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English 1
Spring 2011
Notes
Very Important People and Places in The Odyssey
VIP Prologue (map #1)
1.
Aphrodite: the goddess of love, Paris chose her “bribe” of the most desirable woman
2.
Athena: Daughter of Zeus and goddess of wisdom, purposeful battle, and the
womanly arts. She bribed Paris with the all-knowing. Athena assists Odysseus and
Telemachus with divine powers throughout the epic, and she speaks up for them in
the councils of the gods on Mount Olympus. She often appears in disguise as
Mentor, an old friend of Odysseus.
3.
Eris: The Lady of Discord, who showed uninvited to a wedding and threw upon the
table a golden apple inscribed “to the fairest”
4.
Helen: The married woman of King Menelaus. It is she who fled with Paris and is
called “the face that launched a thousand ships” and was responsible for the start
of the Trojan War.
5.
Hera: queen of the Gods, she bribed Paris with power
6.
Menelaus: the Greek King of Sparta, brother to Agememnon, married to Helen, he
summoned the other Greek Kings to keep their vow when Penelope fled.
7.
Mount Olympus: the mountain home to Zeus and other gods
8.
Paris: the shepherd boy who was secretly a prince and chosen by the gods to settle
the dispute of Eris’ golden apple
9.
Troy: the famous city, known for its protective walls, where a war raged for ten years
over an apple, then a girl, fought by a thousand kings, and ended with a horse.
10.
Zeus: King of gods and men, who mediates the disputes of the gods on Mount
Olympus. Zeus is occasionally depicted as weighing men’s fates in his scales. He
sometimes helps Odysseus or permits Athena to do the same.
VIP On the Journey Home
11.
Aeaea: home of Circe, the witch-goddess-map 7, 9
12.
Aeolia: the home of Aeolus, the keeper of the winds-map 5
13.
Aeolus: God or King of the Winds, who keeps control over them and lets them out as
requested by the other gods. He tries to help Odysseus by giving him a bag of all the
unfavorable winds to aid his journey home. However, his crew believes it to be secret
treasure and just when they are in sight of Ithaca, they open the bag and are blown
off course again-map 5
14.
Alcinous: king of the Phaeacians and person to whom Odysseus tells his story-map 15
15.
Anticleia: Odysseus’s mother. He meets her in Hades and learns she died of Grief
over his absence-map 8
16.
Calypso: The beautiful nymph who falls in love with Odysseus when he lands on her
island-home of Ogygia. Calypso holds him prisoner there for seven years until
Hermes, the messenger god, persuades her to let him go- map 14
17.
Charybdis: a sea monster and deadly whirlpool, who sucks in and out water three
times a day. She is opposite Scylla- map 11
18.
Cicones: Odysseus’ and his 12 ships first stop after he leaves troy. His men plunder
and and attack the people, celebrate, become mutinous, and then are surprised
and driven back with heavy losses- map 2
19.
Circe: The beautiful witch-goddess who transforms Odysseus’s crew into swine when
he lands on her island. With Hermes’ help, Odysseus resists Circe’s powers and then
becomes her lover, living in luxury at her side for a year- map 7, 9
20.
Erebus: the land of the dead, hell, haites-map 8
21.
Eurylochus: One of Odysseus’ crew. He is the one who ties Odysseus to the mast of
the ship to pass the Sirens and then later convinces Odysseus’ men to eat the cattle
of Lord Helios- map 10, 13
22.
Helios/Apollo: The god of the sun, music, poetry, medicine, law, and flocks and
herds. It is he who destroys Odysseus’s men when they eat his beloved herd of
cattle- map 13
23.
Hermes: The messenger God who requires Calypso to release Odysseus on Zeus’
orders and saves Odysseus from the spell of Circe- map 13, 14
24.
Laestrygonians: giant cannibals who eat Odysseus’ scouts when they are driven
there by the unfavorable winds- map 6
25.
Lotus eaters: inhabitants of a land visited by Odysseus where he loses 3 men who eat
the lotus plant and lose the desire to return home- map 3
26.
Nausicaa: The beautiful Princess of Phaeaceans. It is she who finds Odysseus washed
up on their shore and takes him home to offer hospitality- map15
27.
Odysseus: The protagonist of the Odyssey. Odysseus fought among the other Greek
heroes at Troy and now struggles to return to his kingdom in Ithaca. Odysseus is the
husband of Queen Penelope and the father of Prince Telemachus. Though a strong
and courageous warrior, he is most renowned for his cunning. He is a favorite of the
goddess Athena, who often sends him divine aid, but a bitter enemy of Poseidon,
who frustrates his journey at every turn-map 14
28.
Ogygia: the paradise home of Calypso-map 14
29.
Phaeacia/Scheria: home of the Phaeacians- map 15
30.
Polyphemus: One of the Cyclopes (uncivilized one-eyed giants) whose island
Odysseus comes to soon after leaving Troy. Polyphemus imprisons Odysseus and his
crew and tries to eat them, but Odysseus blinds him through a clever ruse and
manages to escape. In doing so, however, Odysseus angers Polyphemus’ father,
Poseidon – map 4
31.
Poseidon: God of the sea. As the suitors are Odysseus’s mortal antagonists, Poseidon
is his divine antagonist. He despises Odysseus for blinding his son, the Cyclops
Polyphemus, and constantly hampers his journey home. Ironically, Poseidon is the
patron of the seafaring Phaeacians, who ultimately help to return Odysseus to
Ithaca – map 4
32.
Scylla: a frightful sea monster with twelve feet and six heads, each with three rows of
teeth. Below the waist her body was made up of hideous monsters, like dogs, who
barked unceasingly. She is opposite Charybdis and ate 6 of Odysseus’ men- map 12
33.
Sirens: creatures with the head of a female and the body of a bird. They lived on an
island and with the irresistible charm of their song they lured mariners to their
destruction on the rocks surrounding their island. When Odysseus passed the Sirens,
he had the sailors stuff their ears with wax and Perimedes tie him to the mast for he
wanted to hear their beautiful voices – map 10
34.
Thrinakia: Home of the Helios, the Sun God- map 13
35.
Tiresias: the famous blind prophet Odysseus meets in Hades. He allows Odysseus to
communicate with the other souls there, confirms he will eventually make it home to
Ithaca and gives him lots of valuable information to help him get home- map 8
VIP At Home in Ithaca (map #16)
36.
Amphinomus: one of Penelope’s suitors, the only decent one
37.
Antnous: the most arrogant of Penelope’s suitors. He leads the campaign to kill
Telemachus and is the first to die when Odysseus returns
38.
Argos: Odysseus’ old dog
39.
Eumaeus: A loyal shepherd who shares hospitality with Odysseus disguised as a
beggar and then helps him to regain his throne on Ithaca
40.
Eurycleia: faithful servant of Odysseus. She keeps Telemachus’ secret when he
leaves and Odysseus’ when he returns. It is she who recognizes him through the
disguise because of a scar on his leg
41.
Eurymachus: A manipulative and deceitful suitor. He excerpts some influence over
the other suitors. He is the suitor who begs Odysseus to let him live
42.
Eurynome: Penelope’s housekeeper/waiting woman. Some think she is the one and
the same as Eurycleia. Different versions state she is the one who recognized
Odysseus’ scar and informed Penelope of his return.
43.
Ithaca: Odysseus’ kingdom that he has been away from for 20 years
44.
Laertes: Odysseus’ father who has been suffering in Odysseus’ absence. He regains
vitality when Odysseus returns and then kills Antinuous’ father.
45.
Nestor: the wise King of Pylos, a Trojan war hero, he is visited by Telemachus early on
in his search for knowledge of Odysseus
46.
Penelope: Wife of Odysseus and mother of Telemachus. Penelope spends her days
in the palace pining for the husband who left for Troy twenty years earlier and never
returned. Homer portrays her as sometimes flighty and excitable but also clever and
steadfastly true to her husband.
47.
Telemachus: Odysseus’s son. An infant when Odysseus left for Troy, Telemachus is
about twenty at the beginning of the story. He is a natural obstacle to the suitors
desperately courting his mother, but despite his courage and good heart, he initially
lacks the poise and confidence to oppose them. His maturation, especially during his
trip to Pylos and Sparta in Books 3 and 4, provides a subplot to the epic. Athena
often assists him.