HLAC 9 The Odyssey Books 1, 5, 9-12 Test White

Odysseus

Hero of The Odyssey; King of Ithaca; known for his intelligence, cunning, and perseverance.

Elpenor

Young sailor who falls off Circe’s roof and dies; asks Odysseus for a proper burial in the Underworld.

Eurylochus

One of Odysseus’s officers; often questions Odysseus’s decisions and persuades the men to eat Helios’s cattle.

Penelope

Odysseus’s faithful wife; fends off the suitors for 20 years.

Suitors

Men who try to marry Penelope while Odysseus is away; killed by Odysseus upon his return.

Telemachus

Odysseus’s son; matures during the story as he searches for news of his father.

King Alcinous

King of the Phaeacians; hears Odysseus’s story and helps him return home.

King Aeolus

Keeper of the winds; gives Odysseus a bag of winds to help him sail home.

Lotus Eaters

People who eat the lotus flower, which makes them forget home.

Calypso

Sea nymph who keeps Odysseus on her island for seven years.

Polyphemus

Cyclops, son of Poseidon; blinded by Odysseus.

Circe

Enchantress who turns Odysseus’s men into pigs, later becomes his ally.

Sirens

Creatures whose song lures sailors to their deaths.

Scylla

Six-headed sea monster who eats six of Odysseus’s men.

Charybdis

Deadly whirlpool that threatens to swallow Odysseus’s ship.

Muse

Goddess of inspiration; Homer invokes her at the start of the poem.

Athena

Goddess of wisdom; helps Odysseus throughout his journey. Spartans’ side

Aphrodite

Goddess of love and beauty. Trojans’ side

Zeus

King of the gods; occasionally helps or hinders Odysseus.

Hermes

Messenger god; tells Calypso to release Odysseus and helps him resist Circe’s magic.

Poseidon

God of the sea; seeks revenge on Odysseus for blinding Polyphemus.

Hades

God of the Underworld; ruler of the dead.

Helios

Sun god; his sacred cattle are killed by Odysseus’s men.

Flashback

A scene that interrupts the current timeline to show past events (Odysseus’s adventures are told through flashbacks).

Archetype

A recurring symbol, character type, or theme (the epic hero, the faithful wife, the temptress).

Characterization

The method an author uses to develop characters and show their traits.

Mood

The emotional atmosphere of a scene or story.

Epic Poem

A long narrative poem about a hero’s adventures and the values of a culture.

Epic Simile

A long, detailed comparison using “like” or “as” (often several lines long).

Epithet

A short, descriptive phrase used repeatedly (e.g., “rosy-fingered dawn,” “Odysseus, the man of twists and turns”).

Epic Plot

A long journey filled with trials and obstacles, often involving the supernatural.

Epic Hero

A larger-than-life character who embodies the values of his culture and faces great challenges (Odysseus).

Cause of Trojan War

Began when Paris of Troy kidnapped Helen, wife of King Menelaus of Sparta.

End of Trojan War

Greeks used the Trojan Horse to sneak into Troy and destroy the city.

Major Greek Players

Menelaus, Agamemnon, Odysseus, Achilles.

Major Trojan Players

Paris, Hector, Priam.

Who was Homer

Ancient Greek poet believed to have lived around the 8th century/750-700 BCE.

He delivered his epics (The Iliad and The Odyssey) orally before they were written down around 300 BCE.

How many ships and men did Odysseus start with

Started with: 12 ships and around 600 men.

Where did Odysseus lose his men

Cicones (-72)

Lotus Eaters

Cyclops (-6)

Laestrygonians/Cannibals (-11 ships)

Circe (-1)

Scylla & Charybdis (-6)

Helios’s cattle (where all but Odysseus die)

How long was Odysseus away

Total time away: 20 years (10 years fighting at Troy, 10 years journeying home).

Book 1

The Trojan War and the State of Ithaca

• Telemachus is introduced; suitors overrun the palace.

• Athena visits disguised as Mentes to encourage Telemachus to seek news of his father.

• Themes: Hope, family, maturity, divine guidance.

Book 5

Calypso’s Island

• Odysseus is released from Calypso’s island by Hermes’s command.

• He builds a raft and sails toward the Phaeacians.

• Poseidon sends a storm; Odysseus barely survives.

• Themes: Freedom, resilience, divine interference.

Book 9

The Cyclops (Polyphemus) - STORY RETELLING

• Odysseus tells his story to the Phaeacians.

• They encounter the Lotus Eaters, then Polyphemus.

• Odysseus blinds the Cyclops and reveals his name, angering Poseidon.

• Themes: Pride, cunning vs. strength, consequences of hubris.

Book 10

Circe and Aeolus - STORY RETELLING

• Aeolus gives Odysseus the bag of winds; his men open it, blowing them off course.

• At Circe’s island, men are turned into pigs; Odysseus, aided by Hermes, resists her spell.

• They stay a year before continuing.

• Themes: Temptation, leadership, distraction.

Book 11

The Underworld - STORY RETELLING

• Odysseus visits Hades to consult the prophet Tiresias.

• Encounters his mother and fallen comrades.

• Learns of the dangers ahead.

• Themes: Fate, loss, wisdom through suffering.

Book 12

Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis - STORY RETELLING

• Odysseus passes the Sirens (tied to the mast).

• Faces Scylla and Charybdis, losing six men.

• His men eat Helios’s cattle, and Zeus destroys their ship.

• Odysseus is the only survivor.

• Themes: Obedience, temptation, divine punishment.

Harried

(adj) harassed, strained due to demands put on one

Appalled

(adj) filled with dismay; horrified

Ponderous

(adj) heavy in a clumsy way; bulky

Profusion

(n) abundance

Meditation

(n) act of being in serious, reflective thought

Adversary

(n) an opponent; enemy

Beguiling

(adj) charming; pleasing

Foreboding

(n) a sense of approaching evil

Assuage

(v) to calm or pacify

Abominably

(adv) in a hateful way; horribly

Ardor

(n) passion

Travail

(n) painful effort