Book I: What Went On in the
House of Odysseus
Where is Odysseus?
Odysseus is on the island of
Ogygia, kept there by the
goddess Calypso because she is
in love with him
(he is rumored to be dead)
What or whom is Athena
disguised as?
Athena is disguised as the man
Mentes- an old friend of
Odysseus (son of Anchialos),
chief/king of Taphians
Why does Odysseus's wife have
suitors?
They want to marry her, take
over kingdom because they
believe Odysseus to be dead
They want her wealth and power
control of Ithaca
Book II: How the Council Met in
the Market-place of Ithaca; and
What Came of It
Describe the trick that Penelopeia
plays on her suitors.
Flirts with them, says she will
marry them as soon as she finishes
weaving a burial shroud for her
father-in-law Laertes
Secretly at night she
undoes/unravels the knitting so it
is never finished
What specifically does Athena do
to help Telemachos in this book?
The goddess encourages Telemachus
(dressed as Mentor- an old friend of
Odysseus, son of Alcumus- who is in
charge of Telemachos and the palace)
to stand up against the suitors and go
abroad to find out what happened to
his father
Secures a ship and crew/sailors
(Disguised as Telemachos)
Book IV: What Happened in
Lacedaimon
What clues cue Menelaos and
Helen that Telemachos is
Odysseus's son?
The family resemblance
Describe Antinoos' plan to
destroy Telemachos.
Antinoos plans to get a ship and
twixt Samos and Ithaca ambush
and kill him
Book 5 Odysseus Leaves
Calypso's Island and Reaches
Phaeacia
Who is Hermes, and what is his
mission?
Hermes is Zeus’ messenger sent
to tell Calypso (who is keeping
Odysseus on her island) that she
will have to let him go
What can Hermes do with his
wand?
He charms to sleep the eyes of
whom he will, while again who
he will wakens out of slumber
Who is holding Odysseus
captive?
Calpyso- on the island of Ogygia
What is the main problem
Odysseus faces while traveling
by sea?
Poseidon
Book VI: How Odysseus
Appealed to Nausicaa, and She
Brought Him to Her Father's
House
Who is the only person who
doesn't run away from the
terrifying Odysseus?
Why doesn't she run away?
Nausicaa, as she is charmed by
him
She falls in love with him
Athene gave her courage
No man can give harm to the
Phaeacian land because they are
very dear (and protected) to the
Gods
What does the fact that
Odysseus won't bathe in front of
the girls tell us about the kind of
person he is?
Ashamed to bare himself in front
of the fair-haired maids
He is respectful of their
maidenhood
Why won't Nausicaa let
Odysseus ride in her cart?
People in town will talk ill of herthat she picked him up as a
castaway and foreigner, so she
wants to avoid scandal and rude
talk
While her father and mother are
alive- they should pick her
husband
Book VII: What Happened to
Odysseus in the Palace of
Alcinoos
What craft are the Phaiacians
best known for?
Black sailing ships
Book VIII: How They Held
Games and Sports in Phaiacia
Who is Demodocos?
A singing, scared Bard, blinded
by Muse but gifted in song
How is King Alcinoos helping
Odysseus to get home?
Provides a black ship with 52
youths to help as crew
What is Odysseus's reaction
whenever Demodocos sings
about the Trojan War?
He is saddened, then covers his
head in shame
Offers a toast to the Gods
Book IX: How Odysseus Visited
the Lotus-Eaters and the Cyclops
What was the effect of the Lotus
plant?
The plant made men forget
about going home and want to
stay
What is the first villainous thing
the Cyclops does?
Tears up 2 of them eats them
Why doesn't Odysseus kill the
Cyclops when he has the
chance?
He needs Cyclops strength to
move rock blocking cave
entrance
What gift does the Cyclops give
in return?
The honor of eating him
(Odysseus) last, after he eats all
of his men
What does Odysseus tell the
Cyclops that his name is?
Noman
(Nobody)
How do Odysseus and his men
sneak out of the Cyclops' cave?
Then men hang onto the
underbellies of the sheep and go
out of cave when Cyclops
removes the rock that blocks the
cave entrance
Book X: The Island of the Winds;
the Land of the Midnight Sun;
Circe
Who is the god of wind?
Aeolus (Aiolos)
What favor does he do for
Odysseus and his men?
Aeolus (Aiolos) gives Odysseus a
sack containing the courses of
the wind
What stupid mistake do some of
the men make on the ship?
Thinking the bag has gold and
silver, they open it unleashing
the winds which blow them back
to Aiolia
What does Circe do to some of
Odysseus's men?
Circe gives them potion (drugged
wine) than makes them forget
about going home, then turns
them into pigs
Book XI: How Odysseus Visited
the Kingdom of the Dead
Who is Teiresias?
Teiresias is a blind Theban
prophet
What is the name of Odysseus's
mother and how did she die?
Anticleia, she died of
grief/sadness/remorse waiting
for Odysseus’ return
Why can't Odysseus hug his
dead mother?
Anticleia is a ghost, spirit, soul,
dead, not of physical state
Book XII: The Singing Sirens, and
the Terrors of Scylla and
Charybdis
Why should Odysseus be wary
of the Sirens?
The Sirens song lures men to
their death
What should he and his men do
to keep safe from the Sirens?
Cover their ears
Plug their ears with beeswax
Describe Scylla.
Scylla is a six-headed monster, 12
feet, each head has 3 teeth, long
necked
What will Charybdis do if
Odysseus's ship gets too close?
Charybdis will drag the ship
down in a whirlpool (eddy)
Book XIII: How Odysseus Came
to Ithaca
What does Poseidon do to the
Phaeacian ship?
Poseidon turns the ship into
stone and sinks it
Whom does Athena instruct
Odysseus to visit first?
Eumaeus, the swineherd
(pigkeeper)
Book XIV: Odysseus and the
Swineherd
Describe Odysseus's disguise.
Odysseus is disguised as a beggar
in ragged clothes
Book XV: How Telemachos
Sailed Back to Ithaca
Who do you think will be the
first person to know Odysseus
for who he really is and why?
Telemachos because he is also
sent to the swineherd hut by
Athene
Book XVI: How Telemachos Met
His Father
What do Odysseus and
Telemachos plan to do? (Give
detail!)
Go to palace, Telemachos as
prince (himself) and Odysseus as
a beggar
Telmachos to rid the palace of all
arms save 2 for himself and
Odysseus
Telemachos is to hide in arms
surplus rooms
Attack and slaughter the suitors
Book XIX: How the Old Nurse
Knew Her Master
How does Eurycleia recognize
Odysseus?
While bathing him, Eurycleia
recognizes the scar on his knee
How did Odysseus get the scar
on his leg?
From a boar’s tusk while hunting
Describe Penelopeia's challenge
for the suitors.
Penelope will marry the man
who can take Odysseus’ bow and
arrow and shoot through the
blades of 12 axes line up in a row
Book XX: How God Sent Omens
of the Wrath to Come
Who proves himself to be a kind
and faithful servant?
Philoetius
Book XXII: The Battle in the Hall
Whom does Odysseus kill first
and why?
Antinoos, because he is the
leader of the suitors and want to
kill him and his son Telemachos
What does Odysseus do to the
unfaithful maids?
Odysseus makes the unfaithful
maids wash the corpses, clean up
the blood and hangs them
What is done to Melanthios?
Melanthius is tortured, cut up
and fed to the dogs
Book XXIII: How Odysseus
Found His Wife Again
How does Penelopeia test
Odysseus?
Penelopeia suggest that their
bed be moved, knowing that
only that she Odysseus know the
bed can’t be moved
Book XXIV: How Odysseus
Found His Old Father and How
the Story Ended
How does Odysseus prove that
he is really Laertes' son?
Odysseus tells Laertes of his
memories of the fruit tree
Laertes gave him when he was a
little boy
Reveals his scar
Who comes to battle Odysseus?
Whom are they led by?
The suitors’ fathers, led by
Antinoos father (Euphithes)
Antinoos father (Euphithes),
felled by one of Laertes spears
The
The End
End!