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| Line 38: |
Line 38: |
| * [[Poseiden]] | | * [[Poseiden]] |
| * [[Zeus]] | | * [[Zeus]] |
| ==Quiz==
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| 1. In Penelope’s archery contest, through how many axes must Odysseus fire his arrow?
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| (A) two
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| (B) eight
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| (C) twelve
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| (D) thirty
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| 2. Which plant makes the sailors forget their desire to return home?
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| (A) Lotus
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| (B) Poppy
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| (C) Lethe-root
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| (D) Hemlock
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| 3. How does Athena disguise herself to make preparations for Telemachus’s journey?
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| (A) As a beggar
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| (B) As Antinous
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| (C) As Mentor
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| (D) As Mephistopheles
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| 4. Who is Argos?
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| (A) The master of the winds
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| (B) Penelope’s chief suitor
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| (C) The Cyclops
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| (D) Odysseus’s old dog
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| 5. Who first finds Odysseus on the island of Scheria?
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| (A) Telemachus
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| (B) King Alcinous
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| (C) Nausicaa
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| (D) Circe
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| 6. Who has an affair with Eurymachus?
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| (A) Melantho
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| (B) Penelope
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| (C) Circe
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| (D) Helen
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| 7. Menelaus is king of which city?
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| (A) Pylos
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| (B) Argos
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| (C) Athens
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| (D) Sparta
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| 8. Eurycleia recognizes Odysseus based on what distinguishing feature?
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| (A) A scar on his leg
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| (B) His cunning
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| (C) The sound of his voice
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| (D) His “noble bearing”
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| 9. How is Odysseus able to listen safely to the Sirens’ song?
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| (A) He has his men bind him to the ship’s mast
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| (B) Athena makes the Sirens appear ugly to him
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| (C) He eats a lotus flower, rendering him unable to swim to the Sirens’ island
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| (D) He isn’t; he plugs his ears with wax as the ship passes the Sirens’ island
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| 10. Who begs Odysseus to bury him?
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| (A) Laertes
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| (B) Polyphemus
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| (C) Elpenor
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| (D) Achilles
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| 11. Of what did Odysseus’s mother die?
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| (A) Grief
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| (B) Drowning
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| (C) Old age
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| (D) Starvation
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| 12. How old is Telemachus at the start of the epic?
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| (A) Early thirties
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| (B) Early teens
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| (C) Early twenties
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| (D) Late forties
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| 13. What happens to the disloyal maids after they clean the blood from the great hall?
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| (A) They are hanged
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| (B) They are forgiven
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| (C) They are whipped
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| (D) They are dismissed from the palace
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| 14. What does Tiresias warn Odysseus not to harm on his voyage?
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| (A) The eagle of the Moon
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| (B) The serpent of the Seas
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| (C) The cattle of the Sun
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| (D) The badger of the Mountains
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| 15. Who kills Antinous’s father?
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| (A) Eumaeus
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| (B) Odysseus
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| (C) Telemachus
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| (D) Laertes
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| 16. In about what year was the Odyssey composed?
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| (A) a.d. 1590
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| (B) 700 b.c.
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| (C) 200 b.c.
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| (D) 1200 b.c.
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| 17. Who transforms Odysseus’s sailors into pigs?
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| (A) Calypso
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| (B) Athena
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| (C) Poseidon
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| (D) Circe
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| 18. Odysseus left Penelope bound for what city?
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| (A) Orinda
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| (B) Athens
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| (C) Sparta
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| (D) Troy
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| 19. Which goddess often assists Odysseus and Telemachus, and speaks up for them in the councils of the gods on Mount Olympus?
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| (A) Calypso
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| (B) Athena
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| (C) Circe
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| (D) Melantho
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|
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| 20. Why does Poseidon despise Odysseus?
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| (A) Odysseus does not respect the sea
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| (B) Odysseus and his men attacked him
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| (C) Odysseus tricked him with a disguise
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| (D) Odysseus blinded his son
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| 21. Which two characters provide a point of comparison for Odysseus and Telemachus?
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| (A) Athena and Zeus
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| (B) Poseidon and Proteus
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| (C) Helen and Menelaus
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| (D) Agamemnon and Orestes
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| 22. Who does Zeus send to rescue Odysseus from Calypso?
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| (A) Hermes
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| (B) Athena
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| (C) Poseidon
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| (D) Nausicaa
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| 23. What did Ajax do to bring disaster upon the homecoming Greek fleet?
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| (A) He ate all of the army’s remaining rations
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| (B) He murdered sheep
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| (C) He led the fleet between Scylla and Charybis
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| (D) He raped Cassandra
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| 24. What gift does Telemachus accept from Menelaus?
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| (A) A monkey
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| (B) A chariot and team of horses
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| (C) A silver mixing-bowl finished with a lip of gold
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| (D) A band of goats
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| 25. How long does Odysseus spend on Calypso’s island?
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| (A) One year
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| (B) Seven years
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| (C) Ten years
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| (D) Three years
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| quiz from [http://www..sparknotes.com] to check answers.
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| == The ''Odyssey'' in History == | | == The ''Odyssey'' in History == |
Homer’s Odyssey is a nostos, or an epic of return, and asks if one can come home again, especially after years of bloody war. In fact, an odyssey is now meant generally as a long journey home, much like Odysseus’ after the fall of Troy. The Odyssey attempts to remake order after the chaos of war. Odysseus, a young man when Agamemnon and Menelaos recruited him for the campaign against Ilium, is now a middle-aged survivor and veteran of that war who must be smarter than the champion Achilles and the leader Agamemnon in order to return home and set his lands in order. War almost seems easy in the light of Odysseus’ journey — at least in war, he knew his enemies. Enemies during peacetime wear many masks; Odyssey must do the same if he is to survive. Odyssey has emenies that can't be be humanly fought; the gods, but Athena helps him to get home safely.
Summary
The Odyssey’s action is spread over twenty-four books, generally half before Odyssey returns home, and half after. Throughout his journey odyesseus grows to be a better person.For a synopsis of each book, see The Odyssey Summary.
Comparisons
Gods and Mortals
List of Characters
Human Beings
List of Suitors
The Women of the Odyssey
The Supernatural Beings of the Odyssey
The Odyssey in History
Internal Links
Suggested Reading
Works Cited
- Grimal, Pierre. Larousse World Mythology. New Jersey: Chartwheel Books Inc. 1973.
