Books 1-3
Why did the goddess Athena want Zeus to send Hermes to Calypso?
Athena wanted Zeus to send Hermes with an order for Calypso to let Odysseus go.
What did Menelaus tell Telemachus about the wooden horse?
Odysseus had come up with a plan for the Greeks to get into the city of Troy by hiding in a wooden horse.
Why did Nausicaa go to the riverbank?
Athena had given her the idea of washing her wedding clothes.
Why did Odysseus and his men go into Cyclops’ cave?
They saw his food and wanted to see if he would welcome them.
How did Odysseus end up back in Ithaca, sleeping on the beach?
The Phaeacians brought him home and left him sleeping on the beach with his gifts around him.
What problems did Odysseus’ absence cause for his wife and son?
Suitors pressured Penelope to marry them and squandering Odysseus’ wealth.
Why didn’t Menelaus go right home after the Trojan War?
The gods had caused a wind to blow him to Egypt.
For what skills were Phaeacian men and women known for?
They were known as skilled sailors.
How did Odysseus and his men end up back in Aeolia?
The men greedily opened the bag, releasing a hurricane that blew them back to Aeolia and angering the king of winds by their disobedience.
Who was Eumaeus and what did he think of the suitors?
Eumaeus was the loyal swineherd who despised the arrogant suitors.
Why did Telemachus go on a voyage?
Athena disguised as Mentes suggested he seek information about his father.
How did Calypso help Odysseus leave the island and why?
She was ordered by Zeus the all-powerful to release Odysseus, so she helped him build a boat.
What did Nausicaa instruct Odysseus to do and why?
She told him to go to her mother for help but to walk with her handmaids instead of riding with her so that the townsfolk wouldn’t “talk.”
Why didn’t the other Cyclops help Polyphemus when he cried out after being blinded by Odysseus?
He cried out that “no one” was hurting him since “no one” is the name that Odysseus had given him.
Why did Telemachus return home to Ithaca?
Athena went to Sparta and suggested that it was time for Telemachus to return home, lest Penelope decide to marry one of the suitors.
Why didn’t Eurycleia want Telemachus to leave?
She worried that the trip by sea would be dangerous and the suitors would plot his death.
Why did Odysseus’ boat sink?
Angry Poseidon wanted to keep him from getting home.
How was Odysseus treated when he reached the palace?
The Phaeaians treated him kindly, offering him food.
What did Tiresias predict?
He predicted that Odysseus would get home but not before undergoing more trials.
What plans did Odysseus and his son make?
They planned to arm themselves and attack the suitors.
What did Nestor know about Odysseus’ whereabouts?
He knew only that Odysseus had not returned home.
Why didn’t Odysseus drown?
Athena and a sea nymph helped him stay afloat and get to shore.
At which event did Odysseus excel at?
The discuss toss
How did Odysseus’ men get into trouble on the island of the Sun God? How many survived?
They disobeyed and ate the sun god’s cattle. They all died in the shipwreck.
How did Athena disguise Odysseus and where did she send him?
She disguised him as a tattered beggar so that he could make his plans for getting revenge on the suitors.