Book 12
Challenge of Eurylokhos and the
Cattle

Option 1
How does Odysseus compare to your idea of a hero? In what ways is he similar or different?
Option 2
Is Odysseus responsible, or should he be held responsible, for the behavior of his men?
Why or why not?

1. Warm-up
2. Finish reading Book 12
3. Complete book 12 questions and book 12 discussion questions

Ancient Greek Sculpture-4 th century BCE Ancient Greek Pottery-480-460 BCE
John William Waterhouse, Ulysses and the Sirens, 1891
While many modern artists depict the sirens as mermaids, Kirke described them as “harpies,” birdlike creatures (Book 12, line 64)

As you read, consider the following:
• What challenges does he face and what do his actions and choices show about him?
• What choices does he have to make? Does he make the right choices?
• Are his actions heroic?

http://www.xtimeline.com/evt/view.aspx?id=162155

Each person needs to write down the answers. Use complete sentences and rephrase the question in the answer.
• On your own finish reading Book 12 (pages 218-225)
• Answer the following questions:
1.
In many ways, this challenge is very different from the rest. How is the challenge he faces in the section with the cattle of the sun god different from all of his other challenges?
2.
How does he respond to this challenge?
3.
What does this show us about him?
4.
In not telling his men about Skylla, Odysseus demonstrates a more militaristic leadership style, less of a democratic leadership style. What is his leadership style in this section?
5.
How is that style show in his actions?
6.
Does he show effective leadership in this section or not? What makes you think this?
7.
How does this section also deal with the theme of temptation? What lesson about temptation does it present?

On the theme of temptation:
• What does The Odyssey tell us about temptation?
• How does it communicate this message? In other words, what incidents in the text make this message stand out?
• How does this relate to other stories of temptation which we have studied?
On the issue of Odysseus as a hero:
• Are his actions heroic? Why or why not?
• After reading this section, consider: What is Odysseus’s descent into darkness, his lowest point? (Is it really is descent into Hades, or is it the point at which he must order the death of some of his men to Skylla, when his men rebel, or is it the point at which he is crying each day on Kalypso’s beach?) What makes you think this?

• Land of the Dead and the Sirens
• Skylla and Kharybdis

• Odysseus finishes his story to the Phaecians and they decide to help him get home. He falls asleep on the journey and they leave him on the shore of Ithaka.
• At first he thinks that they have tricked him and left him someplace other than his home.
Why would the author do this?
• Athena comes and helps him out, disguises him as a beggar.

• Odysseus sees his old servant, Eumaeus the swineherd, still in disguise.
• Eumaeus though poor shows exceptional hospitality, feeds him and gives Odysseus his bed while he sleeps outside.
• This reminds us of a key theme of hospitality.

• The suitors have a plot to kill Telemakhos when he returns.
• Athena goes to Telemakhos, who is still in
Sparta, and tells him to head home and to stop by the swineherds hut on his way there.

• Telemakhos shows up and while the swineherd in on an errand to tell Penelope that her son is back,
Athena takes away Odysseus’s disguise and reveals his identity to his son.
• Penelope accuses the suitors of plotting to kill her son. They totally lie and deny it all. What jerks.
• Father and son plan how to enact revenge on the suitors.
• What will be their revenge?

Telemakhos
• Telemakhos heads in to town.
• Telemakhos reports to
Penelope the news that
Odysseus is still alive. See her response on page 315.
• How does she feel about this news?
Odysseus
• Odysseus, disguised again as a beggar, and Eumaeus, the swineherd, head in to town.
• On the way, Odysseus is insulted by a goatherd.
• Read page 317, lines 298-305.
How does Odysseus respond?
Is this a change in Odysseus or not? How so?
• Odysseus’s old dog (page 319-
320) So sad.
• Odysseus arrives back at his hall finally.

• A regular beggar at Odysseus’s hall challenges
Odysseus to a fight.
• Odysseus tries to not show is full strength so he barely punches the man, but even holding back he is so strong that he breaks the man’s jaw.
• Athena gives Penelope an image boost, and she walks in and shows hospitality to
Odysseus, still disguised as a beggar.

• Father and son hide all the armor and weapons from the hall to keep them away from the suitors.
• Penelope and “the beggar” (Odysseus) talk
• “The beggar” says that he knows that Odysseus is still alive and describes his clothes.
• One of Penelope’s maids washes “the beggars” feet and recognizes a scar on Odysseus’s knee. She was his nanny when he was a child. He asks her to keep his secret.
• Penelope mentions that she will set a challenge the next day for the suitors and whomever wins will be the one she marries.

• Odysseus sleeps and dreams.