Troy
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The Greeks defeated the Trojans by offering a wooden horse gift that secretly housed Greek soldiers who popped out and attacked the Trojans.
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Odysseus came up with the horse plan and became the Greek hero of the war.
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He is trying to return home to Ithaca from Troy.
Cicones
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They land on the coast of the Cicones, stole their cattle, and enslaved their women.
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The Cicones brought their army and killed many of Odysseus’ men.
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Zeus punishes Odysseus by driving his ship off course.
Lotus Eaters
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They landed on the island to find water.
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Odysseus sent out scouts to find water, and the scouts ate the lotus flower, which made them not want to leave.
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Odysseus dragged them back to ship and tied them down under the rowing benches.
Cyclops
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Odysseus and his men find themselves trapped in the Cyclops cave and the Cyclops begins to eat his men.
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Odysseus tricks him into getting drunk and stabs his eye out with a burning-hot, whittled tree.
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Odysseus tells the Cyclops that his name is Nohbdy; when the Cyclops calls out to his Cyclops friends, the
Cyclops says he was attacked by Nohbdy.
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When Odysseus and his men escape (they tie themselves under the bellies of sheep), Odysseus can’t help himself and tells Cyclops his true name.
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The Cyclops curses Odysseus.
*Island of Aeolia
The wind god Aeolus gave Odysseus a bag of wind to get him back on track but his men open the bag and release the wind, putting them farther off course.
*Laestrygonians
The Laestrygonians are cannibalistic giants that eat many of Odysseus’ men.
Circe
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Odysseus sends men out to search the island, and they meet Circe, who turns them into pigs.
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The messenger god Hermes gives Odysseus a moly to vaccinate him from Circe’s spell.
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Circe releases his men but convinces Odysseus to stay with her.
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To get home, Circe tells Odysseus that he must visit the Land of the Dead and the blind prophet, Teiresias.
Land of the Dead and Teiresias
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Odysseus meets Teiresias and gives him a sheep sacrifice.
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Teriesias gives him a prophecy: Poseidon curses you for blinding Cyclops, don’t eat the cattle on Thrinakia, and you will be the only survivor of your journey.

Circe/Sirens
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Circe tells Odysseus his fate (prophecy)
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The Sirens are mermaid-like women who sing irresistible songs that draw ships into the Sirens’ shipwrecking rocks.
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The men put beeswax in their ears to not hear the Sirens’ song and Odysseus is tied to the mast of the ship
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The plan works.
Charybdis
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A whirlpool that sucks in water and spits it out—it had a yawning mouth.
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Many of Odysseus’ men are killed by Charybdis and his ship is nearly destroyed.
Scylla
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A female sea monster with six heads and twelve tentacles that ate at least six of Odysseus’ men.
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She made the men dangle off the ship.
Thranakia
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The men are dying of starvation.
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Despite Odysseus’ warning to not eat the cattle, they disobey and eat them.
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Zeus punishes them with a thunderbolt that destroys their boat.
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All the men die but Odysseus.
*Calypso
She makes Odysseus her love slave; he stays with her for a long time until she begrudgingly releases him.
Phaeacia
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Odysseus washes up on shore and is treated as if he were god sent.
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King Alcinous is the king of Phaeacia.
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Odysseus tells the court his story.
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The Phaeacians return Odysseus to Ithaca.