The Odyssey 16-20 Test

everyone's gotta pass this test

Did Telemachus evade the suitors ambush?

yes

Where is Telemachus when Book 16 begins?

Farm of Eumaeus

Why does Eumaeus leave?

Telemachus sends him to tell Penelope that he has made it safely

Does he recognize the tattered guest when he first meets him?

no

After Athena restores Odysseus' normal appearance, why doesn't Telemachus recognize him?

his appearance is enhanced, so Telemachus thinks that Odysseus is a god

How many years has it been since Telemachus had seen his father?

20 years

Who do they plot against?

the suitors

What are the odds against Telemachus and Odysseus?

50 to 1,

Why does Athena keep disappearing?

dramatic effect

Who does Odysseus say would be on their side?

Zeus and Athena

What disguise does Odysseus assume to journey into town?

an old beggar

Who does Odysseus encounter on the trail?

Melanthius the goatherd

Who first recognizes Odysseus as he reaches the castle gate?

his dog Argos

What happens as soon as Argos sees Odysseus?

he dies

What does Athena urge Odysseus do?

Beg for food from the suitor

What 3 things does Antinious do to Odysseus?

refuses to give him bread crust, berates him, throws a footstool

What does Odysseus do that makes the suitors nervous?

throwing the footstool

Where does Book 18 take place?

At the palace

Who is Irus?

a real beggar

What tasks does he perform for the suitors?

errands

What does Irus threaten Odysseus to?

fisticuffs (a fist fight)

What happens when Odysseus rolls up his tunic into a boxer's belt?

His muscles are revealed and the suitors goggle

Why did Odysseus just break the jaw of Irus?

He didn't want to kill Irus in 1 hit

How does Book 18 end?

the suitor Eurymachus tries to hit Odysseus with a footstool

What is Odysseus doing in the beginning?

talks to Penelope

Does Penelope recognize Odysseus?

no

What does Penelope order Eurycleia to do?

Bathe his feet and anoint them in oil

What causes Eurycleia to recognize Odysseus?

she sees a scar above Odysseus' knee

How does Odysseus receive his scar?

A wild boar hurt him on a hunting trip when he was young

Where is Mount Parnassus?

Greece

How does book 19 end?

Odysseus tells Eurycleia to be quiet so she doesn't ruin his plan

What is the first thing that Odysseus does in Book 20?

Asks Zeus for a sign

What omen does Zeus send?

a clap of thunder in a clear sky

How did the servant interpret the sign?

It is an omen and he prays that this is the last day of the suitor's abuse

Who does Odysseus meet?

an unnamed swineherd

Does the swineherd support Odysseus?

yes

What was odd about Telemachus' old friend?

he was a murderer

What was Telemachus' friend's name?

Theoclymenus

Who does Theoclymenus kill?

his cousin

What prophecy did Theoclymenus see?

That he sees the walls of the mansion dripping with blood

What did the suitors do after hearing about the prophecy?

they laugh it off