Maew Chapter 22 Flashcards
Cicones
A group of people whom Odysseus first encounters. They sack the city and stay a day to feast on the plundered food, but six men from every ship are killed in the night by neighboring Cicones
King Alcinous
The king of the Phaeacians, where Odysseus washes up shipwrecked.
Lotus Eaters
A group of people who eat a drug which takes all motivation away. Odysseus’ men get entranced by the drug, until Odysseus forcefully takes them from the island
Polyphemus
The Cyclops who curses Odysseus to have great misfortune in his journey home.
How does Odysseus escape Polyphemus?
He gets Polyphemus drunk on the wine of the Cicones, then drives a stake through the eye of the Cyclops. In the morning, he escapes under the bellies of the goats in the cave, but unwisely reveals his name to Polyphemus as he is sailing away
Aeolus
A wind-god who sealed all the bad winds in a bag he gave to Odysseus. Odysseus and his crew thus sailed right up to the shore of Ithaca, but he fell asleep as he approached, and his men wondered about what was in the bag. They opened it, releasing the bad winds, and found themselves back on the island of Aeolus
Laestrygonians
A group of cannibals who devour all of Odysseus’ crew except the men on his own ship.
Circe
A sorceress (son of Helius) who lives on the island of Aeaea.
What happens at Circe’s island?
She turns all of Odysseus’ men into pigs, but Odysseus is protected by moly, an herb given by Hermes. He sleeps with Circe, who restores his men. After a year, they remind him that he needs to go home. She tells them to first get information from Tiresias across the river Ocean.
Sirens
Half bird, half woman creatures which sing an alluring song that leads sailors to their death. Odysseus plugs up the ears of his men with wax, and order them to bind him to the mast. In this manner, they sail past the sirens, despite Odysseus’ pleas to be released
Scylla
A 6-headed monster who lives on one edge of a narrow strait. She devours sailors as they attempt to cross
Charybdis
A whirlpool opposite Scylla (the other side of the strait), which sucks down any ships that pass by, ensuring death
How does Odysseus pass Scylla and Charybdis?
He goes by the side with Scylla, with his sword drawn at the front of his ship, but Scylla pays him no attention and devours 6 of his men. The rest row as quickly as they can past her.
Helius’ cattle
Warned by Circe not to eat them, the men are stranded on the island of Helius with no food save fish. While Odysseus is away exploring, his men slaughter and devour the cattle. As a result, the ship is struck with a thunderbolt when they sail away, leaving only Odysseus alive
How does Odysseus get past Scylla and Charybdis the second time?
He is floating on the mast of his ship, and feels himself being sucked down. He grabs a fig tree at the last second, and grabs hold of the mast once Charybdis has spat it back up.
Calypso
A beautiful nymph who lives on an island where Odysseus washes up. He stays there for 7 years, and she even offers him immortality, but he longs for his home and wife. Finally, Athena convinces Zeus to allow Odysseus to return home, so Hermes tells Calypso to let him go. She reluctantly agrees.
Ogygia
“Navel of the sea”, the island of Calypso.
Phaeacians
The people who finally bring Odysseus home, after hearing his tales, when he washes up on their beach after his raft is destroyed by Poseidon
Leucothea
Once named Ino, she saves Odysseus from drowning before reaching the Phaeacians by giving him her veil, which protects him
Nausicaa
A parthenos, daughter of the Phaeacian king Alcinous, who finds Odysseus when she is doing laundry at the beach. She dresses him in her laundry and takes him to the court of Alcinous
Telemachus
The son of Odysseus, he returns to Ithaca (he had been searching for news of his father) shortly after Odysseus does. They devise a plan to deal with the suitors
What is the state of Ithaca before Odysseus returns?
There are 108 suitors of Penelope who have moved into the palace, disrespecting customs and xenia, treating the wealth and goods of Odysseus (and his son and wife) poorly. There is no rule, it is chaos
Eumaeus
A swineherd of Odysseus, he is the first man Odysseus goes to upon returning. Eumaeus does not know it is him, but he treats him well all the same.
How does Odysseus get back to Ithaca?
The Phaeacians bring him by on a ship, having loaded him with countless gifts. They put him ashore while he sleeps, in a fog, and he wakes up on Ithaca
Argus
The faithful dog of Odysseus, who was treated about as well as the palace by the suitors. The dog dies of excitement upon recognizing Odysseus walking up to the palace
Antinous
The leader of the suitors, who all treat Odysseus terribly when he is disguised as a beggar
Euryclea
An old nurse of Odysseus, who washes him up when he appears as a beggar. She recognizes a scar on his leg and he quiets her
What test does Penelope devise to determine who to marry?
She asks that they string Odysseus’ bow, and fire an arrow through twelve ax-head holes (unclear what this means), lined up in a row. None of the suitors can even string the bow
What happens to the suitors?
Odysseus kills them all in cold blood after stringing the bow and firing it through the ax-heads.
How does Penelope test Odysseus after the suitors are dead?
She tells Euryclea to get their marriage bed from the bedroom, which only she, Euryclea and Odysseus know cannot be moved, as one of its posts is actually an olive tree.
