NAME:
CONNECT THE DOTS ODYSSEY ASSIGNMENT
I.
DATE:
The Map: Books 5—12 (9 points)
The Odysseus’ adventures are numbered in order on the other side of the map. The
modern names of these places appear in parentheses next to the name used in the epic.
On a modern map of the Mediterranean 1) find the places listed, and write the
correct number in each circle on the map. Neatness counts! 2) Connect the dots
between the places to follow Odysseus on his adventures.
II.
Odysseus in Phaeacia—Reflect and Connect: Books 5—9 (8 points)
A. Describe what happens to Odysseus in Books 5—9 1) How does Odysseus land? 2)
What does Athena do to help him? 3) Who is Nausicaa, and how does she help him?
4) Why doesn’t Odysseus reveal who he is at first? 5) How do King Alcinous and
Queen Arete help him? 6) Why do they help him? 7) In these books, what happens
that is humorous? 8) What happens that is touching? (8 points)
III.
The Adventures: Books 5—12 (52 points)
A. Using the list of 16 place names from your map, for each adventure, 1) write a
brief description of what happens to Odysseus and his men. Also, 2) briefly quote
a line or two from each adventure that seems to say something important about it,
and briefly explain why you think so. (32 points)
B. Which is your favorite episode? Why? Reflect on how this episode says something
important about Odysseus, his goal, and the epic question of the poem. (10 points)
C. Describe an event from anywhere in Books 5—12 that describes a character
trait of Odysseus: arrogance, shrewdness, slyness (many wiles) cleverness, loyalty,
duplicity. What is the event and what does it tell us about him? (10 points)
IV.
Homeric Style: The Entire Epic (16 points)
Find elements of Homeric style, listed below. 1) Give the book number for each, and
2) explain what you like about each of the ones you chose. (Is imagery a factor?)
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List two favorite epic similes, and explain why the comparisons are clever.
List four favorite epithets, and explain why you like them.
List your favorite quote, and explain why you like it.
Describe your favorite gross-out moment, and explain your opinion on the violence.
V. Three Reflections: (15 points) Books 1—4, 5—12 and 13—24
Choose an issue or event from each of three parts of the epic listed below to write about.
Each reflection should be about 300 words. The goal is to make a personal connection to the
issues or events that you choose: How do you relate to the characters or the events? What
aspects of beauty, or universal truth, do you see in them? You can write about one of the
events listed below, or choose others yourself. You must, however, choose one from the
beginning, middle and end of the epic.
Books 1-4:
 Explain how Athena helps Telemachus, first in the guise of Mentes and then as Mentor. (Look
up “mentor” in the dictionary, and comment on the derivation of the word.) Why doesn’t she
reveal herself to him as a goddess?
 Comment on the death of Odysseus’ mother, Anticleia, how Odysseus reacts when he sees her
in Hades, and Penelope’s dreams of her.
 Using details from the epic, describe Telemachus and Penelope’s relationship. Or, Penelope’s
loyalty to her lost husband.
 Describe Telemachus’ meeting with Menalaus and Helen – especially the characterization of
Helen. What kind of a person do you imagine her to be from Homer’s description of her?
Books 5-12:
 Comment on human experiences as related to one of Odysseus’ adventures: For example,
taking drugs to forget, temptation to avoid your responsibilities, pursuing dangerous, extreme
delights, knowing that your choices will harm those close to you, visiting the dead, being
separated from loved ones, or any other connections you might make to his adventures, or to
his visit with the Phaeacians in these books.
Books 13-24:
 What happens during the reunification of Odysseus with his son, his swineherd, his nanny, and
his poor old dog, Argos? What makes these scenes poignant and touching?
 Why might Homer address Eumaeus the swineherd as if he were in the audience? (“And you,
swineherd Eumaeus, this was your reply…”) Think of the performance aspect of the epic, and
the very personal relationship between Odysseus and this lowly servant?
 What happens during the reunification of Odysseus and Penelope? How and why is this
moment delayed in the epic? How does Penelope react when she first sees Odysseus? How
does she test him to see if it’s really her husband?
 Describe how Odysseus tricks and traps the suitors and their women. What do you think of
the violence? Do they deserve this? What about including his son, Telemachus?
 Describe what happens at the end of the epic. How does reconciliation become an important
concept for the culture of the Greeks during their empire?
VI.
Make a NICE COVER and TYPE this project neatly! (5 points extra credit!)
NAME
The Adventures of Odysseus
Note: Book 5 begins on Calypso’s island. Odysseus then goes to Phaeacia, where he tells the story of these
adventures. Book 12 ends with Odysseus still in Phaeacia, so you’ll have to read the ending to find out what
happens in Ithaca.
Places Names of Odysseus’ Voyage: (The modern name is in parentheses.)
Write the number of each place on the map. When you’re done, connect the dots! 
1) Troy (Turkey)
2) Land of the Ciconёs (Northern Greece)
3) Land of the Lotus Eaters (Tunis)
4) Land of the Cyclops (Sicily or Sicilia)
5) Aeolus’s Floating Island (Pantelleria)
6) Land of the Laestrygonians (Mallorca)
7) Circe’s Island – Aeaea (Elba, an island east of Corsica, or Corse)
8) Erebus or Hades (Through the Straits of Gibraltar)
(Go Back to Circe’s Island—She’ll warn him about the Wandering Rocks—before he continues to…)
9) Sirens (Off the Coast of Rome or Roma)
10) Wandering Rocks (Bay of Naples or Napoli)
11) Scylla (Reggio di Calabria in the toe of Italy’s boot)
12) Island of Helios - Thrinacia (Malta)
13) Charybdis (Strait of Messina)
14) Calypso’s Island – Ogygia (Southern Sardinia or Sardegna)
15) Island of the Phaeacians - Scheria (Corfu or Kerkira)
16) Ithaca
Extra
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Credits for the Project:
How many ships does Odysseus start off with? Where does he lose all but one?
What happens to the boat and Phaeacian sailors who take Odysseus back to Ithaca?
Which suitor is first to die? Why?
How will Odysseus die?
How does Odysseus get Circe to change those pigs back into men?
What is the name of the bard who sings and makes Odysseus cry?
Name the five rivers in Hades. Name the four winds. Name and identify the nine Muses.
NAME:
Identify the following list of characters and places.
1. Acheron
2. Achilles
3. Aeolus
4. Agamemnon
5. Ajax
6. Alcinous
7. Amphinomus
8. Anticleia
9. Antinous
10. Arete
11. Argos
12. Athena
13. Calypso
14. Circe
15. Clytemnestra
16. Cocytus
17. Elpenor
18. Elysian Fields
19. Erebus
20. Eumaeus
21. Eurycleia
22. Eurylochus
23. Eurymachus
24. Field of
Asphodels
DATE:
25. Harpies
26. Helen
27. Helios
28. Ilion
29. Ino
30. Laertes
31. Melanthius
32. Melantho
33. Menelaus
34. Mentor
35. Nausicaa
36. Nestor
37. Odysseus
38. Penelope
39. Peisistratus
40. Philoetius
41. Polyphemus
42. Poseidon
43. Proteus
44. Sirens
45. Sisyphus
46. Styx
47. Tantalus
48. Telemachus
49. The Muses
50. Tiresias
Name
(1) Vocabulary The Odyssey
1. adze: (
)
2. aegis: (
)
3. astute: (
)
4. augury: (
)
5. baldric: (
)
6. brandish: (
7. brine: (
)
)
8. calamity: (
)
9. cerulean: (
)
10. clarion: (
)
11. comber: (n. )
12. concubine: (
)
13. consummate: ( adj. )
14. contrive: (
)
Date
Write part of speech, definition and SENTENCES
15. dalliance: (
)
16. diadem: (
)
17. emissary: (
)
18. estuary: ( )
19. fallow: ( )
20. feign: (
)
21. forlorn: (
)
22. formidable: ( )
23. girt: (
)
24. guise: (
)
25. halyard: ( )
26. hawsers: (
)
27. hecatombs: (
)
28. hone: ( )
29. impel: (
)
30. impetuous: (
)
Name
(2) Vocabulary The Odyssey
31. impudence: (
32. javelin: (
)
)
33. libation: (
)
34. limpid: (
)
35. malice: (
)
36. malign: (
)
37. melancholy: (
)
38. obdurate: ( )
39. opulence: (
)
40. palpable: (
)
41. pensive: (
)
42. plentitude: (
43. portico: (
)
)
44. promontory: (
)
Date
Write part of speech, definition and SENTENCES
45. propitious: (
46. putrefy: (
)
)
47. quandary: (
)
48. recompense: (
49. shamble: (
)
)
50. shroud: ( )
51. stratagem: (
)
52. tenacious: (
53. tendril: (
)
)
54. threshold: (
55. thwart: (
)
)
56. unabashed: (
57. unstinting: (
)
58. veracity: (
)
59. winnow: (
)
60. zenith: ( )
)