Odyssey Study Guide
Epic Poem – long narrative poem that tells the adventures of heroes who embody the values of their particular
civilizations.
Myths – stories that use fantasy to express ideas about life that cannot be expressed easily in realistic terms.
Most myths are essentially religious because they are concerned with the relationship between human beings
and the unknown or spiritual realm.
Homer - He may have been a blind minstrel, a legend, or an ideal model for a class of wandering bards, or
minstrels later called “rhapsodes”. He is created with creating the epic poem the Odyssey.
Homeric similes – An extended comparison that compares heroic or epic events with easily understandable
everyday events
Epithet – an adjective or other descriptive phrase that is regularly used to characterize a person, place, or thing.
Ex. wine-dark sea; Dawn with fingertips of rose, gray-eyed Athena, wily Odysseus.
Events: The Greeks win the great battle of Troy and begin the trip home,
Cicones – Odysseus and his men are too proud of their resent accomplishments and decide it is okay to just take what
they want from the Cicones – Zeus punishes them and sends them off course,
Lotus Eaters – the scouts that Odysseus sends onshore eat the Lotus flower and are hypnotized – Odysseus finds them,
ties them up and sails away,
Cyclops – this story is the best examples of all the hero characteristics (bravery, intelligence, strength, nobility, and
seeking notoriety. This story also results in the curse.
Aeolia – The wind God befriends Odysseus and ties all the hurricane force winds into a leather bag. They sail very close
to Ithaca and while Odysseus sleeps, the men open the bag releasing all the hurricane winds that blow them back to
Aeolus. The wind god refuses to help a second time.
Laestrygonians – the land of giant cannibals
Circe – the witch that turns the men into pigs. Odysseus is spared because Hermes gives him mole (garlic). She holds
them several seasons then tells Odysseus to go to the Land of the Dead and speak to Teiresias.
Land of the Dead – Teiresias gives him the prophecy and he returns to Circe
Circe – Circe gives him advice on how to survive the three monsters in the strait between Sicily and Italy
Sirens – the song will cause sailors to jump overboard – saved by using wax in their ears and tying Odysseus to the mast.
Charybdis – gigantic whirlpool – avoid by sailing along the cliffs on the left
Scylla – 6 headed monster that eats 6 men – cannot avoid her
Thrinakia – island of the sun god Helios – do not eat his cattle or all will die – men avoided cattle until all the food ran
out and they were starving. Men decided if they were going to die- it was better to drown than starve,
Calypso – only Odysseus survives and is rescued by Calypso who keeps him captive for seven years. Finally Zeus
ordered her to let him go – he builds a raft and sets sail
Phaeacia – Poseidon sinks his raft and he washes up on the shores of Phaeacia. The king finds out who he
really is and provides a magical ship to take him “under strange sail” back to Ithaca.
Ithaca – back home he must find out who was loyal – kill the suitors and unloyal servants, make sacrifices and
then live out his days in peace.
Characters:
In Ithaca: Antinous, Eumaeus, Eurycleia, Penelope, Odysseus, Telemachus, Irus ( cowherd),
During the travels of Telemachus: Helen, Menelaus, Nestor
During the Odyssey: Aeolus, Alcinous, Calypso, Charybdis, Circe, Polyphemus, Nausicaa, Scylla, Sirens,
Teiresias,
Gods: Athena, Hermes, Poseidon, Zeus