Odyssey Book 9

Question 1

Where does Book 9 start in?

Answer 1

• banquet with the Phaeacians
• telling King Alcinous his adventures before he got here

Question 2

What had happened before the banquet?

Answer 2

• Trojan war
• all ships + crew destroyed
• Odysseus is the only suvivor

Question 3

What happened between Odysseus and the Cicones?

Answer 3

• sacked city (raided then burnt)
• slew the men
• split the women and loot amongst the crew fairly

Question 4

What did Odysseus command his men to do after they sacked the city?

Answer 4

• to leave the island quickly
• foresaw counterattack

Question 5

What did Odysseus’ crew do instead of leaving the Cicones?

what does it suggest?

Answer 5

• have a feast
• drank wine
• slaughtered sheep
• celebrate victory

suggests they lack foresight, arrogant, stupid

Question 6

What did the Cicones do after Odysseus and his crew attacked and did not leave?

Answer 6

• called their allies for counter attack

Question 7

How long did the battle between the Cicones and Odysseus last?

Answer 7

• 1 day from dawn to dusk

Question 8

How did the battle between Odysseus and the Cicones end?

Answer 8

• fled onto ship
• 72 of Odysseus’ men died

Question 9

List the strengths of Odysseus’s leadership during the battle with the Cicones

Answer 9

• foreseen counter attack (thinks ahead)
• splits loot equally (fair)
• good leader exemplified by success in sacking the city
• won even though him and crew were outnumbered
• managed to escape

Question 10

List the weaknesses of Odysseus’ leadership during the battle with the Cicones

Answer 10

• his mean ignored him (not respected enough/ no authority)
• can’t persuade men

Question 11

How does Odysseus and crew escape Zeus’ storm?

Answer 11

• wait for it to calm down on an island

Question 12

What is stopping Odysseus from going home?

Answer 12

• weather causes him to constantly go off course
• gets lost

Zeus doesn’t like him

Question 13

How long does Odysseus drift until he reaches the Lotus Eaters?

Answer 13

• 9 days

Question 14

What did Odysseus do after he reaches the country of the Lotus Eaters?

Answer 14

• sends 3 men to go and explore

Question 15

What happens when the men encounter the Lotus Eaters?

Answer 15

• gets offered lotus fruit
• gets addicted to it, forgets to go home

Question 16

Lotus eaters

How did Odysseus manage to get the men back onto the ship?

Answer 16

• drag them back forcefully
• tied them on the ship
• commands the other men to leave quickly in case somebody else eats the lotus fruit

Question 17

What did Odysseus do once he reaches the “goat island”?

Answer 17

• hunt goats with crew and split them
• ate and drank wine

Question 18

What makes the “goat island” attractive?

Answer 18

• many mountain goats
• fertile soil
• safe harbour
• rich well watered meadows

Question 19

Why were the cyclopes described as “lawless” and “fierce”?

Answer 19

• no laws, no government
• live in caves
• no craftsmen, no ships to go to other islands
• each family of cyclopes are isolated, doesn’t care for neighbours

Question 20

What is strange about the Cyclopes’ approach to “farming” and wine production?

Answer 20

• rely on gods for crops/ Zeus for rain
• crops grow without ploughing or sowing
• wheat, barley, vines grow naturally

Question 21

Why did Odysseus go to the Cyclopes’ mainland?

Answer 21

• curious to see what kind of people lived on the island

unnecessarily curious/ nosy

Question 22

How did Odysseus get his fine wine that he took with him to the Cyclopes’ mainland?

Answer 22

• recieved from Maron, priest of Apollo
• protected him, his wife and children
• gift for helping him

Question 23

What did Odysseus’ men want to do after they went into the cave?

Answer 23

• take some cheeses
• take a few kids and goats to boat
• set sail and go

learnt their lesson from staying too long?

Question 24

Why did Odysseus not listen to his men when they asked him to leave?

Answer 24

• wanted to see what the cyclops was like
• wanted xenia from him (greedy?)

Question 25

What did Polythemus ask Odysseus once he had discovered him?

Answer 25

- his name - whether if they are pirates - why they are here - goes against xenia rules- have to look after guest first before questioning them

Question 26

What did Odysseus do to get out of the cave?

Answer 26

- gives Polythemus his wine from Maron - gets him drunk/ asleep - takes an olive branch to use as stake - heats it in the fire -> stabs Polythemus in the eye - ties each of crew + himself under 3 sheep - sheep would be allowed to graze = freedom

Question 27

What did Odysseus say as he gets asked for his name and how does it save him later?

Answer 27

- says his name is "Nobody" - Polythemus shouts that "nobody" has hurt him, other cyclops won't help him - cannot curse Odysseus

Question 28

What was Odysseus' mistake when he leaves the island?

Answer 28

- reveals his location by shouting at Polythemus (rock almost hits ship) - mock Polythemus and reveals his name (allows him to be cursed by cyclops)

Question 29

What did Polythemus curse Odysseus of?

Answer 29

- never reach his home - for the journey to take a long time - suffer to get there - all crew killed - find terrible things happening at Ithaca

Question 30

Why did Zeus ignore Odysseus' sacrifice?

Answer 30

- afraid of angering Poseidon? - went against xenia - sacrifice was stolen from Polythemus

Question 31

What did Odysseus do once he and his men escape from the cyclops?

Answer 31

- split the goats/ sheep they stolen evenly between them - sacrifice to Zeus

Question 32

What were the strengths of Odysseus' leadership facing Polythemus?

Answer 32

- **splits goats fairly** at the end of episode - resourceful/ cunning, **tells cyclops that his name is "nobody"** - **patient- doesn't directly fight cyclops**, sacrifices 4 men to save majority - **hiding under sheep** plan = clever - **doesn't panic** in moments of stress - **sees through question of cyclops** asking about rest of crew- says they are dead to protect them

Question 33

What were the weaknesses of Odysseus' leadership facing Polythemus?

Answer 33

- **too curious** - could've not went into cave - insists on staying even when his men urged him to go - **stubborn/ greedy for xenia** - **boasts to Cyclops** = cursed, almost damages ship - judges cyclops for not following xenia (host) = **hypocritical** - **bad guest** - blinded host, helps himself to cheese, stole sheep