The Odyssey

History

100

Who wrote The Odyssey? AND When?

Homer wrote The Odyssey, sometime between 300 and 700 B.C.

200

The Odyssey is an epic- what is an epic? AND Who is The Odyssey about?

An epic is a long narrative poem about a national or legendary hero. The Odyssey is about Odysseus- King of Ithaca, and his journey home after the war.

300

This great epic is written after what war? AND How long did this war last?

The Trojan War, which lasted ten years

400

The Trojan War was between what two groups of people? AND How did the war begin?

The Trojan War was between the Trojans and the Greeks. The war began when Helen, wife of King Menelaus (King of Sparta) was "kidnapped" by Paris (a young Trojan prince). Menelaus put an army together, including King Odysseus, and sailed to Troy to bring back Helen.

500

Who won the Trojan War? AND They say that Helen was very beautiful, some say that hers was the face that......

The Greeks won, defeating the Trojans. Helen was "the face that launched a thousand ships".

Characters

100

Who is Odysseus' wife and son?

Odysseus' wife is Penelope and his son is Telemachus

200

The Gods are crucial to The Odyssey- who is the king/queen of all Gods? AND (S)He is also the god of what? EXTRA- Where do the Gods live?

Zeus is the King of the Gods, as well as the God of the sky and thunder. EXTRA- Mount Olympus is considered to be the home of the gods

300

Who is the God of the Sea? AND Who is his son?

The God of the sea is Poseidon (also the God of earthquakes) and his son is the cyclops- Polyphemus.

400

One particular god/goddess helps Odysseus throughout his travels, who is this? AND What is (s)he the god/goddess of?

Athena helps Odysseus continually and she is the goddess of wisdom, strength and strategy.

500

We meet two goddesses in The Odyssey who distract Odysseus from traveling home. Who are they? What does one of them do to Odysseus' men?

Calypso is a goddess who kept Odysseus on her island for seven years. Circe is an enchantress- nymph that tempted Odysseus and his men and then turned his men into swine (pigs). Odysseus convinces her to turn them back and he spends a year with Circe.

Lotus-Eaters/ Cyclops

100

Odysseus and his men stop at the island of The Lotus-Eaters. What are they tempted by and what happens?

They are tempted by the lotus- a drug that makes them want to stay on the island and forget their journey. But Odysseus doesn't take the drug and drags his men back to the ship, ties them down and continues their journey on the sea towards home.

200

Odysseus and his men have been sailing a long time when they reach the island of the Cyclopes. Who/What are the Cyclopes? AND What do Odysseus and his men go looking for.....do they find it?

Cyclopes are a race of one-eyed giants. Odysseus and his men go looking for food and they find cheese and sheep in a large cave.

300

Odysseus and his men are in the cave when the Cyclops returns, what happens? Is the Cyclops nice? How does Odysseus introduce himself?

The Cyclops is angry that the men are in the cave eating his food and he begins to eat Odysseus' men. He keeps them prisoners inside the cave. Odyssues does not reveal his name but instead calls himself "Nohbdy", which is useful to later trick the Cyclops.

400

What essential item does Odysseus bring from the ship? How is it used to help Odysseus and his men? (What happens?)

Odysseus brings a bag full of wine that they use to get the Cyclops drunk. When the Cyclops has passed out drunk Odysseus and his men take a club, heat it in the fire until it is burning, and jam it in his eye, blinding him.

500

Do Odysseus and his men escape?- If so, then how? What fatal mistake does Odysseus make?

Odysseus and his men hide underneath the sheep, tied to their bellies. When the Cyclops lets the sheep out to pasture, he feels the sheep on their backs, letting the men escape unnoticed. As they are leaving Odysseus reveals his name to the Cyclops, which brings on the wrath of Poseidon.

The Sirens /Scylla and Charybdis/ Cattle of the Sun God

100

Odysseus and his men arrive at the island of Aeolus (god of winds) and Odysseus is given a gift. What is the gift? AND What happens with it?

Aeolus gives Odysseus a bag of wind. This bag, kept closed, will help Odysseus and his men safely sail home. But his men think he has been given treasure and open the bag releasing the winds, blowing them back to the island of Aeolus.

200

Who/What are The Sirens? What do they do?

They are dangerous half bird, half woman creatures that sing beautiful songs to lure men to their island. But in hearing these songs, the men end up crashing their ships on the rocks.

300

Odysseus is warned by who, to be careful of The Sirens? AND What does Odysseus and his men do when passing The Sirens?

Circe warns Odysseus of the dangers of The Sirens. When they are to pass them, Odysseus has all of his men put beeswax in their ears so they won't hear the singing. They also tie Odysseus to the ship, so he can hear the song but won't be tempted to do something rash.

400

Who/What are Scylla and Charybdis? Which does Odysseus choose to struggle against?- What happens?

Scylla is a giant monster with six heads that eats a man for each head. Charybdis is giant whirlpool that threatens to take down a whole ship and all of the men on it. Odysseus chooses to face Scylla and looses six of his men.

500

Odysseus and his men come to the island of Thrinacia, the sun God- Helios. Odysseus makes his men promise not to eat the god's cattle because Circe and Tiresias have warned him of disaster. What happens?

Without Odysseus knowing, his men have slaughtered a cattle of the sun god and promise when they return home to build a temple for an offering. When Odysseus realizes this, he is very upset and his men and him set out to sea. As they begin their journey a horrible hurricane strikes up, unleashed by Zeus and Poseidon, and all of the men are killed except for Odysseus.

Odysseus' Final Return

100

The King of Phaeacia gave Odysseus a boat and crew, so he can finally return home to Ithaca. Where does he go first?- Why? AND How does he present himself? (Does everyone know he is home?)

Odysseus knows that the suitors have taken over the palace trying to marry Penelope. Therefore Odysseus doesn't reveal himself, so no one knows that he has returned. He goes to Eumaeus, the swineherd disguised as an old beggar (thanks to Athena).

200

Telemachus returns home from Sparta and is reunited with who? A plan is devised during this meeting to do what?

Telemachus is reunited with his father, Odysseus. They plan on how to regain the palace. They will take and hide all of the weapons within the palace so when the time comes to confront the suitors, they can fight them without opposition.

300

Odysseus goes to the palace disguised as a beggar. Is he welcomed? What happens? Does he see Penelope? If yes- does she know that it is her husband?

When Odysseus goes to the palace he passes all of the suitors and begins to beg. Antinous, one of the most arrogant suitors becomes angry and Odysseus is hit with a stool. Penelope hears of this and meets with him, disguised as a beggar, to see if he knows anything about her husband. (Still not knowing that she is talking to Odysseus.)

400

Penelope, no longer able to hold off the suitors wanting to marry, she decides to hold a challenge. What is this challenge and what happens?

Penelope decides to hold a challenge of archery. Whoever can string Odysseus' great bow and then shoot an arrow through twelve ax-handle sockets will win her hand. The suitors all try and fail to even string the bow. Odysseus, still in disguise, steps up and strings the bow and shoots the arrow clean through the axes.

500

Odysseus reveals himself as the King of Ithaca and takes revenge on the suitors killing all who had betrayed him, daring to take his wife and his kingdom. Odysseus has one last test to pass from Penelope- what is it and what happens? How does the Odyssey end?

Penelope asks Odysseus to take her bed, which no one has ever seen, and place it outside. But Odysseus knows, since he built the bed himself, that the tree which grows within their bedroom, is what the bed is built from, making it impossible to move. In a fit, he tells her this and she realizes at last that this beggar man is her Odysseus. The Odyssey ends with Odysseus restored to his family and his kingdom.