The Cattle Of The Sun God

Odysseus

100

Where does Odysseus's crew persuade Odysseus to land on?

Thrinakia, the island of the sun god, Helios

200

What does Odysseus make his men swear to do before they land on Thrinakia?

makes them swear not to touch Helios's cattle

300

What did Odysseus pray to the gods for in the cave?

he prayed that they would give him some way of salvation

400

What happened when Odysseus and his men set sail again?

a thunderbolt from Zeus destroyed their ship and all the men except Odysseus drowned

500

What does Odysseus also have to do?

reclaim his own kingdom, and reclaim his power.

Zeus

100

What does Zeus do in the cattle of the sun god?

He threatens that if they do not pay him full atonement for the cattle, he will take the sun to the Underworld and shine it among the dead. Zeus promises Helios to smite their ship with a lightning bolt and cleave it in pieces in the midst of the ocean.

200

How does Zeus punish Odysseus?

They do so one afternoon as Odysseus sleeps; when the Sun finds out, he asks Zeus to punish Odysseus and his men. Shortly after the Achaeans set sail from Thrinacia, Zeus kicks up another storm, which destroys the ship and sends the entire crew to its death beneath the waves.

300

How does Zeus respond to Helios threat?

Helios threatens to stop the sun from shining. To placate Helios, Zeus sends down a thunderbolt that sinks Odysseus' ship and kills all his remaining crew.

400

How did Zeus punish Odysseus's men for killing the sun god's cattle?

The Sun God's Anger.

He marches up to Zeus and the gods and demands punishment for the transgressions of Odysseus' men. He threatens to drag the sun down to the underworld, shining a light on the souls of the dead if his cattle were not avenged.

500

What is Zeus response to Helios demand for revenge?

Zeus tell Helios that it's okay and that he will throw down a lightning bolt and make splinters of their ship.

Helios

100

What did Helios do in the cattle of the sun god?

In turn, Helios orders the gods to take vengeance on Odysseus' men. He threatens that if they do not pay him full atonement for the cattle, he will take the sun to the Underworld and shine it among the dead.

200

Why is Helios so angry about the slaughter of his cattle?

Odysseus angers Helios by failing to command his men, resulting in the death of the oxen of the sun god. Helios, enraged by their insolence, demands Zeus and the gods to punish Odysseus and his men, lest he drag the warmth of the earth to the underworld, leaving the mortals to freeze from the cold.

300

What does Helios threaten to do if his loss is not avenged?

Helios will go underground making sure the land gets no sunshine making everything die.

400

What happens on Helios island in The Odyssey?

Helios complains of the violation to Zeus and the assembled Olympian gods, threatening to take his light down to the underworld if Odysseus' men are not punished. Zeus concedes, and the ship is destroyed with a lightning bolt once it leaves the island, killing all but Odysseus.

500

Why is Helios important?

Although he was a minor part in ancient Greek mythology, Helios played an important role. He carried the Sun from east to west each day. This was important for the survival of the Greeks and because of this, they honored him greatly and asked him to witness their ceremonies and oaths.

Charybdis

100

What fear does Charybdis represent?

Medusa struck fear into ancient hearts because she was both deceptively beautiful and hideously ugly; Charybdis terrified Odysseus and his men because she represented a churning pit of bottomless hunger.

200

What did Charybdis do Odysseus?

Odysseus. In Homer's Odyssey, the swirling waters of Charybdis famously wrecked the ship of the hero Odysseus on his way home from the Trojan War. Having just survived the sirens, the ship, in trying to avoid Charybdis, went a little too close to Scylla's lair.

300

What is Zeus punishment for Charybdis?

Zeus turned her into a monster as punishment for having stolen Hercules' cattle. Charybdis then took the form of a large underwater mouth that swallows a great quantity of water three times each day, and then releases it into the sea, thus creating whirlpools.

400

What does the Charybdis do that could destroy Odysseus ship?

Charybdis was a dangerous whirlpool that swallowed down and belched back the ocean water several times a day, causing a danger for any passing ships.

500

How did Charybdis become a monster?

Charybdis was considered the offspring of Poseidon and Gaea, serving her father and helping him in his quarrel against Zeus. Zeus became angry that Charybdis had flooded large areas of land with water, so he turned her into a monster that would eternally swallow sea water, creating whirlpools.

Eurylochus

100

What was Eurylochus reasoning for killing the Cattle of the Sun god?

One day Odysseus fell asleep, and Eurylochus convinced the men to eat the Cattle of the Sun: it's better to die at sea from the wrath of the gods, he said, than to die of hunger.

200

What does Eurylochus say to convince Odysseus to land on the island of the Sun god Thrinacia?

Eurylochus convinced him to stop at Thrinacia by explaining that his crew members were hungry and tired. How did Eurylochus convince his men to slaughter the sacred cows? Eurylochus convinced them to do this by telling the men to sacrifice the meat to the gods.

300

What value do you think Eurylochus is appealing to in his argument?

Eurylochus is valuing his pride and the other man's pride. He doesn't think it is amazing to die starving to death than it would be to die from the gods so he would rather die and go down in history than die a worthless death.

400

What does Eurylochus do in the Odyssey?

Tiresias instructs Odysseus not to touch the cattle of Helios, but Eurylochus persuades the hungry and mutinous crew to kill and eat some of the god's cattle. As punishment, Odysseus' ship is destroyed, and all of his crew, including Eurylochus, are killed in a storm sent by Zeus.

500

How is Eurylochus a foil to Odysseus?

Eurylochus serves as a foil for Odysseus' character because he is a coward whereas Odysseus is brave. This is bests seen when he lands in Circe's island. When he suspects that there is danger, he stays behind and lets the others explore the island where the meet Circe who turns them into pigs.