Aeolus
King Aeolus was made Lord of the _________ by the gods.
Lord of the Wind
What strange behavior is common among the wild animals around Circe's home?
They acted meek, nearly tame
What must Odysseus do upon arriving to the Land of the Dead?
Sacrifice a black lamb and a young goat
What promise to his former crewman did Odysseus honor upon return to Circe's island?
They burned his body and gave him a proper funeral.
How does Odysseus escape the deadly jaws of Charybdis after his ship is wrecked?
By clinging to a tree branch for hours until Chrybdis went back below.
Which goddess is the patron and protector of Odysseus and Telemachus?
Athena, goddess of wisdom and war
What gift did Aeolus give to Odysseus?
A bag of the winds
What drew Odysseus' men to Circe's door?
She was singing
Why does Odysseus make this sacrifice?
The blood will draw the spirits of the dead, including Tiresias.
In order to avoid being killed by the sirens, Circe suggests that Odysseus's men do what?
She suggests that Odysseus fill his men's ears with beeswax so they can't hear their singing.
What warning does Odysseus' men ignore that ultimately causes the destruction of the ship and crew?
Odysseus' men ate Helios' cattle when they were starving. As punishment, Zeus sinks their ship and all but Odysseus dies.
Which goddess does Prince Paris choose as the most beautiful, and what did she promise him in return?
Aphrodite, who promised Paris the love of the most beautiful woman on Earth.
For how many days did Odysseus stay awake to man the helm and watch over the bag of winds?
Nine days
After adding some magic to their food, Circe turned many of Odysseus' men into what animal?
Pigs
Before finally talking to Tiresias, Odysseus sees two spirits he knows, one of his crew members, Elpenor, and _____________.
His mother, Anticlea
Why is Odysseus tied up to the mast by his men before they pass the sirens?
This way Odysseus can hear the sirens' song without actually going with them and being killed. The more he yells and tries to go with them, the tighter his men are supposed to tie him.
How did Odysseus' mother die?
She died from the grief and heartbreak of not seeing her son for so long.
Who tells King Menelaus that Odysseus is alive and trapped on Calypso's island?
The Old Man of the Sea, Proteus, Poseidon's right-hand man.
Why did Odysseus' men open the bag of wind?
They believed it was treasure that Odysseus was keeping all to himself.
What god does Odysseus encounter on his way to rescue his men from Crice?
Hermes
The murdered king of Mycenea, Agamemnon, visits Odysseus and gives him what piece of advice?
"Don't let anyone know you're home until you have ascertained the state of affairs."
What tough decision does Odysseus face after the sirens?
Whether to sail by Scylla, the 6-headaed monster, or Charybdis, the giant whirlpool monster.
Why does Odysseus tell his men about the sirens, but not about Scylla and Chrybdis?
They stood a chance of survival against the sirens by using the beeswax, but at least 6 men were guaranteed to die by way of Scylla, and potentially his whole ship and crew by way of Charybdis.
Which latin phrase means "in the middle of things", and is often used as a story-telling technique
medias res
What happened after Odysseus' men opened the bag of wind?
The winds blew their ships all the way back to Aeolia, King Aeolus' island
Why does Hermes instruct Odysseus to consume an herb before speaking to Circe?
It will protect Odysseus from her spells, like the one that turned his men into swine.
The shade of Achilles approaches Odysseys in the Land of the Dead. What does Achilles ask Odysseus?
Achilles asks if his son was still alive and if he proved himself in battle during the Trojan War.
Why does Circe advise Odysseus NOT to try to kill Scylla?
She warns him that any attempt to fight back will result in Scylla eating 6 more men.
What happens to Odysseus after he escapes Charybdis and drifts on the ocean for 9 days?
This is when he arrives to the island of Ogygia, home of Calypso (where the story began), where she keeps him for another seven years.
Explain how the suitors are violating (or breaking the law of) Xenia, which Queen Penelope honors it.
The suitors violate it by overstaying and eating too much food and drinking too much wine, and by plotting to kill Telemachus; Penelope and Telemachus honor it by allowing them to stay despite their rudeness.
Why did Lord Aeolus refuse to help Odysseus a second time?
He believed the gods must hate Odysseus and refused to go against their will.
After returning Odysseus' men to their human form and hosting the men for a long time, Circe eventually agrees it's time for them to leave, but insists they do what before they set sail for home?
They have to visit the Land of the Dead and speak to the blind prophet, Tiresias.
Why did Odysseus and his men quickly leave the Land of the Dead?
The shades/spirits started keening (wailing) and moving in on Odysseus and his men, who fled in terror.
What is the final warning that Circe gives Odysseus? (Tiresias gave the same warning.)
Do NOT eat the cattle on Helios' island.
Explain which situation from the Odyssey inspired the well-known idiom "between a rock and a hard place"
The choice Odysseus had to make between Scylla (a monster on a rock) and Charybdis, a dangerous monster that would destroy his ship.
Thanks to the famous writer Christopher Marlowe, who is known as "the face that launched a thousand ships"?
Helen, Queen of Sparta, wife of Menelaeus, lover of Paris of Troy