The Odyssey

The Odyssey

An interactive journey through Homer's Epic poem

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Background Information

The Odyssey is one of two Epic poems attributed to the Ancient Greek poet Homer. It is divided into 24 books and follows the Greek hero Odysseus, king of Ithaca, on his ten-year journey home from the Trojan War via Africa and Southern Europe. During this journey, all of his crewmates were killed due to various encounters with gods and monsters. Odysseus himself was presumed dead, leaving his wife Penelope and son Telemachus to contend with many suitors who sought to marry Penelope and ascend the throne of Ithaca. The Odyssey was originally composed in Homeric Greek around the 8th or 7th Century BC, and has become part of the Greek literary canon. Despite its attribution to Homer, modern scholars predominately assume that Homer merely recorded a story that was part of the oral tradition, and the poem was most likely originally performed by an aoidos or rhapsode and was more likely to be heard than read.

Gods and Monsters

7. Calypso

8. Lotus Eaters

1. Zeus

9. Polyphemus

2. Athena

10. Sirens

3. Poseidon

11. Scylla & Charybdis

4. Aeolus

12. Helios's Cattle

5. Hermes

6. Circe

Timeline in Chronological ORder

Books 9-12

Odysseus and his men raid the Cicones

They arrive at the land of the Lotus Eaters

Odysseus blinds Polyphemus

Aeolus gives Odysseus the bag of winds and Odysseus nearly reaches Ithaca

The Laestrygonians destroy 11 ships

Circe turns the crew into swine

Odysseus vistis Tiresias in the Underworld

Odysseus' ship passes the Sirens, and then Scylla and Charybdis

The crew slaughters Helios' cattle and Zeus kills everyone but Odysseus

Odysseus arrives on Calypso's island

Books 1-4

The Gods hold a Council meeting and Athena bargains with Zeus

Athena visits Telemachus and he sails for Pylos

Telemachus reaches Pylos, sails to Sparta, and is recieved by King Menelaus

Books 5-8

There is a second Council of the Gods, and Calypso frees Odysseus

Poseidon destroys Odysseus' raft and he is stranded on the isle of Scheria, whre he meets Nausicaa

Odysseus narrates his adventures to the Phaeacians

Books 13-18

The Phaeacians bring Odysseus to Ithaca and he stays with the swinherd Eurnaios

Telemachus travels back to Pherai, and then sails to Pylos, then back home to Ithaca

Telemachus joins Odysseus and Eurnaios in Ithaca. Disguised as a beggar, Odysseus visits the palace

Books 19-24

Penelope proposes a bow competiton and, still disguised, Odysseus wins it

Odysseus reveals himself to the suitors and Penelope, and with Athena's help, Odysseus kills all of the suitors

Odysseus reassumes his throne, and Penelope accepts him home

The suitor's families attempt revenge

Athena intervenes to put a stop to the violence

A fun video simplifying the Odyssey (and a link to a cool semi-accurate musical)

Question One

Question Two

Helios's Cattle

The Sun God's Immortal Livestock

Helios' cattle are a group of immortal, sacred oxen and sheep. They appear in Book 12 on the island of Thrinakia. They are guarded by Helios' daughters Phaethusa and Lampetia. Helios is very protective of the livestock because they cannot be bred. Odysseus was warned by Circe and the prophet Tiresias not to harm the cattle, but his men do it anyway. Zeus punishes the crew by destroying their ship, sparing only Odysseus.

Calypso

Nymph

Calypso is the daugther of the Titan Atlas and a sea nymph Pleione. In the Odyssey, she enchants Odysseus for seven years on her home island of Ogygia. Odysseus washes up on her island after Zeus destroys what's left of his fleet. Calypso falls in love with him, but he does not return her feelings, so when he rejects her offer of immortality for his love, she traps him on her island instead. Odysseus asks Athena for help. She goes to Zeus, and convinces him to make Calypso release Odysseus, which he does.

Circe

Sorceress and Minor Goddess

Circe appears in Books 10 and 12 of The Odyssey. She is the daughter of Helios, the Sun God, and Perse, an Ocean Nymph. She lives on the Island of Aeaea, and has the power to transform humans into animals. She is also skilled in necromancy. In The Odyssey, she turns Odysseus' men in to pigs when they land on her island. Using the special herb Mole, which Hermes gives to him, Odysseus is able to force her to turn his men back to humans. He ends up staying with her on the island for an entire year.

Polyphemus

Cyclops Son of Poseidon

In The Odyssey, Polyphemus originally appears hospitable to Odysseus and his men, but then turns hostile and eats two of Odysseus' men, imprisoning Odysseus and the remainder in his cave. In order to escape, Odysseus derives a plan. They get Polyphemus drunk on wine, and then stab him in the eye with a burning stake. Though Odysseus first introduced himself as "Nobody," while fleeing his hubris causes him to reveal his actual name, which causes a lot of problems with Poseidon later.

Zeus

King of the Gods

Zeus is the God of the Sky and Thunder, and the King of the Gods. In The Odyssey he is presented as just and impartial, mostly concerned with upholding the laws of hospitality. Throughout the Odyssey, he both helps and harms Odysseus. He punishes the crew for eating Helios' sacred cattle, but later also frees Odysseus from Calypso's island.

Aeolus

God of the Winds

Aeolus is the Ruler of the Winds and King of the island of Aeolia. In the Odyssey, he helps Odysseus by giving him a bag containing all of the winds except the gentle West Wind. Unfortunately, the crew opens the bag and the winds escape. After that, Aoelus decides that Odysseus must be hated by the gods and refuses to help him further.

Sirens

Winged Singing Creatures

Sirens are part bird, part human, and often depicted as beautiful women. They live on the coast between Italy and Sicily. Odysseus encounters the Sirens, and in order to avoid their song, he has his crew fill their ears with beeswax. However, feeling that it will grant him wisdom, he has the crew tie him to the mast of the ship so that he survives, but can still hear their song.

Hermes

God of Travelers

Hermes is the Messenger of the Gods. In The Odyssey he plays the role of Messenger, Counselor, Protector, Conductor of the Dead, and Trickster. He is the one who delivers the message for Calypso to release Odysseus. He also appears to Odysseus' son Telemachus in a dream, instructing him to seek help from other Kings to find his father. He also warns Odysseus about Circe's magic and gives him an herb to protect himself. Odysseus is a distant descendant of Hermes.

Lotus Eaters

Community of Enchanted Mortals

In the Odyssey, Odysseus and his men are blown off course at the start of their journey home from Troy, and end up on the island of the Lotus Eaters. They are offered the Lotus plant to eat, which is a narcotic that causes the Lotus Eaters to become apathetic and forgetful. The men who eat the Lotus lose all interest in returning home. Odysseus manages to force his men back to the ships, tying them to the oars, so that they can continue their journey.

Athena

Goddess of Wisdom

Athena is the Goddess of Wisdom, Craft, and Battle. She plays a central role in The Odyssey as Odysseus' patron goddess. She helps Odysseus in a variety of ways throughout the journey. She often uses disguises in order to hide her involvement from mortals and from Poseidon. She tries to ensure that Poseidon does not intervene in Odysseus' journey home across the sea.

Poseidon

God of the Sea

Poseidon is the God of the Sea, and in The Odyssey serves as Odysseus' divine antagonist. He is known for his quick temper, mood swings, and tendency towards vengeance. He makes Odysseus' journey home very difficult after Odysseus earns his wrath by blinding Poseidon's cyclops son, Polyphemus. He is the main reason that Odysseus' journey home takes ten years.

Scylla & Charbydis

Sea Monsters

Scylla is a six-headed monster with long necks that eats six sailors at a time. Charybdis is a giant whirllpool that sucks up and spits out water, threatening to swallow the entire ship. Circe advises Odysseus to sail past Scylla by sacrificing six men, and to avoid Charybdis. Though Odysseus first resists this plan, he eventually realizes it's his only option.