HOMER’S ODYSSEY
BACKGROUND
• BEGINS 10 YEARS AFTER THE 10 YEAR TROJAN WAR
• ODYSSEUS’ SON, TELEMACHUS IS AROUND 20 YEARS OLD LIVING ON
ISLAND OF ITHICA WITH HIS MOM, PENELOPE
• SUITORS ARE TRYING TO PERSUADE PENELOPE TO MARRY
• The GODDESS ATHENA SPEAKS WITH ZEUS IN ORDER TO HELP ODYSSEUS
• ATHENA PERSUADES TELEMACHUS TO SEARCH FOR ODYSSEUS
LOTUS EATERS
EVENT #1: THE LOTUS EATERS
•ODYSSEUS AND HIS MEN ARRIVE IN THE LAND OF THE
LOTUS EATERS
•THEY EAT LOTUS FLOWERS
•THE FLOWERS CAUSE THEM TO LOSE THEIR DESIRE TO
LEAVE
•ODYSSEUS MUST FORCE THEM BACK ON THE SHIP
POLYPHEMUS A.K.A. CYCLOPS
Event #2 POLYPHEMUS (the Cyclops)
•When supplies were low, Odysseus and his men
stopped on a small island
•They found a Cyclops named Polyphemus
•Polyphemus ate goat cheese and milk, and
sometimes HUMANS!
•Polyphemus tricked the men and held them
captive in a cave
•ODYSSEUS HAD A PLAN
•HE WOULD GIVE POLYPHEMUS SOME RED
WINE TO MAKE HIM FALL ASLEEP
•HE LIT A STAKE ON FIRE AND POKED IT INTO
POLYPHEMUS’ EYE
•ODYSSEUS AND HIS MEN ESCAPED, BUT…
•POLYPHEMUS ASKED HIS FATHER, POSEIDON,
GOD OF THE SEA
TO PLACE A CURSE ON ODYSSEUS, SO HE
WOULD NEVER GET HOME AGAIN, AND IF HE
DID GET HOME, IT WOULD BE A TERRIBLE
JOURNEY
ISLAND OF AEOLIA
EVENT #3 KING AEOLUS
• AFTER RESTING FOR A MONTH, ODYSSEUS AND HIS MEN
PREPARE TO LEAVE
• KING AEOLUS GIVES ODYSSEUS A BAG A WINDS, TELLING HIM
NOT TO OPEN IT
• ALMOST BACK HOME, WHILE ODYSSEUS SLEEPS, THE MEN
OPEN THE BAG OF WINDS
• THEY ARE BLOWN BACK NEAR THE ISLAND OF AEOLIA
LAND OF LAESTRYGONIANS
EVENT #4 LAND OF LAESTRYGONIANS
• IT IS DAYLIGHT 24 HOURS A DAY ON THE ISLAND
• THE MEN SAW A YOUNG GIRL
• SHE TOOK THEM TO HER MOTHER, THE QUEEN
• SHE WAS HIDEOUS AND HUGE AS A MOUNTAIN
• HER HUSBAND WANTED BLOOD, SO…
•THE KING GRABBED THE FIRST MAN HE SAW
AND TORE HIM IN HALF!
•THE MEN QUICKLY RAN BACK TO THE SHIP
•THE LAESTRYGONIANS PELTED THEM WITH
BOULDERS
•SHIPS AND MEN WERE SMASHED
•ODYSSEUS LEFT WITH ONLY 1 SHIP AND VERY
FEW MEN
CIRCE THE BEAUTIFUL SORCERER
EVENT #:5 CIRCE
• THE MESSENGER GOD, HERMES CAME TO VISIT ODYSSEUS
• HE WARNED HIM THAT CIRCE LIKED TO TURN MEN INTO PIGS
• HE COULD BE PROTECTED IF HE ATE A BLACK MOLDY FLOWER
• CIRCE TURNED ALL THE MEN INTO PIGS EXCEPT ODYSSEUS
• CIRCE PROMISES TO TURN ODYSSEUS’ MEN BACK IF HE
STAYS A YEAR
• CIRCE GIVES ODYSSEUS SOME ADVICE
• SHE TELLS HIM HE WON’T SEE HIS HOME AGAIN IF HE
SAILS THERE DIRECTLY
• SHE TELLS HIM TO SEE THE BLIND PROPHET, TIRESIAS IN
THE UNDERWORLD
The Blind Prophet, TIRESIAS
EVENT #6: UNDERWORLD AND TIRESIAS
• TIRESIAS GIVES ODYSSEUS WARNINGS ABOUT HAVING
A HAPPY DEATH
• ODYSSEUS “SEES” FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT HAVE
BEEN LOST, INCLUDING ACHILLES
THE SIRENS
EVENT #7: THE SIRENS
• ODYSSEUS AND HIS MEN SAIL PAST THE SIRENS
• THEY SING SONGS TO LURE PASSING CREWS AND
SHIPS TO THEIR DEATH
• ODYSSEUS ORDERS HIS MEN TO FILL THEIR EARS WITH
WAX
• THEY TIE HIM TO THE MAST SO HE CAN HEAR THE
SONGS, BUT NOT BE ABLE TO BE TRICKED
EVENT #8: SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS
•ODYSSEUS MUST CHOOSE BETWEEN SAILING
BY EITHER SCYLLA OR CHARYBDIS
•HE TAKES CIRCE’S ADVISE AND SAILS PAST
SCYLLA, WHO EATS ONLY SIX OF HIS MEN AND
ALLOWS HIM TO PASS
SCYLLA, THE SIX-HEADED MONSTER
CHARYBDIS, THE WHIRLPOOL DEMON
HELIOS
EVENT #9: HELIOS
• HELIOS HAD MANY CATTLE THAT WERE HIS PRIDE AND JOY
• CIRCE WARNED ODYSSEUS NOT TO STOP ON THIS ISLAND, BUT IF HE
HAD TO, NOT TO TOUCH THE CATTLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• ODYSSEUS TOLD HIS MEN NOT TO TOUCH THE CATTLE
• BUT DID THEY LISTEN? NO THEY KILLED A COW AND ATE IT
• WHEN THEY LEFT THE ISLAND, A HUGE STORM SWEPT ALL BUT
ODYSSEUS AWAY TO DROWN
CALYSPO, THE SEA NYMPH
EVENT #10 CALYSPO
• ODYSSEUS SWAM TO THE NEAREST ISLAND OWNED
BY CALYSPO THE BEAUTIFUL SEA NYMPH
• SHE IMMEDIATELY FELL IN LOVE WITH ODYSSEUS
WHEN SHE SAW HIM
• ODYSSEUS WANTED TO STAY UNTIL HE RECOVERED
• CALYSPO WANTED HIM TO STAY FOREVER!!
•ATHENA FELT SORRY FOR ODYSSEUS AND TALKED
TO ZEUS
•ZEUS ORDERED CALYSPO TO LET ODYSSEUS GO
•AFTER 7 YEARS, CALYSPO GIVES ODYSSEUS A
RAFT AND SETS HIM FREE
•THE RAFT IS DESTROYED BY POISEDON WHO IS
STILL ANGRY ABOUT POLYPHEMUS
SCHERIA
EVENT #11 KING AND QUEEN OF SCHERIA
• ODYSSEUS WASHES UP ON THE ISLAND OF
SCHERIA
• THE KING AND QUEEN ASK ODYSSEUS TO TELL HIS
STORY
• THEY AGREE TO HELP HIM AND GIVE HIM THEIR
BEST SHIP TO RETURN TO ITHACA
ITHACA-THE LONG RETURN HOME
EVENT #12 ITHACA
• ODYSSEUS FINALLY RETURNS HOME
• ATHENA TELLS HIM WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO HIS
FAMILY AND ISLAND WHILE HE’S BEEN GONE 20 YEARS
• SHE TELLS HIM THAT SUITORS WERE ATTEMPTING TO
MARRY HIS WIFE, PENELOPE
• PENELOPE HAD 1 DAY TO DECIDE ON A HUSBAND
•ODYSSEUS WENT TO PENELOPE IN DISGUISE
AND TOLD HER HE WAS HOME
•THEY CAME UP WITH A PLAN
•THERE WOULD BE AN ARCHERY CONTEST
•THE WINNER WOULD BE CHOSEN AS HER
HUSBAND
ODYSSEUS WON BECAUSE HE WAS THE BEST ARCHER
IN ALL OF GREECE!
THE END
ODYSSEUS AND PENELOPE LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER