“The Lotus Eaters”
23. Who are the Lotus Eaters?
Live on island, eat Lotus flower-> forget about home
24. Who rescues the men from the Lotus Eaters?
Odysseus
“The Cyclops”
25. Who is the Goddess of Wisdom? Why is this goddess associated with Odysseus?
Athena – she’s his protectorate
26. Who are the Cyclops?
Brutish, 1 – eyed giants that raise sheep
27. Who is Polyphemus?
Cyclops, son of Poseidon
28. Why is Polyphemus important to the story?
He is the reason Odysseus has been kept off course and not allowed to return home- Poseidon’s
revenge
29. Why do Odysseus and his men visit the Cyclops’ cave?
Curiosity and hospitality
30. What does Odysseus tell Polyphemus about the location of his ship?
Lies and tells him it crashed on the rocks
31. What does Polyphemus do to two of Odysseus’ men after Odysseus tells him about the ship?
Eats them
32. Why doesn’t Odysseus kill Polyphemus?
Because they need his help to get out of the cave
33. What do Odysseus and his men make from the club found in the cave?
Spike/spear
34. When Polyphemus returns, what does Odysseus offer him?
wine
35. What does Odysseus tell Polyphemus his name is? (watch spelling!)
Nohbdy
36. What violent act does Odysseus perform on Polyphemus?
Puts his eye out
37. Why don’t the other Cyclops come to Polyphemus’ aid?
He says “Nohbdy” did anything to hurt him
38. How do Odysseus’ men get out of Polyphemus’ cave?
3 men tied to each sheep
39. How does Odysseus leave Polyphemus’ cave?
Grabs belly of largest/most prized ram
40. What does Odysseus do once he is back on his ship?
Taunts Polyphemus
41. How does the incident with Polyphemus have long-range effects on Odysseus?
He wont be able to return home for 10 years because of Poseidon’s revenge
42. What do we call today the result of what Polyphemus threw?
Tidal wave
Book 11 “The Land of the Dead”
55. Why does Odysseus go to the Land of the Dead?
To see Teiresias and learn of his destiny.
56. What does Odysseus do that will allow him to call up the dead?
sacrifice a black lamb
57. What god does Tiresias say is angry with Odysseus?
Poseidon
58. What does Tiresias predict for Odysseus’s men?
Death if they eat or slaughter the sacred cattle of Helios
59. What does Tiresias say Odysseus will find when he returns home?
His house filled with trouble; insolent (rude) men trying to marry his wife
60. What four steps does Tiresias recommend Odysseus do when he returns home?
1. kill the suitors 2. go overland on foot 3. take an oar 4. make sacrifice to Poseidon
61. Where does Tiresias say Odysseus will die?
At sea of old age
62. In Greek society, is death considered a good place? Why?
no- Teiresias asks why Odysseus would want to come there,
Book 12—“The Sirens; Scylla and Charybdis”
63. Who are the Sirens?
Sea hymphs who lured sailors to destruction with their songs – make them forget about home, ½ bird
½ woman
64. What does Circe tell Odysseus to do to his oarsmen?
Plug their ears with beeswax
65. What should Odysseus do if he wants to experience the Sirens?
Have his men tie him to the mast
66. Who is Scylla?
A rock who is personified as a female monster with 6 heads and 12 legs, devours sailors
67. What does Scylla do to all passing ships?
Takes 1 man from every gullet
68. Who is Charybdis?
A whirlpool, personified as female monster
69. What is Circe’s advice concerning Scylla and Charybdis?
Steer towards Scylla – better to lose 6 men than all of them
70. Why does she suggest this?
Better to lose 6 men than an entire crew
71. What does Circe warn will be the death of Odysseus’s crew?
When they slaughter the sacred cattle of Lord Helios
72. Of the sirens, Scylla, and Chrarybdis, of which does Odysseus tell his crew?
The Sirens
73. Why does Odysseus withhold information from his men?
Because he didn’t want them to panic
74. What kind of leader does Odysseus prove to be during this portion of the journey?
A fairly good one – he tries to motivate his men and he gets them through these dangers with only
losing 6 men
75. Whose cattle do Odysseus’s crew eat?
Helios
76. Why do they do this?
They were starving
77. What is the crew’s punishment?
Their ship is destroyed; everyone is killed except Odysseus
78. Where was Odysseus while this was happening?
The gods made him fall asleep