The Odyssey Book 12 - Quick Questions

What is the name of the island Odysseus and his men first travel to at the start of book 12?

Aenea

What did Odysseus and his men first do upon arriving on the shores of Aenea?

Fall asleep on the shore

After waking the following day, what did Odysseus order his men to do?

Fetch Elpenor's body from Circe's palace

What did Odysseus and his men arrange for Elpenor's funeral (what did they do with his body)?

Chopped some wood; performed the funeral rites on the summit of the coast; burnt the corpse with his armour; built a barrow; used a stone for a monument; and buried his oar in the mound

Who arrived shortly after Odysseus finished Elpenor's funeral?

Circe, alongside her handmaidens (carrying bread, meat and wine)

When does Circe decide for Odysseus and his men to leave Aenea?

"Daybreak tomorrow" (she aims to give xenia to the men in the adjourning time)

What did Odysseus and his men do for the rest of the day on Aenea?

Had a feast

Why does Odysseus leave his comrades alone at night on Aenea?

He follows Circe and tells her his story of the Underworld

What does Circe first warn Odysseus about (what is the first danger he will encounter on his journey)?

The sirens

What happens to the men who listen to the calls of the sirens?

They never return (they lose their nostos - core part of Greek identity)

What should Odysseus' men do in order to sail past the sirens in safety?

Soften beeswax and "plug their ears"

What must Odysseus do if he wants to listen to the sirens in safety?

Tie himself to the mast, and get his men to tighten his bonds if he pleads to be released

What awaits Odysseus in the first route that Circe describes?

The wandering rocks (which no ship has managed to sail through other than Jason's Argo)

Which god helped Jason sail safely through the wandering rocks?

Hera

Which obstacles await Odysseus in the second route that Circe describes?

Two rocks, which are too smooth to climb (one houses a cavern in which the monster Scylla lives, and the other has a fig tree; below which Charybdis is located)

Who is Circe referring to when she says that "her yelp is no louder than a new born pup's"?

Scylla

How is Scylla described?

As having 12 feet, 6 necks, each with a head set with three rows of fangs (and though she is mostly submerged, her 6 heads "protrude from the fearful abyss")

Has any ship escaped Scylla unscathed?

No (she takes at least one man for each one of her heads)

What does Charybdis do?

Swallows the sea above, and spews it back up (a whirlpool)

What does Circe recommend Odysseus do upon reaching the two rocks?

Sail through Scylla's territory rather than Charybdis' (he would only lose 6 men, rather than his whole crew)

What does Circe scorn Odysseus for suggesting?

That he try to fight Scylla (e.g. as she is an "undying fiend", he would only be putting his men into more danger)

Who does Circe tell Odysseus to call upon to prevent Scylla from attacking a second time?

Cratais, Scylla's mother

What island will Odysseus and his men next sail to after seeing Scylla & Charybdis?

Thrinacie

How many flocks of cattle and sheep are there on Thrinacie?

7, with 50 animals in each

What is unnatural about the cattle on Thrinacie?

"No births increase or deaths decrease their numbers"

Who shepherds over the cattle on Thrinacie?

Nymphs Phaethusa and Lampetie (daughters of Helios by Neaera)

What does Circe prophesize will happen should Odysseus or his men harm any of the cattle on Thrinacie?

His ship and company will be destroyed, and Odysseus will arrive home late having lost all of his comrades

What gift did Circe give Odysseus and his men upon their departure from Aenea (which she also gave them the first time they left the island)?

"The friendly escort of a favourable wind"

Did Odysseus and his men follow the advice of Circe in regards to sailing past the sirens?

Yes

What did the sirens say they know about when singing to Odysseus?

The sufferings of the Greeks and Trojans during the Trojan war, and of all that happens in the world at large

Which two men were responsible for tightening Odysseus' bonds upon hearing the calls of the sirens?

Perimedes and Eurylochus

To comfort his men, what previous story of heroism does Odysseus remind them of?

His dealings with Polyphemus (and how even then they were able to escape the danger with minimal loss)

What monster did Odysseus not tell his crew about as to not panic them?

Scylla

What mistake does Odysseus make when his ship nears the home of Scylla (i.e. what bit of Circe's advice does he forget to heed)?

He armed himself with spears and put his armour on (going against Circe's advice as to not bother attacking Scylla)

What does Homer liken Charybdis to when spewing up seawater?

As being "like a cauldron on a blazing fire"

What simile does Homer use to describe Scylla snatching up Odysseus' men?

An angler using bait to lure in and catch the fishes below

How many of Odysseus' men were killed by Scylla?

6

What does Odysseus tell his men after they sail past Scylla & Charybdis?

They must steer clear of Helios' island and cattle

Who convinces Odysseus' men to land on Thrinacie?

Eurylochus

What oath does Odysseus make his men swear before he agrees to land on Thrinacie?

That they do not harm any of Helios' cattle, and only eat the food provided for them by Circe

Why can Odysseus and his men not leave the island after their feast and rest overnight?

On the third watch of the night, Zeus caused a violent storm (effectively trapping them on Thrinacie)

Why did Odysseus' men eat the cattle of the sun?

So as to not starve to death

What does Odysseus do when the food on the island begins to run low, and hunger sets in?

He ventures inland to pray to the divines (by washing his hands and pouring libations to the gods)

What did the gods then do to Odysseus (which meant he was unable to stop his men from killing and eating Helios' cattle)?

Put him to sleep

Which of Odysseus' crew members convinced the others to eat Helios' cattle?

Eurylochus

What was Eurylochus' main argument in favour of eating the cattle?

It is better to die at sea (at the wrath of the gods) than to starve to death

How does Eurylochus suggest appeasing Hyperion after they eat the cattle?

Sacrifice the cattle to the divines, and then promise to build a mighty temple to Hyperion upon reaching Ithaca

What did the men not have access to during the sacrifice?

White barley and wine

What did Odysseus first notice upon waking up and nearing his ship?

The "sweet smell of roasting meat"

Who tells Hyperion of the death of his cattle?

Lampetie

What does Hyperion demand of Zeus after hearing of the death of his cattle?

Vengeance upon Odysseus' companions

Who originally told Odysseus about the next part of his story?

Calypso (who herself heard the story from Hermes)

What "ominous portents" did Odysseus witness after his men killed and roasted the cattle?

The hides began to crawl about; the meat bellowed on the spits; and the sound of lowing cattle could be heard

For how many days did Odysseus' men feast upon the cattle on Thrinacie?

6

What happened on the seventh day Odysseus and his men were on Thrinacie?

Zeus abated the violent gale that besieged the island

How did Zeus destroy Odysseus' men?

With a great storm, and a thunderbolt

Who suffered a violent death in the storm, where-in debris smashed his skull to pieces and he plunged from the deck into the sea below?

The helmsman

How did Odysseus escape from Scylla and Charybdis after the death of his men?

He clung to the fig tree above Charybdis; then drifted on the floating timbers of his ship

What lucky occurrence meant that Odysseus survived "certain death", and for which he attributes to Zeus?

Scylla did not catch sight of him

For how many days did Odysseus float at sea for before washing up on Ogygia?

9