the odyssey

avarice

greed; desire for wealth

Personification

the giving of human qualities to an animal, object, or idea

Epic Simile/Homeric Simile

An extended comparison using like or as to compare two seemingly unlike things.

Divine Intervention

When gods intervene in human affairs. Usually positive but sometimes negative.

Epithet

A descriptive name or phrase used to characterize someone or something

invocation

a call (usually upon a higher power) for assistance, support, or inspiration

in medias res

in the middle of things

archetypes

a very typical example of a certain person or thing

Hubirs

exaggerated pride or self-confidence

cunning

Cleverness; slyness

prophecy

A message communicated by prophets on behalf of God

valor

great courage in the face of danger, especially in battle

Odysseus

(main character) Son of Laertes and Anticleia, husband of Penelope and father of Telemachus. A cunning, shrewd and eloquent hero. Came up with the idea of the Trojan horse which led the Greeks to victory against Troy. "Man of many wiles".

athena

Daughter of Zeus and goddess of wisdom, purposeful battle, and the womanly arts. Athena assists Odysseus and Telemachus with divine powers throughout the epic, and she speaks up for them in the councils of the gods on Mount Olympus. She often appears in disguise as Mentor, an old friend of Odysseus.

Circe

The beautiful witch-goddess who transforms Odysseus's crew into swine when he lands on her island. With Hermes' help, Odysseus resists Circe's powers and then becomes her lover, living in luxury at her side for a year.

Poseidon

Zeus' brother and god of the sea

polyphemus

the Cyclops who imprisoned Odysseus

telemachus

Odysseus and Penelope's son

penelope

Odysseus' wife

laertes

Odysseus' father

elpenor

one of Odysseus' crew, killed by stairs

Calypso

The beautiful nymph who falls in love with Odysseus when he lands on her island-home of Ogygia. Calypso holds him prisoner there for seven years until Hermes, the messenger god, persuades her to let him go.

the suitors

Men who live in Odysseus house trying to force Penelope to pick one for marriage

king aeolus

King of the winds

tiresias

blind prophet who advised Odysseus

the sirens

creatures, part woman and part bird, whose songs lure sailors to their death

scylla

6 headed monster

charybdis

a dangerous whirlpool personified as a female sea monster

helios

God of the Sun who is very protective of his cattle

hermes

Messenger of the gods

the lotus eater

people who feed Odysseus's men lotus plants to make them forget Ithaca

anticlea

Odysseus' mother

king alcinous

king who gives Odysseus a ship so he can go home to Ithaca

king nestor

king of pylos; visited by telemachus, sent him to sparta

king menelaus

King of Sparta, husband of Helen

eurylochus

a member of Odysseus's loyal crew

calliope

Muse of epic poetry

zeus

King of the gods

laestrygones

giant cannibals who kill many of Odysseus's men ( all ships except one )

cicones

people living on the southwestern coast of Thrace who battled Odysseus and his men on their journey

trojans

People of Troy

pisistratus

son of Nestor, who accompanies Telemachus to Sparta