?

Most treacherous of the suitors

Anticleia

Mother of Odysseus, wife of Laertes.

Lotus-Eaters

Mysterious people who subsist on the sweet fruit of the lotus, at the taste of which Odysseus' men sink into a dreamy oblivion and are mindless of their voyage home.

"No-one"

Name Odysseus calls himself to trick the befuddled Polyphemus.

Peisistratus

Nestor's youngest son, who befriends Telemachus when he lands on the shore of Pylos, and accompanies him to Sparta.

Calypso

Nymph-goddess daughter of Atlas. She was enamored of Odysseus and kept him with her on Ogygia for seven years, promising him eternal youth and immortality if he stayed with her as her husband.

Why do you think Homer interrupts the narrative to have Demodocus sing about the love of Ares and Aphrodite?

Show that Odysseus has a soft side when he cried????

How do the Sirens destroy men, and how do Odysseus and his men avoid destruction?

Sirens: lure people over to their island by singing

Why does Athena "inspire" the suitors to act even worse, to continue their insulting behavior?

So it'll be easier for them to get beat by Odysseus and Telemachus

Agamemnon

Son of Atreus, brother of Menelaus, husband of Clytemnestra, and king of Mycenae. Elected commander in chief of the Greeks in the Trojan War. When war was over, he sailed home where he was murdered by Aegisthus and Clytemnestra. Odysseus speaks to his spirit in Hades.

Menelaus

Son of Atreus, younger brother of Agamemnon, husband of Helen and ruler of Lacedaemon. Brave warrior.

Aegisthus

Son of Thyestes and lover of Clymnestra. Killed Agamemnon!!!! 8 years after he killed Agamemnon his son Orestes comes to avenge his father by killing not only Aegisthus but his mother Clymnestra as well.

Who, other than Odysseus, had the power and strength to string the bow?

Telemachus??

To what men does Odysseus reveal his identity?

Telemachus????

Book 10

The Achaeans sail from the land of the Cyclopes to the home of Aeolus, king of the winds. Aeolus gives Odysseus a bag containing all of the winds. Within ten days, they are in sight of Ithaca. Odysseus's shipmates, who think that Aeolus has secretly given Odysseus a fortune, open the bag. The winds escape and bring Odysseus and his men back to Aeolia. This time, Aeolus refuses to help them, certain that the gods hate Odysseus. The Achaeans row to the land of the Laestrygonians, a race of powerful giants whose king, Antiphates, eats Odysseus's scouts. Odysseus and his remaining men flee to their ships, but the Laestrygonians pelt the ships with boulders and sink them. Only Odysseus's ship escapes. From there, Odysseus and his men travel to Aeaea, home of the witch-goddess Circe. Circe drugs a band of Odysseus's men and turns them into pigs. Hermes approaches him in the form of a young man and he tells Odysseus to eat an herb called moly to protect himself from Circe's drug, then lunge at her when she tries to strike him with her sword. Odysseus follows Hermes' instructions and forces her to change his men back to their human forms. Odysseus becomes Circe's lover, and he and his men live with her for a year. When his men persuade him to continue the voyage home, Odysseus asks Circe for the way back to Ithaca. She replies he must sail to the realm of the dead to speak with Tiresias, the blind Theban prophet who will tell him how to get home. The next morning, Odysseus departs. He discovers that the youngest man in his crew, Elpenor, had gotten drunk the previous night, fell from the roof and broke his neck. Odysseus explains to his men the course they must take.

Book 1

The Odyssey begins on the island of Ithaca, in the castle of Odysseus, a great hero of the Trojan War. However, the War ended 20 years earlier and Odysseus still hasn't returned back to his home. Numerous suitors mill about the castle, hoping to win the hand of Penelope, Odysseus's beautiful wife. Her son, Telemachus, grows weary and tired of the suitors greed and rudeness. The Goddess Athena pities Odysseus and his family, and appeals to Zeus to allow him to return home, who Poseidon has not allowed safe passage home out of spite and revenge. Zeus agrees and Athena goes to Telemachus desguised as Mentes, and Ithican lord and friend of Odysseus. Athena tells Telemachus to travel to Nestor, King of Pylos, and Menelaus, King of Sparta, for news of his father.

Argos

The faithful and devoted "follower" of Odysseus, was once a great hunter.

Demeter

The goddess of harvests, particularly that of corn, and the fertility of the earth.

How is the craftiness and cunning of Odysseus revealed in this escape?

The idea to tie themselves on the bottom of goats so when the Cyclops would open the door he would only think that the goats were going out

Arete

The influential wife of Alcinous, queen of the Phaeacians, helped Odysseus greatly, mother of Nausicaa.

Book 6

The land Odysseus has landed on is Scheria, ruled by King Alcinous. Athena inspires the King's daughter, Nausicaa, to venture to the river ith her maidens to do some laundrey. There she finds Odysseus, who Athena fills her heart with pity for, and she cleans him and gives him fresh clothing from her laundrey. She tells Odysseus to appeal to her mother, Queen Arete, first when asking for help. She gives him directions to the palace because it would be imporper for her to be seen unwed with a strange man in public. Odysseus preys to Athena to help the Phaecians have kindness in their hearts for him, and Athena answers his prayers without revealing her true form.

Nausicaa

The lovely and discreet daughter of Alcinous and Arete.

Antinous

The most arrogant of the suitors and the mastermind behind the plot to kill Telemachus. He was the first suitor to be killed by Odysseus.

Book 8

The next day, Alcinous calls an assembly of Phaeacian counselors. Athena ensures attendance by spreading word that the topic of discussion will be the visitor who recently appeared on the island. Alcinous proposes providing a ship for his visitor so that the man can return to his home. The measure is approved, and Alcinous invites the counselors to his palace for a feast in honor of his guest. There, a blind bard named Demodocus sings of the quarrel between Odysseus and Achilles at Troy. Everyone listens with pleasure except Odysseus, who weeps at the painful memories. The king notices Odysseus's grief and ends the feast so that the games can begin. The games include the standard lineup of boxing, wrestling, racing, and throwing of the discus. Odysseus is asked to participate; he declines. One of the young athletes, Broadsea, insults him. Odysseus easily wins the discus toss and then challenges the Phaeacian athletes to any other form of competition. The discussion becomes heated, but Alcinous diffuses the situation by insisting that Odysseus join them in another feast. Demodocus performs again, this time a light song about a tryst between Ares and Aphrodite. Afterward, Alcinous and each of the young Phaeacian men give Odysseus gifts to take with him on his journey home. Odysseus asks Demodocus to sing of the Trojan horse and the sack of Troy, but as he listens to the accomplished minstrel he again breaks down. King Alcinous notices and stops the music. He asks Odysseus at last to tell him the truth.

How does Euryclea discover Odysseus' identity?

The scar on his leg from when he went boor hunting

Sirens

These creatures (Homer does not describe them physically) were known for their alluring sweet song. When ships approached their island, which lay near Scylla and Charybdis, the sailors heard their song and were so transfixed that they forgot their homeland, landed, and died on the shores, unable and unwilling to tear themselves away from the songs.

At the beginning of book XX, why is Odysseus so angry?

????

Polyphemus

A Cyclops, son of Poseidon and Thoosa. When Odysseus and his comrades are trapped in his cave, he dines on some of the crew members before Odysseus intoxicates him and impales his single eye, and then successfully escapes. He prays to his father Poseidon to avenge this wrong-doing on Odysseus.

Tiresias

A blind Theban seer. The most famous prophet of heroic age, he was said to have lived through many generations, and after death he retained, as a gift from Persephone, his divining powers and his intellect, undiminished in Hades.

Scylla

A hideous and dangerous creature, across the channel from Charybdis.

How does Athena present herself to Telemachus?

As Mentes

What does Athena do during the meeting on Mount Olympus?

Asks Zeus why he is so against Odysseus

Eurycleia

Bought by Laertes and became Odysseus' nurse. Later was the nurse attendant of Telemachus.

Who comes to speak to Odysseus after all the souls of the women have departed? What does he tell him?

Alcornis

Eurylochus

A relative (by marriage) and comrade of Odysseus on the voyage home from Troy.

What help does Ino give to Odysseus?

A scarf, and tells him to swim to shore

Which encounter do Odysseus and his men have before Polyphemus?

Alcinous

Odysseus

(main character) Son of Laertes and Anticleia, husband of Penelope and father of Telemachus. A cunning, shrewd and eloquent hero. Came up with the idea of the Trojan horse which led the Greeks to victory against Troy. "Man of many wiles".

Sisyphus

"Ledgendary sufferer" in Hades he was forever compelled to push a huge stone up a hill-once it reached the top it would slide back down again.

Charybdis

("wide-swallower") a monster beneath the trees across the narrow channel from Scylla. Three times a day she gulped trememndous quantities of water and belched them out again, causing a teeming maelstrom, treacherous for sailors.

Achilles

A son of Peleus and the sea-goddess Thetis, father of Neoptolemus. He was one of the greatest heroes of the Trojan War, and the principal hero of the Iliad. He was killed by an arrow shot by Paris and guided by Apollo in one of the final battles of the war. He descended to Hades, where Odysseus encountered him in the field of Asphodels.

Why is it necessary for Odysseus to take some of his men by force away form the land of the Lotus-Eaters?

After one would eat the lotus they wouldn't want to come back to the boat so they could find their way home

When do Odysseus and Penelope finally sleep?

After they both tell of the hardships they had to overcome

Book 18

Another beggar, Arnaeus, also called Irus, comes into the palace. He insults Odysseus and challenges him to a boxing match. Athena gives Odysseus extra strength and stature. Irus soon regrets challenging the old man and tries to escape, but by now the suitors are egging on the fight for the sake of their own entertainment. It ends quickly as Odysseus knocks out Irus wit one punch and stops short of killing him. The suitors congratulate Odysseus. Amphinomus toasts him and gives him food. Odysseus pulls the man aside. He predicts to Amphinomus that Odysseus will soon be home and gives him a thinly veiled warning to abandon the palace and return to his own land. But Amphinomus doesn't depart for Athena has bound him to death at the hands of Telemachus. Athena now puts it into Penelope's head to make an appearance before her suitors. The goddess gives her extra stature and beauty to capture their hearts. When Penelope speaks to the suitors, she leads them on by telling them that Odysseus had instructed her to take a new husband if he should fail to return before Telemachus began growing facial hair. She then tricks them into bringing her gifts by claiming that any suitor would try to win her hand by giving things to her instead of taking what's rightfully hers. The suitors shower her with presents, and Odysseus instructs the maidservants to go to Penelope. The maidservant Melantho, Melanthius's sister, insults him as an inferior and a drunk; Odysseus then scares them off with threats. To make Odysseus even more angry at the suitors, Athena inspires Eurymachus to insult him. When Odysseus responds with insults of his own, Eurymachus throws a stool at him but misses, hitting a servant instead. Telemachus steps in and diffuses the situation just as a riot is about to break out.

Book 15

Athena goes to Sparta, where she finds Telemachus and Pisistratus asleep in Menelaus's palace. She comes to Telemachus in a dream and tells him to hurry home to Ithaca before the suitors in win his mother's hand. She also warns him about the ambush that they have set and explains how to avoid it. Finally, she instructs him to go to the home of the swineherd Eumaeus, who will convey the news of his safe return to Penelope. Telemachus announces his departure the next day and accepts gifts from Menelaus and Helen. Once at Pylos, Telemachus has Pisistratus drop him off at his ship, insisting that he has no time to spare to visit Nestor again. The ship is about to set off when Theoclymenus, a prophet's descendant who is fleeing prosecution for a crime he committed in Argos, asks Telemachus to come aboard. Telemachus welcomes him and offers him hospitality when they get to Ithaca. In the hut of Eumaeus, Odysseus tests his hospitality by offering to leave in the morning, and he urges the old man not to go out of his way and says that he will earn his keep working for the suitors, but Eumaeus refuses. He warns that getting mixed up with those suitors would be suicidal. Eumaeus then explains how he first came to Ithaca: the son of a king, he was stolen from his house by Phoenician pirates with the help of a maid that his father employed. The pirates took him all over the seas until Laertes, Odysseus's father, bought him in Ithaca. There, Laertes' wife brought him up alongside her own daughter, the youngest born. The next morning, Telemachus reaches the shores of Ithaca. He entrusts Theoclymenus to a loyal crewman, Piraeus. As they part, they see a hawk fly by carrying a dove in its talons, which Theoclymenus interprets as a favorable sign of the strength of Odysseus's house and line.

Book 5

Athena once again appeals to Zeus to assist Odysseus in the escape from Calypso's island; Zeus gives in and sends Hermes to Ogygia to demand Calypso to release Odysseus. Hermes does so, and Calypso first claims that the Gods are jealous of her laying with a mortal man. She soon relents though, and Hermes leaves. Calypso tells Odysseus he can go, and advises him on his journey and how to make his raft. Odysseus spends 4 days creating his raft, then Calypso sends him off with a favoring wind. Odysseus floats at sea for 17 days until he catches sight of land; Scheria. Poseidon sees this and becomes very angry; although he cannot stop the journey, he does his best to hinder it with a wild storm. The mast of Odysseus's raft breaks and he is thrown into the water. Ino, an ocean Goddess, takes pity on him and gives him her magical veil to protect him. He doesn't use it, fearing a trick, and tosses about in the water for 2 more days. He finally catches sight of land again and sees the mouth of a river near rocky cliffs. He preys to the river God to make the waters calm for him, and the river God does so. He crawls ashore and hides under a thicket.

Demodocus

Blind bard of the Phaeacians.

With Athena's help, what athletic feat does Odysseus accomplish?

Discus

How does Odysseus gain access to the underworld?

Dug a hole for the people who died in the war??????

How does Odysseus come to be a target for the foot stool again?

Eurymachus is mad at Odysseus because he said that he could beat him if working on a field and Eurymachus is not as good as he thinks he is

Eumaeus

Faithful swineherd of Odysseus.

Clytemnestra

Faithless wife of Agamemnon. Half-sister of Helen, became the lover of Aegisthus and together they plotted her husband's death. She had no respect and did not close his eyes or mouth in death. Was ultimately killed by her son Orestes when he avenged his father.

Atreus

Father of Agamemnon and Menelaus

Laertes

Father of Odysseus

What does Telemachus plan to do now?

Get on his boat and sail to Sparta and Sandy Pylos

Titysus

Giant son of Gaea. IT was his audacity in attacking Leto that led to his being killed by her children Artemis and Apollo and eternally tormented in Hades, where two vultures tore at his liver, the organ that was believed to be the seat of desire.

How has Penelope manage to hold off the suitors' demands for the past four years?

Giving one hints that they will get married but never ends up doing anything about it

Apollo

God of archery, music, prophecy and healing, son of Zeus and Leto. During the war he supported the Trojansand guided Paris' arrow to kill Achilles. His arros brought sudden painless death.

Poseidon

God of the sea, the "earth-shaker", son of Cronos and Rhea, brother of Zeus and Hades. During the Trojan War he aided the Greeks whenever possible, but turned against Odysseus after the war and made his homeward course difficult and dangerous because he blinded the god's son Polyphemus.

Hades

God of the underworld, one of the sons of Cronos. Odysseus visits his halls during his trials.

Ares

God of war, song of Zeus and Hera, and one of Aphrodite's lovers.

Dionysus

God of wine, fertility and joy. He is hardly central in the Odyssey; Homer mentions him only tangentially.

Circe

Goddess and enchantress proficient in the use of herbs and drugs. She was the daughter of Helios and Perse and lived on the island of Aeaea.

Aphrodite

Goddess of love, fertility and beauty; daughter of Zeus and Dione, unfaithful wife of Hephaestus.

The Furies

Goddesses or spirits who inflicted curses and punished crimes, primarily those within families. They paid particular attention to avenging crimes by children against their mothers.

Anticlus

Greek warrior who entered Troy in wooden horse.

Book 14

Odysseus finds Eumaeus outside his hut; though Eumaeus doesn't recognize the traveler, he invites him inside. Odysseus has a meal and listens as Eumaeus heaps praise upon the memory of his former master, whom he fears is lost for good, and scorn upon the behavior of his new masters, the suitors. Odysseus predicts that Eumaeus will see his master again quite soon, but Eumaeus will hear none of it—he has encountered too many vagabonds looking for a handout from Penelope in return for fabricated news of Odysseus. Still, Eumaeus puts him up for the night and lets him borrow a cloak to keep out the cold. When Eumaeus asks Odysseus about his origins, Odysseus lies that he is from Crete. He fought with Odysseus at Troy and made it home safely, he claims, but a trip that he made later to Egypt reduced him to poverty. It was during this trip, he says, that he heard that Odysseus was still alive.

Book 12

Odysseus returns to Aeaea, buries Elpenor, and spends his last night with Circe. She describes the obstacles he will face on his voyage home and tells him how to handle them. He sets sail the next morning. As they approach the island of the Sirens, Odysseus plugs his men's ears with beeswax and has them tie him to the mast. He hears their song flowing from the island, promising to reveal the future. The Sirens' song is so seductive that Odysseus begs to be released, but his men bind him tighter. Once they have passed the Sirens' island, Odysseus and his men must navigate the straits between Scylla and Charybdis. Scylla is a six-headed monster who swallows one sailor for each head. Charybdis is an enormous whirlpool that will swallow the entire ship. Odysseus holds his course tight against the cliffs of Scylla's lair. As he and his men stare at Charybdis on the other side of the strait, the heads of Scylla swoop down and gobble up six sailors. Odysseus comes to Thrinacia next, the island of the Sun. He wants to avoid it, but the outspoken Eurylochus persuades him to let his crew rest there. A storm keeps them there for a month, and the crew is content to survive on provisions in the ship. When these run out, Eurylochus persuades the other crew members to slaughter the cattle of the Sun. They do so one afternoon as Odysseus sleeps; when the Sun finds out, he asks Zeus to punish Odysseus and his men. After the Achaeans set sail from Thrinacia, Zeus summons another storm, which destroys the ship and sends the entire crew to its death beneath the waves. Only Odysseus survives, just barely. The storm sweeps him back to Charybdis, which he narrowly escapes. On the broken timbers of his ship, he eventually reaches Ogygia, Calypso's island. Odysseus here breaks from his story, stating to the Phaeacians.

Book 22

Odysseus shoots a second arrow through the throat of Antinous, who is the first to die. The suitors are confused and believe this shooting is an accident. Odysseus reveals himself, and the suitors are terrified. They have no way out, since Philoetius has locked the front door and Eumaeus has locked the doors to the women's quarters. Eurymachus tries to calm Odysseus, but Odysseus announces that he will spare none of them. Eurymachus then charges Odysseus, but he is cut down by another arrow to the liver. Amphinomus is next, at the spear of Telemachus. Telemachus arms Eumaeus and Philoetius, but he forgets to lock the storeroom on his way out. Melanthius soon reaches the storeroom and gets out weapons for the suitors. On his second trip to the storeroom, however, Eumaeus and Philoetius find him there, tie him up, and lock him in. A full battle is raging in the palace hall. Athena appears disguised as Mentor and encourages Odysseus but doesn't participate immediately, preferring instead to test Odysseus's strength. Odysseus and his men kill several suitors while receiving only slight wounds themselves. Athena finally joins the battle, which then swiftly ends. Odysseus spares only the minstrel Phemius and the herald Medon. Odysseus has Eurycleia come out and she openly rejoices to see the suitors dead. She rounds up the disloyal servant women, who are first made to clear the corpses from the hall and wash the blood from the furniture; they are then sent outside and executed. Telemachus decides to hang them—a disgraceful death. Last of all, the traitor Melanthius is tortured and killed. After the bloodbath, Odysseus has the house fumigated.

Book 9

Odysseus tells the Phaeacians his tale. From Troy, the winds sweep him and his men to the city of the Cicones. The men plunder the land and stay until the reinforced ranks of the Cicones attack. Odysseus and his crew escape, having lost men. A storm sent by Zeus sweeps them along for nine days before bringing them to the land of the Lotus-eaters, where the natives give some of Odysseus's men the fruit of the lotus. As they eat this fruit, they long to stay there eating more fruit. Only by dragging his men back to the ship and locking them up can Odysseus get them off the island. Odysseus and his men sail through the night to the land of the Cyclopes. They then cross to the mainland, where they immediately come upon a cave full of sheep and crates of milk and cheese. The men advise Odysseus to snatch some of the food and hurry off but he decides to linger. The cave's inhabitant soon returns; it is the Polyphemus, the son of Poseidon. Polyphemus devours two of Odysseus's men on the spot and imprisons Odysseus and the rest in his cave. Odysseus devises a plan. The next day, while Polyphemus is outside with his sheep, Odysseus finds a wooden staff in the cave and hardens it in the fire. When Polyphemus returns, Odysseus gets him drunk on wine that he brought from the ship. Polyphemus asks Odysseus his name. Odysseus replies that his name is "Nobody". Polyphemus collapses with intoxication and Odysseus, with a select group of his men, drive the staff into his eye. Polyphemus wakes with a scream, and his neighbors come to see what's wrong, but they leave as soon as he calls out, "Nobody's killing me". Odysseus and his men escape from the cave, unseen by Polyphemus, by clinging to the bellies of the sheep. Safe on board their ships and with Polyphemus's flock, Odysseus reveals his true identity. The giant prays to his father, Poseidon, calling for vengeance.

Book 11

Odysseus travels to the River of Ocean in the land of the Cimmerians. There he pours libations and does sacrifices as Circe instructed him to do to attract the souls of the dead. The first to appear is that of Elpenor. He begs Odysseus to return to Circe's island and give his body a proper burial. Odysseus then speaks with Tiresias, who reveals that Poseidon is punishing the Achaeans for blinding Polyphemus. He foretells Odysseus's fate; he will return home, reclaim his wife and palace from the wretched suitors, and then make another trip to a distant land to please Poseidon. He warns Odysseus not to touch the flocks of the Sun when he reaches the land of Thrinacia; if not, he won't return home without more hardship and losing his crew. Odysseus calls other spirits over. He speaks with his mother, Anticleia; she updates him on Ithaca and how she died of grief waiting for his return. He then meets the spirits of various famous men and heroes and hears the stories of their lives and deaths. Odysseus now asks his Phaeacian hosts to allow him sleep, but the king and queen urge him to continue, asking if he met any of the Greeks who fell at Troy. He met Agamemnon, who tells him of his murder. Next he meets Achilles, who asks about his son. Odysseus tries to speak with Ajax, an Achaean who killed himself after he lost a contest with Odysseus over the armor of Achilles, but Ajax refuses to speak and slips away. He sees Heracles, King Minos, the hunter Orion, and others. He witnesses the punishment of Sisyphus, struggling eternally to push a boulder over a hill only to have it roll back down whenever it reaches the top. He then sees Tantalus, agonized by hunger and thirst. Odysseus finds himself mobbed by souls wishing to ask about their relatives in the world above. He gets frightened, runs back to his ship, and sails away.

What does Odysseus promise Elpenor?

Odysseus will not forget him

Book 7

On his way to the palace of Alcinous, Odysseus is stopped by a girl who is Athena in disguise. She offers to guide him to the king's house and shrouds him in a protective mist that keeps the Phaeacians from seeing him. She advises him to direct his plea for help to Arete, the queen who will know how to get him home. Once Athena has delivered Odysseus to the palace, she departs from Scheria to Athens. Odysseus finds the palace and he is struck by the splendor of the palace. He throws himself at the Queen's feet. He explains his predicament, and the king and queen promise to see him off the next day in a Phaeacian ship. Later that evening, when the king and queen are alone with Odysseus, the Arete recognizes the clothes that he is wearing. Suspicious, she interrogates Odysseus. While withholding his name, Odysseus recounts the story of his journey from Calypso's island and his encounter with Nausicaa that morning. To absolve the princess for not accompanying him to the palace, Odysseus claims that it was his idea to come alone. Alcinous is so impressed with his visitor that he offers Odysseus his daughter's hand in marriage.

Book 4

Peisistratos and Telemachus arrive in Sparta and are warmly recieved by Menelaus and his wife, Helen. After reminiscing Odysseus and weeping together, Helen decides to slip drugs in everyone's drinks to forget their sadnesses and to sleep well that night. The group then eats a feast, and Menelaus realates the story of his 7 year trip home after the Trojan War; While in Egypt, Menelaus captured the sea god Proteus to find out how to get home to Sparta. Proteus, who can never lie, told Menelaus the truth about how to get home. Menelaus also asked what had become of his comrades from the War and Proteus told him of Odysseus, who was then imprisoned on Calypso's island. Menelaus urges Telemachus to hurry home. Meanwhile, in Ithaca, Antinous is furious that Telemachus actually leaves and wants to assassinate him before he can return home. Medon, the loyal herald, rushes to Penelope and tells her of these plans. Penelope makes a sarifice to Athena and holds the infoprmation from Laertes for the time being, at the advice of Eurycleia. The suitors leave in search of Telemachus.

Hera(Hestia!)

Queen of the gods, second in power to her husband and brother, Zeus. Goddess of hearth and home.

Book 20

Penelope and Odysseus both have trouble sleeping. Odysseus worries that he and Telemachus will never be able to conquer so many suitors, but Athena reassures him that through the gods all things are possible. Penelope wakes and prays for Artemis to kill her because she is tormented by the loss of her husband and her commitment to remarry. Her distress wakes Odysseus, who asks Zeus for a good omen. Zeus responds with a clap of thunder, and, at once, a maid in an adjacent room is heard cursing the suitors. As the palace springs to life the next day, Odysseus and Telemachus meet, in succession, the swineherd Eumaeus, the foul Melanthius, and Philoetius, a kindly and loyal herdsman who says that he has not yet given up hope of Odysseus's return. The suitors enter, once again plotting Telemachus's murder. Amphinomus convinces them to call it off, however, when a portent of doom appears in the form of an eagle carrying a dove in its talons. But Athena keeps the suitors antagonistic all through dinner to prevent Odysseus's anger from losing its edge. Ctesippus, a wealthy and arrogant suitor, throws a cow's hoof at Odysseus, in response to which Telemachus threatens to run him through with his sword. The suitors laugh and laugh, failing to notice that they and the walls of the room are covered in blood and that their faces have assumed a foreign, ghostly look—all of which Theoclymenus interprets as portents of inescapable doom.

Book 21

Penelope gets Odysseus's bow out of the storeroom and says that she will marry the suitor who can string it and then shoot an arrow through a line of twelve axes. Telemachus sets up the axes and then tries at the bow, but can't string it. One by one they all try and fail. Meanwhile, Odysseus follows Eumaeus, the swineherd, and Philoetius, the cowherd, outside. He establishes their loyalty and then reveals his identity to them by the scar on his foot. He promises to treat them as Telemachus's brothers if they fight by his side against the suitors. When Odysseus returns, Eurymachus cannot string it. Antinous suggests that they stop until the next day, when they can sacrifice to Apollo before trying again. Disguised Odysseus asks for the bow. All of the suitors complain, fearing that he will succeed. Telemachus takes control and orders Eumaeus to give Odysseus the bow. Odysseus easily strings it and sends the first arrow he grabs through all twelve axes.

Cicones

People of southern Thrace, who lived on the coast of the Aegean Sea. They were allies of Troy during the Trojan War and their city, Ismarus, was raided by Odysseus and his crew on their way home after the war.

At Odysseus' house in Ithaca, we are introduced to the suitors. What are they doing in the house?

Playing with dice and sitting on fur from animals they have killed while the servants are serving them

What happens to Odysseus on the eighteenth day, just as he cites land?

Poseidon gets mad because the gods let Odysseus go so he starts a storm; Odysseus' boat breaks and eventually has to swim

Hermes

Son of Zeus and Maia, messenger of the gods and guide for the souls of the dead on their way to Hades.

Odysseus brags that he is an accomplished athlete but allows one test where the Paeacians would likely win. To which test does he refer? Why?

Sprinting; Odysseus is very tired and his legs have lost their spring because he has been on a boat for so long

Athena(Nike!)

Sprung out of father Zeus' head. Supported Greeks in Trojan War. Guided and protected Odysseus on his homeward journey from Troy.

What is Odysseus' plan? For killing the suitors

Start killing the suitors with the help of the seine and pig herders through bribery while the nurse and Penelope are in their room; then have the women who were also loving on the suitors clean the blood and bodies up and kill them after they finish

Why does Odysseus lead his men into Polyphemus' cave?

Starts to eat them (Odysseus' men) two at a time

What is the ancient legend/tale to which (King) Alcinous refers?

Story of the Trojan Horse

Helios

Sun god, Odysseus' crew ate his cattle and were all granted with death.

Who is the first to recognize Odysseus and what happens?

Swineherd?????

Many other heroes speak to Odysseus, and he learns of their fates. What happens to Tantalus?

Tantalus would try to get a drink of water but then the water would vanish and up above him were all these fruits

What happens when Eumaeus and the beggar meet Melanthius (one of the suitors)? List at least three things

Taunted, kicked, and cursed at Odysseus

Book 3

Telemachus and his crew of Ithican sailors sail to Pylos, and Athean accompanies them, still disguised as Mentor. She gives him a pep-talk when they arrive, and they are greeted warmly by Nestor and his sons Peisistratos and Thrasymedes. They proceed to sit in Nestor's dining hall and discuss the events following the Trojan War; The last time Nestor saw Odysseus was when he left the fleet returning home under Menelaus to return to Troy and plead with Agamemnon over an arguement they got into. Nestor tells Telemachus the story of Agamemnon's death and the death of Aegisthus and Clymenestra by the hands of Orestes. He also tells Telemachus of his return from the war with Menelaus, who was blwn to Egypt where he became richer. Nestor tells Telemachus that Menelaus will know more of Odysseus's whereabouts and sends him on to Sparta by chariot with Nestor's son, Peisistratos

Book 2

Telemachus appeals to a council of Ithican lords, including the suitors, the next morning. He pleads for the suitors to leave and give up the quest for Penelope's hand. Antinous, the most decietful of the suitors, blames the situation on Penelope's trickery and demands that Telemachus give her to a suitor or turn her away from Odysseus's household. Telemachus refuses and appeals to Zeus, who sends two eagles down from the heavens fighting and clawing at eachother, as a sign to the suitors. The prophet of Ithica, Halitherses, interprets the omen as a sign that Odysseus will be home soon. After more debating and the arguement of Mentor against the behavior of the sutors, Telemachus announces he is leaving to seek news of his father. Athena appears to him again in the form of Mentor, but Telemachus recognises 'him' as a Goddess and Athena gives him advice and confidence. He sets sail in the middle of the night for Pylos after making a sacrifice to the Gods.

Book 17

Telemachus leaves Odysseus at Eumaeus's hut and heads to the palace, where he receives a tearful welcome from Penelope and Eurycleia. He meets Theoclymenus and Piraeus. He tells Piraeus not to bring his gifts from Menelaus to the palace; he fears that the suitors will steal them if he is killed. When he sits down to eat with Penelope, Telemachus tells her what little news he received of Odysseus in Pylos and Sparta, but he doesn't reveal that he has seen Odysseus in Eumaeus's hut. Theoclymenus swears that Odysseus is in Ithaca at this very moment. Meanwhile, Eumaeus and Odysseus set out toward town. On the way they meet Melanthius, who heaps scorn on Eumaeus and kicks his beggar companion, Odysseus. At the palace, the suitors reluctantly give him food, and Antinous insults him. When Odysseus retaliates with an insult, Antinous throws his stool at Odysseus's back; disgusting even the other suitors. This cruelty reaches Penelope, who is curious about the beggar and asks to have him brought to her so she can ask him about Odysseus. Odysseus doesn't want the suitors to see him heading toward the queen's room thoguh. Eumaeus must return to his hut and hog, and leaves Odysseus alone with Telemachus and the suitors.

Book 16

Telemachus reaches Eumaeus's hut and finds him talking with a stranger, who is Odysseus in disguise Eumaeus suggests that the stranger stay with Telemachus at the palace. But Telemachus is afraid of what the suitors might do to them. Eumaeus goes to the palace alone to tell Penelope that her son has returned. When father and son are alone in the hut, Athena appears to Odysseus and calls him outside. When Odysseus reenters the hut, his old-man disguise is gone. Telemachus cannot believe his eyes, but then the two embrace and weep. Odysseus tells about his trip with the Phaeacians and then begins plotting the overthrow of the suitors. He comes up with a plan to launch a surprise attack from in the palace. Odysseus will enter disguised as a beggar and Telemachus will hide the palace's weapons where the suitors can't reach them. The two of them will get the weapons and slaughter the suitors. The messenger from the ship arrives and informs the entire palace that Telemachus has returned before Eumaeus can. The suitors plan their next move. Antinous recommends putting Telemachus to death before he can call an assembly at which the suitors' schemes will be revealed, but Amphinomus persuades the others to wait for a sign from the gods before doing anything. Penelope later finds Antinous in the palace and calls him out for the plot against her son, the details of which Medon had overheard and revealed to her earlier in the story. Eurymachus calms Penelope down with false concern for the safety of Telemachus.

How do Odysseus and his remaining men escape from the cave?

They tie themselves on the goat's bellies

Odysseus and his men come within sight of Ithaca. Why don't they land?

They want to open the bag to see what is inside of it, but the bad had wind inside it so it pushed them back to Aeolus' house

Why does Telemahus call the men to assemble?

This is his way to tell them that he is in charge and is tired of the suitors taking advantage of him

What contest does Penelope devise to test the suitors?

Using a bow to hit 12 axes

Describe the Laestrygonians.

Very big strong monsters

Why does Penelope wish to see the beggar?

Wants to get information on what happened to her husband

How does Odysseus wound Polyphemus?

Warms a spear and them puts it in the Cyclops's eye

What does Tiresias tell Odysseus?

What the rest of Odysseus' life will be

Elpenor

Youngest member of Odysseus' crew. The morning of their departure from Circe's island, he falls from the rooftop and dies. Odysseus meets with his shade in Hades.

Book 19

When the suitors go to bed, Telemachus and Odysseus remove the weapons as planned. Telemachus tells Eurycleia that they are storing the arms to keep them from being damaged. After they have disposed of the arms, Telemachus goes to bed and Odysseus is joined by Penelope, who has come from the women's quarters to question her visitor. He has claimed to have met Odysseus, and she tests his honesty by asking him to describe her husband. Odysseus describes himself, capturing each detail so perfectly that it reduces Penelope to tears. He tells Penelope that, essentially, Odysseus had a long ordeal but is alive and freely traveling the seas, and predicts that Odysseus will be back within the month. Penelope offers the beggar a bed to sleep in, but he declines. He reluctantly allows Eurycleia to wash his feet and she recognises a scar on one of his feet. She immediately recognizes it as the scar that Odysseus had received boar hunting. She throws her arms around Odysseus, but he silences her while Athena keeps Penelope distracted. The faithful Eurycleia promises to keep his secret. Penelope describes to Odysseus a dream that she has had in which an eagle swoops down upon her twenty pet geese and kills them all; it then perches on her roof and, in a human voice, says that he is her husband who has just put her lovers to death. Penelope has no idea what this dream means. Odysseus explains it to her, but Penelope decides to finally choose a new husband; she will marry the first man who can shoot an arrow through the holes of twelve axes set in a line.

Homeric simile

a comparison meant to make known the ways of gods to man

epic similie

a lengthly comparison between two complex things, invention attributed to Homer

epic

a long narrative poem from the oral tradition about the deeds and adventures of a hero and is meant to teach us about life

archetype

a recurring pattern in literature

mythology

a set of beliefs held by a culture

in medias res

a story that begins in the middle of things

epistolary narrative

a story told through letters

frame narrative

a story within a story

SMELL

a strategy that we can use to analyze a persuasive argument

What sign does Zeus send to the assembly, and what is its meaning?

a. 2 eagles

What two events give Odysseus hope that he is doing the right thing and that his efforts will be successful?

a. Athena tells him when he is trying to go to go to sleep that everything will work

What happens to Odysseus' companions? To Odysseus? In Book XVI

a. Companions- they eat the animals of the sun god's island

What is the difference between the goatherd and the cowherd?

a. Goatherd- bad

Why does Telemachus not want to bring his gifts from Menelaus to his own house?

a. If the suitors attack him he doesn't want them to take them


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