Characters and Places
Who is Telemachus?
Odysseus and Penelope's son, prince of Ithaca
What is morality?
It is the understanding of good and evil.
What causes Achilles and Agamemnon to fight in Book One?
After Agamemnon has to return Chryseis to her father to stop the plague sent by Apollo, Achilles assumes Agamemnon will take his prize and becomes angry. Agamemnon then disrespects Achilles.
What is Telemachus like at the start of the Odyssey?
He is very immature.
Who is Homer?
The author of the Iliad and the Odyssey.
Who is Patroclus?
Achilles' best friend, dies defending the Achaeans
What is the difference between fate and free will?
If everything is fated, we have no choice in the outcome of our lives. If we have free will, our outcomes are within our control.
What are Achilles' two fates?
He can either fight at Troy, die young and have undying glory or he can return home, live a long and happy life, but die with no glory.
What is life like at Pylos?
They are very religious and ruled by Nestor.
What is an epic poem? What is one formal feature of an epic poem?
It is a long poem that creates a cosmos. It has 12 or 24 books, it asks and answers questions, it starts in the middle of things (En media res), it calls upon a divine source (for Homer, the muses).
Who rules Pylos?
Nestor
What is foreshadowing?
It is when a text alludes to what is to come in the plot before it happens.
What effect does Patroclus' death have on Achilles?
He returns to battle and begins to fight to avenge his friend's death instead of fighting for glory.
How does Athena help Telemachus? How is she a mentor (and Mentor) to him?
She gives him advice first as Mentes to call and assembly and then go to Pylos and Sparta to find news of his father. She then comes as Mentor and has him gather supplies while she gets a crew and ship to sail. She then sails with him to Pylos and helps him in his discussions with Nestor.
Why is it important to study for finals?
Most important is that it solidifies the knowledge you gained during the school year. Your brain becomes stronger when you solidify your understanding. Also, you are in high school and your grades go on your permanent record that will be seen by colleges and future employers.
Who is Pisistratus?
Nestor's son who accompanies Telemachus to Sparta.
What is an epithet?
It is a short descriptive phrase about a person or thing mentioned. Example: "Hector breaker of horses"
What advice did both Andromache (Hector's wife) and Polydamus give to Hector? Hint: he reflects on their advice during his speech where he declares that he will not hide from Achilles)
That he should take the troops inside the walls of Troy instead of fighting in open land.
What human goods are not available on Calypso's island? (List at least two)
There is no family, friends, loved ones in general, means for glory, or goals to achieve. It is mere comfortable existence.
How did the Ancient Greeks view Homer's writings?
They understood them to be divinely inspired religious texts.
Who is Chryseis?
The girl given as a "prize" to Agamemnon. She is the daughter of the priest of Apollo (Chryses) who asks for her to be returned.
What is an aristeia?
It is a Greek word for a moment of greatness.
What are the three key one-on-one battles we see and how do they reflect the shift in the motivation for fighting the war?
First we see Menelaus and Paris fight (implying the war is over Helen). Then, Hector and Ajax fight for glory. Then, Hector and Achilles fight (implying the war is to avenge Patroclus' death).
What are the two stories told by Helen and Menelaus after they consume a potion that prevents them from feeling pain?
Helen tells a tail of Odysseus being disguised in Troy where she destroys his disguise. Menelaus tells the story of the Trojan horse in which Helen tries to foil Odysseus' Trojan horse plan.
What can we learn about human nature from reading ancient Greek texts?
We can see what components of the human soul are permanent and which are changing based on time, culture, and politics.