The Odyssey/Greek Mythology Key Terms

Calypso

A sea nymph that holds Odysseus hostage on her island for 10 years

Penelope

Odysseus' wife who tricks her suitors by spinning and unspinning a funeral shroud

Telemachus

Odysseus' son who tries to banish the suitors at the beginning of the poem

Odysseus

The king of Ithaka and the hero of the Odyssey

Polyphemus

A cyclops who is the son of Poseidon and is eventually blinded by Odysseus and his men

Antinous

One of the main suitors to Penelope. He is constantly bullying Telemachus.

Athena

The goddess of wisdom who helps Telemachus and Odysseus throughout the epic poem

Nausicaa

The princess of the Phaeacians who helps Odysseus receive safe passage back to Ithaka

Hector

The deadliest warrior for the Trojans during the Trojan War

Achilles

The deadliest warrior for the Achaeans during the Trojan War (Greeks)

Poseidon

the god of the sea and earthquakes in ancient mythology; brother of Zeus and Hades and Hera

Zeus

the supreme god of ancient Greek mythology; son of Rhea and Cronus whom he dethroned; husband and brother of Hera; brother of Poseidon and Hades

Hermes

messenger and herald of the gods; god of commerce and cunning and invention and theft

Trireme

the type of ship that the Greeks sailed to Troy and back in

Nestor

a wise old counselor to the Greeks at Troy and the king of Pylos

Epic poem

a long narrative poem telling of a hero's deeds

medias res

a Latin term which literally translates to "in the middle of things"

Agamemnon

the king who lead the Greeks against Troy in the Trojan War

Priam

the last king of Troy; father of Hector and Paris and Cassandra

Paris

The prince of the Trojans who abducts Helen

Helen

The fairest woman in all the world whose abduction leads to the Trojan War

Hera

queen of the Olympian gods in ancient Greek mythology; sister and wife of Zeus remembered for her jealously of the many mortal women Zeus fell in love with

Muses

the sacred beings responsible for poetic, musical, and artistic inspiration

Scylla

a sea nymph transformed into a sea monster who lived on one side of a narrow strait

charybdis

a ship-devouring whirlpool lying on the other side of a narrow strait from Scylla

Lotus Eaters

Islanders that eat from the forbidden lotus plant that makes people cast aside their responsibilities in favor of laziness

Menelaus

the king of Sparta at the time of the Trojan War; brother of Agamemnon; husband of Helen

Aeneas

a mythical Greek warrior who was a leader on the Trojan side of the Trojan War; hero of the Aeneid

Homer

The mythical Greek poet responsible for writing The Odyssey

Aphrodite

goddess of love and beauty and daughter of Zeus in ancient mythology; identified with Roman Venus

Invocation

a prayer asking the muses help as part of writing an epic poem

Aeolus

A king who gives Odysseus a bag of winds that accidently prevent him from getting back home to Ithaka

Ithaka

The home of Odysseus, Penelope, and Telemachus

Circe

a sorceress who detained Odysseus on her island and turned his men into swine

Epithet

A descriptive word or phrase that typically reveals a defining characteristic about someone

Patronym

a family name derived from name of your father or a paternal ancestor added to the name of your father or a paternal ancestor)

Allusion

passing reference or indirect mention to a commonly understood tale, myth, or legend

The Trojan Horse

A massive wooden horse that Odysseus and the Greeks built to sneak into Troy

Helios

ancient god of the sun; Odysseus' men ate his sacred cattle, so Zeus punished them

"Nobody"

The name that Odysseus tells Polyphemus

Cyclops

one of a race of giants having a single eye in the middle of their forehead

Sirens

Humanoid sea creatures that appear as women and lure people to their death with their attractive voices/singing

The Trojan War

The conflict that lasted many years between the city states of mainland Greece and Troy in Asia minor

The Odyssey

A Greek epic poem detailing the adventures of Odysseus following the events of the Trojan War

The Iliad

A Greek epic poem depicting the events of The Trojan War. Its main subject is the rage of Achilles.

Briseis

Achilles' servant who Agamemnon took from him at the beginning of The Iliad

Tiresias

A blind prophet who can foretell the events of the future

Charon

the ferryman who brought the souls of the dead across the river Styx or the river Acheron to Hades

Tantalus

A wicked king and son of Zeus; condemned in Hades to stand in water that receded when he tried to drink and beneath fruit that receded when he reached for it

Sisyphus

A king punished for all of eternity by having to forever push a boulder up a mountain side

Atlas

A titan who was forced to hold up the heavens as a form of punishment

Prometheus

A titan who was punished for giving the gift of fire to humanity by having his liver eaten every day by a massive vulture

Ixion

A man punished by Zeus for trying to sleep with Hera. He is forever spinning on a flaming wheel in the underworld.

Hercules

a hero noted for his strength; performed 12 immense labors to gain immortality

Hades

The god of the underworld in Greek mythology

Argus

Odysseus' loyal dog who dies as soon as he is reunited with his master

Laertes

Odysseus' father who is banished from his household

Xenia

Greek word for hospitality