Odyssey books Flashcards
Book 1 of the Odyssey:
- 11 line proem introducing the story
- all survivors of the trojan war have returned home but Odysseus
- Odysseus is kept by Calypso
- a council of the gods is held. Athene asks Zeus to let Odysseus go home, he agrees
- Athene goes to Ithaca and encourages telemachus to search for news of his father
Book 5 of the Odyssey:
- Athene speaks to Zeus again
- Hermes tells Calypso to let Odysseus free
- introduction to Odysseus, crying
- Odysseus builds raft and leaves,, storm hits
- Ino gives veil
- Odysseus washes up in Scherie and falls asleep
Book 6 of the Odyssey:
- Odysseus is at Scherie
- Athene sends Nausicaa a dream, she goes to the river to wash clothes
- Nausicaa meets naked Odysseus, tells him how to get to palace but not to go with her out of fear of scandal
Book 7 of the Odyssey:
- Athene in disguise directs Odysseus to the palace
- description of palace and gardens
- Odysseus begs help from Arete
- Alcinous promises to send Odysseus home
- Arete recognises Odysseus’ clothes and questions him but he evades questions
- to bed
Book 8 of the Odyssey:
- Phaeacian banquet
- Demodocus upsets Odysseus and Alcinous suggests an athletic contest instead
- Odysseus is challenged, throws the discus the furthest
- Demodocus sings of Ares and Aphrodite
- Odysseus cries at a song of Troy and Alcinous asks who he is
Book 9 of the Odyssey:
- Odysseus reveals his identity
- recounts the Cicones, Lotus Eaters and Polyphemus.
Book 10 of the Odyssey:
- Odysseus arrives at the island of Aeolus where he stays a month
- bag of winds is opened by crew just as they arrive at Ithaca
- Aeolus sends them away
- Laestrygonians destroy 11 ships
- Odysseus’ ship arrives at Aeaea
- Circe transforms some of the men into pigs
- Hermes helps Odysseus resist Circe’s magic and he stays for a year
- Circe tells Odysseus to visit the land of the dead. Elpenor dies as they leave.
Book 11 of the Odyssey:
- Odysseus follows the rituals Circe told him to
- Elpenor asks to be buried, Teiresias tells the future, Odysseus speaks to his mother
- Odysseus prepares to stop his story, but Arete and Alcinous ask him to continue
- Odysseus tells of seeing Agamemnon, Achilles, Ajax and various others
Book 12 of the Odyssey:
- Odysseus returns to Circe, buries Elpenor
- Circe warns Odysseus of the dangers ahead and advises him
- Odysseus reaches Thrinacie and the crew eat Hyperion’s cattle
- Zeus destroys the ship leaving Odysseus to end up at Calypso’s island
Book 13 of the Odyssey:
- Odysseus’ story ends
- Odysseus is given gifts and heads home
- Odysseus is is left asleep
- Poseidon punishes Phaecian ship
- Odysseus wakes up confused, Athene lies to him but eventually she reveals herself and helps him plan his return
- Athene goes to fetch Telemachus home
Book 16 of the Odyssey:
- Telemachus arrives at Eumaeus’ hut and meets the beggar
- Odysseus reveals himself when Athene says to
- the suitors are angry that Telemachus avoided their murder plot and Penelope berates Antinous
Book 17 of the Odyssey:
- Telemachus greets Penelope
- Odysseus goes to the palace and Melanthius is abusive en route
- Odysseus enters the hall as beggar - begs for food, is assaulted by Antinous
- Antinous throws a stool at Odysseus
- Penelope sends for Odysseus who says he will speak to her later
Book 18 of the Odyssey:
- Odysseus beats Irus in a fight
- Penelope is beautified by Athene and extorts gifts from the suitors.
- Eurymachus attempts to throw a stool at O
- Amphinomus calms the suitors and they leave
Book 19 of the Odyssey:
- Odysseus + Telemachus hide the weapons
- Odysseus tells Penelope of his travels
- Eurycleia washes Odysseus’ feet and sees his scar, Odysseus threatens her to stay quiet
- Penelope tests if the beggar really met Odysseus, asks him to interpret a dream, tells him of the challenge of the bow
Book 21 of the Odyssey:
- Penelope issues the challenge of the bow
- suitors all fail to string the bow
- Odysseus reveals himself to Eumaeus and Philoetius
- Eurycleia bars the doors
- Odysseus strings the bow
Book 22 of the Odyssey:
- Odysseus starts to shoot the suitors
- Telemachus goes to fetch more weapons, realises he left the door open and catches Melanthius takin gweapons.
- Athene is disguised as Mentor and helps Odysseus to kill all the suitors
- house cleaned and maids murdered
Book 23 of the Odyssey:
- Eurycleia tells Penelope that Odysseus has returned, she doesn’t believe straight away
- Penelope tests Odysseus, who Athene has restored and made handsome
- Penelope is convinced of her husband’s return and they go off to bed
In which books is Odysseus telling his story to the Phaeacians?
9-12
In which books is Odysseus in Ithaca?
13-end
When does Odysseus reveal himself to Eumaeus and Philoetius?
book 21
When does Penelope recognise Odysseus?
book 23
In which book are the suitors and maids killed?
book 22
In which book does Eurycleia recognise Odysseus?
book 19
In which book are Telemachus and Odysseus reunited?
book 16
In which book is Odysseus introduced?
book 5
In which book does Odysseus visit the underworld?
book 11
In which book does Odysseus encounter Polyphemus?
book 9
What happens just before the Laestrygonians?
Aeolus sends Odysseus away
In which book do the crew eat the cattle?
book 12
In which books is Odysseus at Scherie, but not revealed his identity yet?
6,7,8
