Summary of Adventures: * Pg 1: invocation to the gods
“Sailing from Troy”
(Cicones)
2 pts
We meet Odysseus. He tells us a story about what happened
to him and how great he is. When he left the war, he went to
Cicones. They fought and won. Then they partied and while
that happened, they got attacked. By the time they escaped,
they lost 6 rows of men per boat.
“The Lotus Eaters”
3 pts
Zeus made a storm on the sea. They spent 13 days stuck at
sea. They ended up on the Land of the Lotus Eaters. 3 men
were sent to explore, but they ate the Lotus and basically got
high and didn’t want to leave. Ody had to go physically carry
them back to the boat.
“The Cyclops”
10 pts
● The cyclops live alone and are uncivilized savages who
follow no rules or laws.
● They land and Odysseus & his 12 best men go to explore.
They take strong wine.
● They find a cave with lots of food. The men want to take
the food and run (probably remembering Cicones when
they didn’t leave and lost men). Odysseus says no
because he wants to see who lives there (curiosity &
pride).
● Cyclops returns and traps them in the cave. Odysseus
doesn’t say their names, but asks for hospitality.
● Cyclops refuses and kills and eats 2 of Ody’s men ( and 2
more for breakfast in the morning and 2 more the next
night).
● Ody almost kills him while he sleeps, but realizes they are
trapped, so he makes a plan instead.
● Plan:
○ They make a 6 foot spear out of an old tree they find.
○ Ody gives him several bowls of wine.
○ He tells him that his name is “Nohbdy.”
○ When he passes out, the men heat the spear in the
fire and then stab the cyclop’s eye out, blinding him.
○ Others run to help, but leave when they hear that
“nobody” hurt him.
○ They escape tied under the bellies of sheep.
○ Escape to the boats, but almost get killed after Ody
taunts the cyclops and he throws boulders at them.
○ He tells him his real name and the cyclops prays to
Poseidon to curse Odysseus.
■ Let him never make it home.
■ If he does, make it take a long time, and be very
dangerous.
■ Let all his men die, let him lose his ships and
return home to trouble.
(Aeolia)
2 pts
● The god of the wind feels bad for Ody and gives him a
gift: A bag that has all the “bad” wind trapped in it (leaving
only the “good” wind out that will blow the ship straight
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home).
Odysseus tells his men NOT to open the bag, but his
PRIDE doesn’t let him tell the men why or what’s in it (he
thinks he is the only one who deserves to know).
While he sleeps, the men decide the bag contains
treasure that he is trying to keep for himself. The
FOOLISHLY open the bag, releasing all the bad wind.
They are immediately blown far off course, far away from
Ithaca.
They go back to Aeolus for help, but he has decided the
gods hate Ody, and he refuses to help again.
(Laestrygonia)
2 pts
● Ody and his men land here and discover that the people
here are cannibals.
● The cannibals destroy all of his boats except one, killing
most of Ody’s men.
● He is left with only a few men and one ship for the rest of
the journey.
(Circe)
6 pts
● They land on an island where a beautiful witch named
Circe lives.
● Men go to explore, but are soon turned into pigs by the
witch.
● Ody goes to rescue them. Zeus sends help through
Hermes (who gives Ody something to eat that will prevent
him from becoming a pig).
● Ody is able to make a deal with Circe that she will free his
men if he will live there with her for one year. He agrees.
● Before he leaves, she tells him to go to the Land of the
Dead and see Tiresias, who will tell him what he must do
in order to get home to his family.
“The Land of the Dead”
5 pts
● Ody goes to the Underworld. They are very afraid, but the
go anyway.
● When he gets there, he makes offerings and promises
other offerings after he leaves. He does this so the ghosts
will leave him alone and let him get to Tiresias.
● He sees Elpenor, one of his soldiers who died, but was
never buried. He agrees to find him and bury him when he
leaves.
● He sees his mother and realizes she is dead. He cries.
● He sees Tiresias who tells him everything he needs to do
(and NOT do) in order to get home. Tiresias also tells him
there is Trouble back at Ithace with the suitors &
Penelope.
“ The Sirens”
5 pts
(You will do this one on your own.)
“Scylla & Charybdis”
5 pts
(You will do this one on your own.)
“Cattle of the Sun God” (You will do this one on your own.)
5 pts
(Calypso)
5 pts
Ody lands there alone after all his men die. Calypso falls in
love with Ody and wants him to stay there with her, but he
says no. She puts a spell on him so he forgets about
everything…almost. HE can remember that he has forgotten
something he really wanted, but can’t remember what. She
keeps him that way for over a year until Zeus demands she let
him go. She tries to convince him to stay (saying Penelope will
be old and ugly, has cheated on him, and even offering to
make him a god), but he chooses to go home to Penelope.