English The Odyssey

What does the title The Odyssey mean?

the story of odysseus or a long journey

what is an epithert

a characterizing word or phase

used to describe a person or location

what does the genealogy of the royal house of odysseus tell you about odysseus’ roots? why might this be important in odysseus’ trials?

• Odysseus’ wife is penelope

• child is telemachus

• parents are anticleia and laertes

• great grandfather is zeus

• grandparents are autolycus and amphithea

What does the term “in media res” mean?

in middle action

BOOK NINE

Cicones

A smart intelligent who fought off odysseus and kills off 72 men

Ismarus

A city that Odysseus attempts to Pillage

Lotus-eaters

the crew eats lotus flowers and all memory of the journey is lost

Maron

Son of Euthanes, priest of Apollo at Isamanus

Polyphemus

A man-eating cyclops

Laertes

Odysseus’ father

Telemus

A cyclops prophet

What aspects of Odysseus’ character are revealed in lines 17-22

He displays arrogance in the face of Gods

Odysseus tells of his journey home starting in line 44. What occurs at Isamarus?

They attack, lose, and 72 of his men die

What epithet is used for morning on the third day of Odysseys’ journey?

Dawn w/ her lovely locks

Down w/her her rose red fingers

What happens to Odyseuss’s men at their next stop?

They go to the land of the lotus eaterse and they feed Odysseus’ men lotus’s`

What characteristics are attributed to the race of Cyclops?

Lawless, no civilization or agriculture

They live in a beautiful place but don’t take care of it

How does Odysseus’ greed come back to haunt him?

He believes in guest rites and wants to be gifted by his host

In what ways do Odysseus’ lies benefit him?

He saves men on the ship by telling Polythemus that Posideon destroyed the ship

How do Odysseus’ arrogance and pride help seal his fate with Poseidon?

By taunting the cyclops and angerng him, the cyclops prays to Poseidon who curses Odysseus

BOOK TEN

Aeolus

Hippotas Son

Laaestrygonians

Giant man eating cannibals

Circe

Nymph

Antiphates

King of the paganoians

Eurylochus

Sensed a trap at Circe’s palace

Polites

Captain of armies

How does the curiosity of Odyessus’ men damage them on their joruney?

They think its gold and treasure in the sack, but the winds from it brew them back

Explain how the Achean squadron is lost

They fight with the Laestrygonians

How does Circe greet Odysseus’ men?

She ushered them to sit on high backed chairs and mixed them a potion

How id Odysseus aided by the Gods?

Hermes gives him a potet drug that combats Circe’s spell/drug

What does Odysseus trade for the safety of his men

He sleeps with Circe

What does Odysseus demand before taking part in Circe’s feast?

Odysseus demands she swear an oath that she’d never do him harm. This shows how he is arrogant

How is Eurylocuhus a voice of reason throughout Book ten

He uses rational when up against danger

What task does Circe give Odysseus when the book ends?

To go down to the House of Death and consult the ghost of Tiresia, seer of Thebes

BOOK ELEVEN

Cimmerians

The people who leave on the edge of the world

on the way to the underworld

Perimedes

Part of Odysseus’ men

Tiresias

Blind prophet and tells Odysseus how to return to Troy

Erebus

City of the Dead

Persephone

Queen of the underworld, married to Hades

Elpenor

Part of Odysseus’ crew, got drunk and fell off the roof of Circe’s house

Alcinous

King of Phaecia

Aegisthus

Rival lord who killed Agememnon and had an affair with his wife Clytmenestra

Cassandra

A prophet of Troy and prized daughter of King Priam

Clytmnestra

Agememnons wife and had an affair with Aegisthus

Orestres

Agamemnon’s son

Anticleia

Odysseus’ mother

What does Elpenor request of Odysseus?

Return to Aeaea, bury Elpenor’s body and use the oar to mark the tombstone or else he’d be cursed

What are the main points of Tiresias prophecy?

• He needs to go to the palace of Helios and touch/harm the cattle

• Make amends with Poseidon because he makes the journey hard

• Antcleia passes away through grief

What circumstances surrounded Agamemnon’s death

Clytmenstra murders him with her lover, Aegisthus

In the underworld, why is Ajax upset with Odysseus

When achilles died, people wanted his armor, and Odysseus got it instead.

BOOK TWELVE

Aeaea

Land of Circe

Sirens

Monsters that lure people w their voices and eat people

Amphirite

A passage of long high jagged rocks that no one has passed

Scylla

6 headed monster with 12 legs

Charybdis

Whirlpool creature

Thrinanacia

The island of Helios where he keeps the cattle that Odysseus’ men cant kill

Helios

the Sun god who lives/tends to his sheep on Thrincia

Why does Odysseus’ crew return to Aeaea

To bury Elpenor’s body and Circe gives Odysseus advice about the joruney ahead

What advice does Circe give Odysseus for conquering the Sirens and defeating Syclla and Charybdis?

Put beeswax in his mens ears and sail closer to the cliff of Syclla

What lesson is taught through Odysseus’ experience with the Sirens?

Humans can’t resist temptation through willpower alone

What lesson do Odysseus’ men learn from their actions on Thirinacia?

Odysseus’ men learn that they have to follow rules/obedience or else they’ll lead to consequences

After Zeus strikes Odysseus’ ship, what fate awaits Odysseus and his men?

They all face death or severe injuries