Odyssey summaries

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Homer Homer was traditionally a blind minstrel or bard, who sang or performed to music epic poems set in the Heroic Age. The story of the Trojan War is related in Homer's epic, The Iliad. This 10 year conflict pitted Greek heroes against the city of Troy, on the western coast of what is now Turkey. Homer's other great epic, The Odyssey, narrates the homeward journey of the hero Odysseus after the war.

Transcript of Odyssey summaries

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Homer

Homer was traditionally a blind minstrel or bard, who sang or performed to music epic poems set in the Heroic Age. The story of the Trojan War is related in Homer's epic, The Iliad. This 10 year conflict pitted Greek heroes against the city of Troy, on the western coast of what is now Turkey. Homer's other great epic, The Odyssey, narrates the homeward journey of the hero Odysseus after the war.

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Trojan War

The Trojan War began when a prince of Troy eloped with the wife of a Greek king. The woman's name was Helen and she became infamous as Helen of Troy. Hers was "the face that launched a thousand ships," according to the playwright Marlowe, because all the kings of Greece rallied to get her back. Sailing to Troy, they besieged the city for 10 years. Homer's other epic, The Iliad, concerns this siege and the many individual battles that were fought between heroes on both sides. It also chronicles the involvement of the supreme gods, who descended from Mount Olympus to take sides in the contest.

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Odysseus’ PlanThe Trojan War was over. The clever Greek Odysseus had tricked the enemy into bringing a colossal wooden horse within the walls of Troy. The Trojans had no idea that Greek soldiers were hidden inside, under the command of Odysseus. The Greeks had been laying siege to Troy for ten long years, but suddenly it looked like their whole army had departed, leaving the horse behind.

That night, while the Trojans slept, Odysseus and his men emerged from the horse's belly. Opening the city gates, they admitted their comrades, who had snuck back in the dark.

Troy was sacked and the Trojans utterly vanquished. Now it was time for Odysseus and his fellow warriors to return to their kingdoms across the sea. Here begins the tale of The Odyssey, as sung by the blind minstrel Homer.

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CharactersCharacters DescriptionDescription

AthenaAthena goddess of wisdom, skills, and goddess of wisdom, skills, and warfare, who occasionally comes warfare, who occasionally comes to help Odysseusto help Odysseus

OdysseusOdysseus The hero of the Odyssey, son of The hero of the Odyssey, son of Laertes and king of Ithaca, an Laertes and king of Ithaca, an island in the Mediterranean Sea, island in the Mediterranean Sea, Without last names, people were Without last names, people were known by their parents and the known by their parents and the land from which they came.land from which they came.

PenelopePenelope Wife of Odysseus, separated from Wife of Odysseus, separated from Odysseus for 20 years after he Odysseus for 20 years after he leaves to fight in the Trojan War, leaves to fight in the Trojan War, faithfulfaithful

TelemachusTelemachus Son of Odysseus whom he has Son of Odysseus whom he has not seen for 20 years: 10 years of not seen for 20 years: 10 years of Trojan War and 10 years at sea Trojan War and 10 years at sea by angry godsby angry gods

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Sing in me, Muse, and through me tell the story

of that man skilled in all ways of contending,

the wanderer, harried for years on end,

after he plundered the stronghold

on the proud height of Troy.

He saw the townlands

and learned the minds of many distant men,

and weathered many bitter nights and days

in his deep heart at sea, while he fought only

to save his life, to bring his shipmates home.

But not by will nor valor could he save them,

for their own recklessness destroyed them all –

children and fools, they killed and feasted on

the cattle of the Lord Helios, the Sun,

and he who moves all day through heaven

took from their eyes the dawn of their return.

Of these adventures, Muse, daughter of Zeus,

tell us in our time, lift the great song again.

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Phaeacians

The Odyssey begins at the end of the journey. Odysseus, after 10 years of travel, washes ashore among the Phaeacians. He is found and is treated to a banquet, where he retells the story of how he came to this situation. In exchange for this story, Odysseus is offered a ship to sail safely home to Ithaca.

Ismarus

Odysseus tells about his raid on Ismarus. The inhabitants came and attacked the men who then retreated to the ships. Many of Odysseus’ men were killed.

The Lotus-Eaters

His next stop was the country of the Lotus-Eaters, who live upon that flower. The men disembarked on the island to look for supplies. The Lotus-Eaters showed no harm, only offered the sweet flower. When Odysseus’ men ate the Lotus, it caused them to forget their purpose and not want to return to the ship.

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The Cyclops

His next trip was to the island of the Cyclops. He lies about his name because he knows that the Cyclops are children of Poseidon whom he has angered. Then he used quick-thinking to get him drunk, blind the Cyclops (Polyphemus) with a large pole, and escape his lair. Polyphemus did, however, eat some of the men. They escape by hiding under the bellies of the sheep and riding out unnoticed. Odysseus uses a lie and trickery to escape. As Odysseus and his men sail away, he turns and shouts his name back to the blind Cyclops in a prideful and arrogant gesture that causes him further trouble. Polyphemus asks his father Poseidon to avenge him.

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King Aeolus

Odysseus tells about sailing to Aeolia. While there, they meet Aeolus, king of the winds. Odysseus tells about Aeolus’ gift of a bag filled with winds and about how his curious sailors opened it too early, releasing a wind that blew them off course, back to Aeolia. The only wind that was not in the bag was the wind that would take them home. When the other winds were released, it caused the storm that blew them in the wrong direction.

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Character/Place Description

Achaeans Greeks who were shipmates of OdysseusGreeks who were shipmates of Odysseus

Cicones Islanders on Ismarus who attacked the men of Islanders on Ismarus who attacked the men of OdysseusOdysseus

King Aeolus Kind of the windsKind of the winds

Lotus-Eaters Men who live on the island and eat the lotus flowerMen who live on the island and eat the lotus flower

Nohbdy The false name that Odysseus gives PolyphemusThe false name that Odysseus gives Polyphemus

Phaeacians Offer Odysseus a ship to sail home in exchange of Offer Odysseus a ship to sail home in exchange of hearing about his adventures over the last 10 yearshearing about his adventures over the last 10 years

Polyphemus A one-eyed monster, Cyclops, “a wild man ignorant of A one-eyed monster, Cyclops, “a wild man ignorant of civility”civility”

Poseidon God of the Sea who is upset with Odysseus because God of the Sea who is upset with Odysseus because Odysseus refuses to acknowledge that he had help to Odysseus refuses to acknowledge that he had help to win the Trojan War. “Without the gods, man is win the Trojan War. “Without the gods, man is nothing.”nothing.”

Zues King of the gods and god of the sky, works in King of the gods and god of the sky, works in conjunction with his brother Poseidon by raising winds conjunction with his brother Poseidon by raising winds to blow Odysseus off courseto blow Odysseus off course

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Laestrygonians

His crew next barely escapes from the Island of the Lotus-Eaters, vicious cannibals. The Laestrygonians destroy all his men and boats except the one boat Odysseus and a handful of his men are on.

Circe

The survivors next land at Aeaea, where the witch Circe lives. She lures the scouting party with her bewitching beauty, then uses a wand to transform them into pigs. Only Odysseus escapes. The other crewmen are too terrified to help, but Odysseus uses a magic herb to protect himself from magical transformation. When her spells don't affect Odysseus, he demands that Circe change his men back into human shape. Before Odysseus departs from the island a year later, Circe informs him that in order to reach home he must journey to the land of the dead, Hades, and consult the blind prophet Tiresias.

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The Land of the Dead

Circe gives Odysseus directions on how to make a magical journey into Hades, the land of the dead, where he can learn from ancient spirits how to safely make it home. He sacrifices a ram and a black ewe, and he feeds the blood to the ghosts so they can take form and talk. He sees the spirit of his mother there and did not know she had died while he was away at war. He also sees the spirit of Elpenor, one of his fallen men, who requests a proper burial. At last, Odysseus speaks with Tiresias, the blind prophet, who tells him not to be shaken from his path. He explains that Odysseus will make landfall on Thrinacia and there find the grazing herds of Helios, the sun god. He must not eat the cattle. If he does, there will be destruction for ship and crew. Tiresias also says that Odysseus will eventually return home alone after being lost for years, under strange sail to find his home filled with trouble: men eating his livestock and courting his wife. He will deal out death in open combat or by stealth to all the suitors. After he defeats the suitors, Odysseus must carry out sacrifices for Lord Poseidon and all the gods. Only then can he return to his family, reclaim his role as king of Ithaca, and have peace around him.

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Character/Character/PlacePlace

DescriptionDescription

AntecleaAnteclea the mother of Odysseusthe mother of Odysseus

CireceCirece sorceress-goddess who turns men into pigs, sorceress-goddess who turns men into pigs, Circe both helps and hinders Odysseus on his Circe both helps and hinders Odysseus on his journey and is considered both ally and enemyjourney and is considered both ally and enemy

ElpenorElpenor Odysseus’ shipmate, got drunk and fell off the Odysseus’ shipmate, got drunk and fell off the roof in Circe’s hall, Odysseus does not know roof in Circe’s hall, Odysseus does not know he is dead until he meets him in Hadeshe is dead until he meets him in Hades

LaestrygonianLaestrygonianss

cannibalscannibals

TiresiasTiresias Blind prophetBlind prophet

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The Sirens

Odysseus returns to Circe’s island to retrieve Elpenor. Following Círcë's advice, Odysseus succeeds in getting past the sirens which are monsters who lure men with their beautiful songs. Odysseus puts ear wax in all of the men’s ears so they won’t hear the song. One person must listen in order to pass, so Odysseus orders the men to tie him to the mast. This is an example of self-sacrifice on his part because the song makes him want to go to the monster who is waiting to eat them.

Scylla and Charybdis

Odysseus must make a choice between the two. He chooses the sea monster by which some of his men may escape rather than the whirl pool which none of them would escape. He also makes the difficult choice not to tell his men so that none of them will panic. He is demonstrating his leadership skills in this situation.

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Cattle of the Sun God

Odysseus’ ship is taken to the island of the Cattle of the Sun God. The winds will not allow his ship to leave for a month. Odysseus falls asleep on the ship while his men go ashore. His starving crew abandon his command to leave the cattle alone. Eurylochus encourages the men to eat what is available because it would be better to be killed by the gods than to starve. They kill and eat sacred cows which belong to Heliós (Hyperion or Apollo, the Greek Sun-God). Helios makes a plea to Zeus to punish Odysseus. The gods raise storms that drive the boat all the way back to Charybdis. Zeus strikes the ship with a lightning bolt. Odysseus's ship sinks and his men drown. Only Odysseus thinks quickly enough to save himself, and he washes ashore on Ogygia.

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Calypso

Odysseus washes ashore on Ogygia after loosing all of his men. Calypso enslaves him on Ogygia because she has fallen in love with the hero; however, Odysseus never loved her back with his heart. When he escapes from the begrudging Calypso, he is washed ashore on the island of the Phaeacians.