Odyssey Book Summaries Flashcards
What happens in Book 1?
Proem (invocation of muse)
Council of the Gods- Athene convinces Zeus that Odysseus should be freed from Calypso’s island (Ogygia) so he can return to Ithaca
Athene goes to Telemachus as Mentes and is shown hospitality by him, she convinces him to look for his father
Penelope appears to the suitors because the bard Phemius is singing of Troy, Telemachus rebukes her
What happens in books 2-4?
Book 2- Telemachus prepares to sail to Pylos secretly
Book 3- In Pylos Telemachus meets Nestor who shows him Xenia and tells him what he knows about Trojan War heroes
Book 4- Telemachus goes to Sparta and meets Menelaus and Helen who tells him about the Trojan horse, Penelope misses Telemachus and the suitors plan to ambush his ship once he returns
What happens in book 5?
Hermes is sent to Ogygia to tell Calypso to release Odysseus but she attempts to resist talking about the double standards of the gods
Odysseus is by the seashore weeping but is given the news that he can leave
He builds a raft with the help of Calypso but Poseidon sees this and sends a storm to drown him
Leucothea/ Ino helps Odysseus with her veil and he manages to swim to the shores of Scheria
What happens in book 6?
Athene appears in a dream to Nausicaa telling her to go wash her clothes near the river where Odysseus is sleeping
Nausicaa and her handmaids discover Odysseus and instead of fearing him Nausicaa offers him help
Odysseus bathes and eats while Athene improves his looks
They return to the city with Odysseus following at a respectful distance to not damage Nausicaa’s reputation
Odysseus prays to Athene for help
What happens in book 7?
Odysseus enters the city in a mist that Athene sent to protect him
He reaches the palace of Alcinous and supplicates the Queen Arête after what Nausicaa told him
He is shown Xenia and Arête asks Odysseus of his identity, he avoids giving his name but tells his story from being on Calypso’s island
Alcinous critiques Nausicaa for helping him but Odysseus defends her
Alcinous promises to give Odysseus transportation home and everyone sleeps
What happens in book 8?
The Phaeacians entertain Odysseus
The bard Demodocus sings about the Trojan War causing Odysseus to cry
He takes part in the Phaeacian games
Demodocus sings of Ares and Aphrodite
Alcinous prepares farewell gifts and Odysseus says goodbye to Nausicaa
There is a final feast where Demodocus sings of the Trojan Horse, upsetting Odysseus meaning Alcinous asks Odysseus his name
Prophecy about Poseidon’s anger against the Phaeacians
What happens in book 9?
Odysseus reveals his name and recounts his adventures
Sacking of the Ciconian city
Land of the Lotus eaters
The Island of the Cyclopes: blinding of Polyphemus, the escape and the curse
What happens in book 10?
Aeolia: Aeolus’ Xenia and gifting Odysseus the bag of winds which is opened by the crew just as they were about to reach Ithaca, blowing them off course
Island of the Laestrygonians: cannibals
Aeaea: Circe’s island where she turns the crew to pigs and Odysseus needs the help of Hermes on how to gain her trust, she tells him to sail to the underworld to get advice from the seer Teiresias
What happens in book 11?
Journey to the Underworld and the sacrifice that had to be made to enter
Odysseus sees the ghost of Elpenor who had gotten drunk and fallen off the roof at Aeaea
They meet Teiresias
Then Anticlea (Odysseus’ mother)
Then famous women
Agamemnon
Achilles
Ajax refuses to speak
They see the punishments of the major sinners
They depart
What happens in book 12?
Odysseus returns to Aeaea and bury Elpenor while Circe warns Odysseus of the dangers ahead and not to listen to the siren’s song as well as the warning of Scylla and Charybdis
Odysseus departs
Encounters the sirens and hears their song
Odysseus meets Scylla and Charybdis
Cattle of Helios: They arrive Thrinacia and the crew eat the cattle of Helios against Odysseus’ orders
A storm wrecks Odysseus’ ship and the men drown
Odysseus floats back to Scylla and Charybdis where he almost drowns
He floats to Ogygia and meets Calypso and the present point of the narrative is resumed
What happens in book 13?
Odysseus boards a self sailing Phaeacian ship and falls asleep until he reaches the shores of Ithaca
Poseidon complains that Odysseus made it home and the Phaeacians remember the prophecy so sacrifice to Poseidon but are still punished
Odysseus does not believe he is on Ithaca until Athene disguised as a herds boy tells him
To protect himself he does not reveal his identity until Athene reveals herself and they plot revenge on the suitors
Athene disguises Odysseus as an old beggar
What happens in books 14 and 15?
Book 14- Odysseus visits his loyal swine herd Eumaeus who recounts what it has been like with the suitors
Book 15- Athene goes to Sparta to get Telemachus to return
What happens in book 16?
Telemachus meets Odysseus but does not recognise him and Eumaeus explains how he came
Eumaeus leaves and Athene reveals Odysseus’ true identity to Telemachus and they plan the revenge on the suitors
Athene resumes Odysseus’ disguise
What happens in book 17?
Telemachus returns to the palace and is welcomed by Eurycleia while Penelope fusses over him and he tells of his adventure
Odysseus reaches the palace but the goat herd Melanthios is inhospitable
Argus the dog recognises Odysseus and then dies
Odysseus is assaulted by the suitors and Antinous throws a stool at him
Penelope decides to interview the beggar
What happens in book 18?
Odysseus boxes Irus the beggar in front of the suitors proving his strength
Athene encourages Penelope to show herself to the suitors and puts her to sleep to make her appear more beautiful before her appearance
Servant girl Melantho and the suitors are rude to Odysseus
