The Odyssey Study Guide: Books I-XXIV

Comprehensive vocabulary and character flashcards based on the summary of Homer's The Odyssey, Books I through XXIV.

The Muse

The entity invoked by Homer in the first $10$ lines of the poem to help establish themes of suffering, heroism, and perseverance.

Polyphemus

The Cyclops blinded by Odysseus, causing Poseidon to remain angry and punish Odysseus during his journey home.

Mentor

The person Athena is disguised as when she accompanies Telemachus to Pylos and sits beside him.

Mentes

The first disguise Athena adopts to visit Ithaca and encourage Telemachus to stand up to the suitors.

Xenia

The Greek concept of hospitality, which was considered sacred and protected by Zeus.

The Suitors

A group described as arrogant, greedy, reckless, and disrespectful, who waste Odysseus’ wealth while courting Penelope.

Laertes’ burial shroud

The item Penelope weaves by day and undoes by night to delay her remarriage to the suitors.

Zeus’ Omen in Book II

A sign consisting of $2$ eagles fighting overhead, predicting Odysseus’ return and the destruction of the suitors.

Nestor

The wise and experienced storyteller in Pylos who describes the difficult returns of Greek heroes after Troy.

Orestes

The son of Agamemnon who avenged his father's murder by killing Clytemnestra and Aegisthus.

Proteus

The figure who reveals to Menelaus that Odysseus is being held captive on Calypso’s island.

The Elysian Fields

The destination for Menelaus after death, granted because he is married to Helen, daughter of Zeus.

Antinous

The leader of the suitors who plots to kill Telemachus and is the first suitor killed by Odysseus.

Ino

A goddess who helps Odysseus survive a storm near Scheria by providing him with a magical veil.

Nausicaa

The daughter of Alcinous who discovers Odysseus on the shore and provides him with food, clothing, and guidance.

Demodocus

The Phaeacian singer who performs stories of Troy, causing Odysseus to weep.

The Lotus-Eaters

A group encountered by Odysseus whose food makes his men lose their desire for home.

Nobody

The name Odysseus uses to trick Polyphemus, demonstrating his cunning.

Aeolus

The master of the winds who gives Odysseus a bag of winds to help him reach Ithaca.

The Laestrygonians

Cannibal giants who destroy most of Odysseus’ fleet.

Circe

The goddess who turns Odysseus' men into pigs and instructs him to visit Hades.

Tiresias

The prophet in the Underworld who warns Odysseus not to harm Helios’ cattle.

The Sirens

Creatures whose songs lure sailors to their deaths.

Scylla

A $6$-headed monster that Odysseus must pass during his voyage.

Charybdis

A deadly whirlpool encountered by Odysseus and his crew.

Eumaeus

Odysseus’ loyal swineherd who was kidnapped and sold into slavery as a child.

Theoclymenus

The prophet who joins Telemachus on his journey back to Ithaca.

Argos

Odysseus’ loyal dog who recognizes him in his beggar disguise and dies immediately after.

Irus

A beggar who fights Odysseus for the entertainment of the suitors.

Eurycleia

The old nurse who recognizes Odysseus by the scar on his leg while washing his feet.

Philoetius

The loyal cowherd who offers to help Odysseus in his fight against the suitors.

Phemius and Medon

The two men spared by Odysseus during the slaughter of the suitors.

The Marriage Bed

The final test Penelope uses to verify Odysseus' identity, which he passes by knowing the bed cannot be moved.

Rosy-fingered Dawn

A repeated line (epithet) used throughout the epic to describe the morning.