Background Info
Which poem tells the story of the Trojan War?
The Illiad
What is the setting of The Odyssey?
Ancient Greece
Who is Calypso?
The nymph who kept Odysseus on her island for 7 years
What danger to Odysseus’s men do the Lotus-Eaters pose?
Eating the lotus will make the men forget about returning home.
In which episode does Odysseus lose all his remaining men?
The Cattle of the Sun God
Who wrote The Odyssey?
Homer
Odysseus’s homeland is what?
Ithaca
Who is Tiresias?
The blind prophet in the land of the dead
Charybdis is depicted as what?
A whirlpool
When the Cyclops asks Odysseus’s name, what does Odysseus tell him?
Odysseus lies, telling the Cyclops that he is called “Nohbdy.”
How long did the Trojan War last?
10 years
Which qualities is Odyseus most known for?
Wits and intelligence
Who is Eurylochus?
Odysseus’ soldier who convinced the men to eat Helios’ cattle
Scylla eats what?
Six of Odysseus’s men
Why does Odysseus not kill the Cyclops right away?
They need him to move the rock slab from the doorway.
Who were the superpowers fighting in the Trojan War?
Troy and Sparta
How long does it take Odysseus to get home after the war is over?
10 years.
Who is Circe?
Goddess who told Odysseus to seek out Tiresias
The name of the Cyclops is what?
Polyphemus
At the end of the Cyclops adventure, what does the Cyclops do that has an important impact on future events in the epic?
He begs his father to curse Odysseus.
When was The Odyssey written?
800 BCE.
What is one thing we can learn about Ancient Greek society from reading The Odyssey?
They care about their comrades, they make sense of nature through the gods, they believe in courage, etc.
Who is Alcinous?
The king who is listening to Odysseus tell about his travels
Odysseus is able to resist the Sirens by doing what?
Being tied to the mast of the ship
What does Odysseus do as his ship is leaving the island of the Cyclops?
Tells Cyclops his real name