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STUDY GUIDE FOR QUIZ #1 ON THE ODYSSEY
I.
II.
VOCABULARY BUILDER WORDS (948, 942)
 Assuage: to calm
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Bereft: deprived; without someone (causes sadness)
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Ardor: passion and enthusiasm
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Insidious: craftiness and betrayal; evil sense
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Dissemble: to conceal under a false appearance
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Incredulity: not believable
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Bemusing: muddling; confused
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Maudlin: foolishly sentimental; overly so
“The Lotus Eaters” (954-955)
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What made the messengers sent to the people called the Lotus Eaters not want to come back?
They ate the lotus and no longer wanted to go home or even eat.
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How did Odysseus get them back?
Odysseus had to forcibly bring these men back and tie them to their rowing benches.
III.
“The Cyclopes” (956-968)
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How does the Cyclopes race make a living?
They raise sheep, make cheese, whey.
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Why does Odysseus refuse to steal the Cyclopes’ animals and sail away?
Odysseus knows Zeus, the god of hospitality, will punish them; to steal would be uncivilized.
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What is special about the gift of wine a man named Maron had given Odysseus?
The wine was very good and very, very strong,
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Why doesn’t Polyphemous offer Odysseus and his men hospitality?
He says that he doesn’t care about Zeus’s laws; shows he is uncivilized.
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What uncivilized act does Polyphemous commit?
He eats some of the sailors.
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When asked what his name is, what name does Odysseus give Polyphemous?
N-O-B-O-D-Y
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How are Odysseus and his men able to stab Polyphemeous’ eye without the giant stopping them?
Polyphemous passes out from the strong wine.
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Why don’t Polyphemous’ relatives come to help him after his eye is put out?
His relatives asked who hurt him, and he said, “Nobody.” So the relatives thought it was joke, and
they didn’t come.
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To whom does Polyphemous pray, and what does he pray for?
Polyphemous prays to his father, Poseidon. He prays that his father will punish Odysseus and
sailors by never letting them return home.
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What brash thing does Odysseus do when he sails from the shore of the Cyclopes’ island?
He taunts Polyphemous, gives him his real name.
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What happens? What lesson should Odysseus learn? Poly. Throws a huge boulder at the ship and
misses. Lesson? Don’t taunt monsters, esp. sons of gods; and don’t endanger the lives of your own
men.
IV.
“The Land of the Dead” (969)
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What happens in the land of Laestrygonia? The inhabitants there cannibals.
What happens on Circe’s island? Circe turns his men into swine (pigs); Odysseus ate herb; Elpenor
died.
To whom does Circe tell Odysseus he must talk with if he wants to ever go home again? Tieresias,
who “lives” in the underworld; very dangerous trip
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Who is Elpenor? His soldier that died on Circe’s island b/c he was drunk and fell off roof. What
does Elpenor want Odysseus to do? Bring his body back and perform funeral rites.
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Who is Anticlea? Odysseus’s mother; she killed herself b/c she missed him so much.
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How can Odysseus make peace with Poseidon—at least according to Tieresias? Walk inland far
enough to where the people don’t know about salt or the sea. At that point, he should stick an oar
in the ground; needs to sacrifice about 100 animals. Shrine.
V.
“The Sirens” (975-978)
 Why were the sirens so dangerous? B/c they were beautiful and their voices were so beautiful,
they tried to lure men toward the rocks of their island.
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What clever idea does Odysseus come up with, so that he may hear the song of the sirens but not
be endangered? He has his sailors put wax in their ears, so they won’t hear the song and crash on
the rocks; Odysseus has himself tied to the mast, so he CAN hear the song. Curious.
VI
Scylla and Charybdis (978-980)
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What is Scylla? (silly rocks) Rock monster
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What is Charybdis? whirlpool
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Why doesn’t Odysseus tell him sailors about Scylla and Charybdis? He was worried they’d be so
afraid, they wouldn’t even try to pass the twin dangers.
VII
“The Cattle of the Sun God (980-987)
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Why can’t Odysseus and his men just sail away from this island with the cattle of Helios? A gale
blew TOWARD the island for over a month; they run out of food, starving.

What happens when Odysseus goes to a cave to pray to the gods for help? Odysseus falls asleep,
and the sailors eat the cattle.
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Who is Eurylochos? He is the sailor who convinced the others to eat the cattle.
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What reason does he give the sailors to butcher and eat the cattle of Helios? To starve is slow and
painful; to drown is quicker….
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How do the sailors try to appease the gods when they butcher the cattle? Offer sacrifice over dead
cattle: sprinkling water, barley grain, prayers…..

Name two strange things that happen to the meat/skin of the butchered cattle. The meat of the
cows moo on the spit, and the skin crawls.

Who tells Helios that Odysseus’ men have killed his cattle? Lampetia….killed your kine.
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Describe Helios’ prayer to Zeus when he discovers this. Helios laments the loss of cattle; he
threatens not to rise again until he is avenged.
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How does all of Odysseus’s crew die? When the crew sails away, a HUGE storm caused by Zeus
wrecks the ship and causes them all to drown.
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How does Odysseus stay alive in the open sea? He ties boat parts together and floats for days.
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How does Odysseus stay alive by Charybdis? He hangs from the limb of a tree over Charybdis until
it disappears for a while—hours and hours. (sign of epic hero w/ great strength)
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To whom does Odysseus give credit for Scylla not seeing him? Zeus (shows he’s become more
pious; respectful of gods)