Odyssey Test Review

What is an epic?

Long narrative poem, the great deeds of heroes, lofty language, and contains values of the society that produced it

When the Odyssey was written?

800 BC

What time period was the Odyssey set in?

1200-1250 BC

What was Homer’s first epic called?

The Iliad

Who was Homer?

A blind poet

What is a rhapsode?

A person who recites epics

What is a Homeric simile?

A longer comparison using like or as comparing the ordinary to the extraordinary

What is Odysseus’ most important quality or characteristic

His wits

How did Odysseus win the Trojan War?

The Trojan Horse

Where was Odysseus the king of?

Ithica

What is an invocation?

Invoking a particular individual for help in writing the epic

Who were the muse?

9 daughters of Zeus

What happens when Odysseus’ men eat the lotus flower?

They don’t want to leave and lose all motivation

What was the name of the Cyclops?

Polyphemus

Why does Odysseus not kill the Cyclops?

They won’t be able to leave the cave

How does Odysseus save his men from the Sirens.

He plugged their ears with beeswax

Why doesn't Odysseus warn his men about Scylla?

Because they’ll get scared, and they might get too close to Charybdis

What was the prophecy of Circe and Teiresias that Odysseus withholds from his men?

All of the men will die except Odysseus

What did Circe do to Odysseus’ men?

Turned them into animals

Why is Circe unable to use her magic on Odysseus?

Hermes gave Odysseus a plant called moly to protect him

What did Calypso want to do for Odysseus to make him agree to stay with her on her island?

Make him immortal

What did Athena disguise Odysseus as?

An old beggar

Which important character is the last to learn who the beggar really is?

Penelope

What task does Penelope set for her suitors?

She would marry whoever could string Odysseus's bow and fire it through 12 axes

Who shows hospitality to Odysseus once he gets home?

Eumaeus

Why were the maids executed?

They slept with the suitors

What does Odysseus do after killing the worst suitor

Kills everyone else

Which god made Odysseus’ journey home so difficult?

Poseidon

Who is Odysseus’ son?

Telemachus

How does Odysseus prove his identity to Penelope?

He explains that he built their bedroom around an ancient olive tree, which is unmovable