Term 2 - Lecture 6 Flashcards
1
Q
Where is Odysseus’ family from?
A
Ithica
2
Q
How long is he absent from Ithica for, away from Penelope?
A
20 years - 10 in battle, and 10 journeying home
3
Q
What two things does Penelope preserve for Odysseus?
A
- Her body - she remains faithful to Odysseus
- Her household - she does not marry another man into the house
4
Q
Who is the son of Odysseus and Penelope? How old is he at the beginning of the Odyssey?
A
Telemachus. He is approaching manhood, the age that he may be considered to look over the household.
5
Q
What occurs in the house of Atreus in Argos with Orestes? What is the function of this story in the Odyssey?
A
Agamemnon returns from war, and his previous wife, and mother of his children (Electra, Iphigeneia, and Orestes), Clytemnestra, has taken up a new lover, his cousin Aegisthus (the only remaining son of Thyestes). Clytemnestra and Aegisthus team up and brutally murder Agamemnon. Orestes, the son of Agamemnon comes of age, avenges his father’s death by killing Aegisthus. This saves Argos from having Aegisthus as the ruler.
This story functions as a model for Telemachus to emulate. He should stop the suitors in his house.
6
Q
Who tells Telemachus of the story of Orestes?
A
Athena
7
Q
Who is Arete?
A
The mother of Nausicaa, Phaeacian queen. Lives in Scheria.
8
Q
Who is Anticleia?
A
The mother of Odysseus
9
Q
Who is Eurycleia?
A
The old nurse of Odysseus - recognizes the scar on his leg
10
Q
Who is Polyphemus?
A
A cyclopes, the son of Poseidon
11
Q
Who is Tireseis?
A
A dead prophet of Apollo. He gives advice to Odysseus.
12
Q
Laertes?
A
The father of Odysseus
13
Q
Eurylochus
A
A companion of Odysseus - the one who warned Odysseus that his men had been turned to swine by Circe on Aeaea
14
Q
Who is Eumaeus?
A
The old swineherd of Odysseus
15
Q
What is Odysseus’ lineage?
A
Zeus
Hermes (trickster)
Autolycus (trickster)
Anticleia (Laertes)
Odysseus
16
Q
Who is Hermes to Odysseus?
A
His great-grandfather.
17
Q
What are books 1-5 of the Odyssey called?
A
The Telemacheia
18
Q
What is the first word of the Odyssey? What does it mean?
A
Andra - man, hero, or husband
19
Q
Where does Odysseus tell the story from?
A
Scheria - the island of the Phaecaians, in the household of Nausicaa, Arete, and Alcinous
20
Q
Who is Alcinous?
A
The Phaeacian King on Scheria (husband of Arete, father of Nausicaa)
21
Q
Where is Odysseus, at the beginning of the Odyssey? Where is Penelope? What is happening?
A
Odysseus is detained on Calypso’s island, Ogygia. Penelope and Telemachus are in Ithica; the house is filled with suitors and Telemachus is coming of age.
22
Q
At the beginning of the Odyssey, how long has it been since Odysseus left Troy?
A
9 years
23
Q
What concepts are introduced at the beginning of the Odyssey?
A
Odysseus is the man who “plundered Troy”. The Muses are called upon to give the story authority. His men were fools who were destroyed by their own recklessness. Poseidon is against him.
24
Q
What is a main difference between the characters in the Iliad vs. the Odyssey?
A
The Odyssey contains many more female characters than the Iliad does.
25
Which god comes to visit Telemachus for the first time? How is this visit initiated?
Athena - disguised as "Mentes". She speaks to Zeus, asking him whether or not it is fair for Odysseus to be detained on the island of Calypso. Zeus does not think he can interfere because of Poseidon's anger. Athena says to send her to Telemachus, and to send Hermes to Calypso's island.
26
Why did Odysseus' men lose their nostos?
Because of their inability to restrain their appetites.
27
What happens when Telemachus meets Athena?
He practices very good xenia. He invites her/him in, gives her dinner, then asks who she is, to which hse replies that she is Mentes, a friend of Odysseus'.
28
Where does Mentes tell Telemachus that Odysseus is?
Being held captive by savages (truthfully he's being held captive by Calypso, who he sleeps with every night)
29
What is the main purpose of Athena visiting Telemachus?
To reassure him that Odysseus really is his father, and to tell him that it's time to knock the suitors out of his house. He has to man up. Either go and find out if his father is dead (if so, hold a proper funeral and marry off his mother) or to find Odysseus if he is living.
30
Who visits Calypso to tell her to let Odysseus go? How long has Odysseus been concealed on her island for?
Hermes, and 7 years.
31
What is Penelope's trick on the suitors?
She sits at her loom, day and night. She tells the suitors that she is weaving a funeral shroud for Laertes. She claims that Odysseus is dead, and that once she is done weaving the shroud she will choose one of the suitors to marry. This will buy her some time. She secretly unravels it every night. One of the suitors realizes her trick eventually.
32
What does Calypso talk about once Hermes tells her she needs to stop detaining Odysseus? What does she say to Odysseus?
She calls the gods jealous bastards, and complains about how it isn't fair that the goddesses are not allowed to take mortal men as lovers. Calypso loves Odysseus.
She tells Odysseus that he is free to go, he is crying on the seaside by day and sleeping with her by night. She offers to make him **immortal, but he declines.**
33
How does Odysseus leave Ogygia, the island of Calypso?
By raft. She tells him to build a raft. Odysseus spends time doing so, giving it an **upright pole, and a sail.**
34
Compare Odysseus' raft from Calypso's island to Penelope's loom.
Odysseus' raft is handmade. Upright pole, with a sail hanging across it. It is a symbol of his motion.
Penelope's loom holds a handmaid tapestry. It has an upright pole, and the tapestry is like the sail. The difference is that it is a symbol of her being stuck in the house.
35
Hermes is sent to free Odysseus from Calypso's island. Compare this to another story.
Hermes liberates Persephone from Hades
36
What does Calypso offer to Odysseus before he leaves?
To make him immortal. He does not want this, he only wants Persephone. Odysseus knows who he is. Calypso does not understand how Odysseus could overlook her beauty for Penelope.
37
How does Book 5 end (the Telemacheia)? How does Book 6 begin?
With Odysseus building his raft to leave Calypso's island.
Book 6 begins with Odysseus and Calypso sharing a final dinner. Odysseus is washed ashore on Phaeacia.
38
How does Odysseus end up on Phaeacia? Where was he previously? Who does he meet?
He is washed ashore by a giant wave, sent by Poseidon. His ship is wrecked, his clothes are gone. He was previously on Ogygia with Calypso.
He meets Nausicaa almost immediately.
39
What is the Phaeacian society a model of?
Xenia. Nausicaa does not pursue Odysseus, and her family is welcoming to him.
40
What books are Odysseus' narrative contained in?
9-12
41
What was Nausicaa's dream?
Athena came to her, in the form of her best friend. Her friend asks her why she has her clothing all over the place, and why she isn't taking care of the laundry if she's at marrying age.
42
How do Odysseus and Nausicaa meet? Who does Odysseus compare her to?
Nausicaa awakes from the dream, sent by Athena, and decides to take care of the laundry. She is out with her friends, and they are on the Phaeacian seaside. They lay out their laundry to dry, and play ball. Odysseus is washed ashore, and one of the girls wakes him up in the bushes by hitting him with the ball. All of the other girls are scared, but Nausicaa goes to see him.
Odysseus compliments her. He needs help but doesn't know how to ask. He compares her to **Artemis in her beauty and virginity.** She tells him to bathe, and then follow behind them (but not with them) into the city. Exactly how she should respond.
43
Who is the bard at Phaeacia?
Demodocus
44
What happens when Odysseus enters the household of Nausicaa?
Demodocus sings a song as they eat dinner. He sings of Odysseus and the Trojan horse! Odysseus breaks down into tears.
After dinner, when it is polite, the Phaeacian's ask who Odysseus is. He introduces himself and proceeds to tell his story.
45
Why does Odysseus tell stories of bad hospitality?
To make the Phaeacian's like him more! Then maybe they will allow him a ship home.
46
What is book 9 called? What is it a tale of? (4 examples)
Cyclopeia - Odysseus' cunning intelligence (metis)
1. Nobody/Noman
2. Use of wine
3. Use of technology (blinding of cyclopes)
4. Trick with sheep
47
What is Polyphemus doing to Odysseus' men? How does he stop this using his cunning intelligence?
Polyphemus is eating them. They went into the cave, which was rich in wine and cheeses. Odysseus introduces himself as "NOMAN", when Polyphemus asks for his name so he can give him a gift. Gift is being eaten last.
Odysseus keeps feeding Polyphemus wine and gets him drunk. Reckless consumer. He passes out.
Odysseus then takes an **OLIVE BRANCH**, sharpens it, and stabs the eye of Polyphemus; blinding him using technology. Polyphemus freaks out yelling and crying out. His neighbouring friends ask what's wrong and he says "Noman (nobody) is blinding me!".
They tell him it must be left in the hands of the gods then. Then Odysseus ties his men under a sheep, between two others. He exits the cave by clinging to the last ram.
48
What is Polyphemus' gift to Odysseus?
That he will be eaten last.
49
Relate culture to Polyphemus.
Polyphemus eats raw humans and hers his sheep into his cave at night. He is uncultured.
Odysseus' uses wine to get him drunk. Wine is produced by human technology. Culture. Odysseus also uses a sharpened olive branch (culture again) to blind the cyclopes. It hisses which can be compared to a blacksmith (more technology).
50
What does Odysseus use to blind the cyclopes?
An olive branch
51
What prophecy did Polyphemus hear?
That a man named Odysseus would blind him.
52
What is Odysseus' critical error with Polyphemus?
Odysseus taunts Polyphemus - angering him. Polyphemus throws a giant boulder at them, which accidentally brought their ship back to shore. When they get back to shore, Odysseus says "If anyone asks who blinded you, tell them it was Odysseus, son of Laertes, from Ithica"
Polyphemus remarks that he thought Odysseus wouldn't be a puny, good-for-nothing runt.
53
Why is Odysseus' error so critical? What does Polyphemus pray to his father?
Because it lets Polyphemus tell Poseidon who did that to him. Poseidon now has a reason to be angry with Odysseus. Polyphemus prayed to his father that Odysseus would never return home, and that if he did he would come home to an unhappy situation and would have no men left by his side.
54
Who were the Lastraegonyians? What do they exemplify?
Exemplify negative xenia. They throw rocks at Odysseus' men, killing a ton of them.
55
What do Odysseus' men do with the sheep that they sneak out of Polyphemus' cave?
They cook and eat them
56
Where do Odysseus' men go after Polyphemus, and the Lastroegonyans?
They go to Aeaea, Circe's island. Odysseus stays back at the ship (like he did at Lastrogonyia). Circe's house is surrounded by animals standing on two feet. Drugged and domesticated. Circe is inside singing and weaving.
57
What do Calypso and Circe have in common?
Negative xenia. Sitting inside singing and weaving.
58
Which of Odysseus's men does not enter the house of Circe, and reports back to Odysseus?
Eurylochus.
59
What does Circe do to Odysseus' men who enter her house? What magic does she use? Compare this to Medea.
She gives them wine with drugs that make the men forget where they come from (negative xenia), she then turns them into swine! Representative of their nature.
Medea (the niece of Circe) uses magic to drug the dragon who guarded the magic fleece, tried to poison Theseus, etc.
60
Who gives Odysseus advice that prevents him from being turned into swine?
Hermes. Hermes gives Odysseus a magic herb that prevents him from being affected by the drugs in the wine.
He also tells Hermes that he must make Circe fear him. Once she fears him she will invite him into her bed. He must make her swear not to unsex him.
61
What is Circe's reaction to Odysseus not being affected by the drugs due to Hermes' magic herb?
She invites him into her bed, and says that Hermes warned her - she knows who Odysseus is.
62
After Circe turns Odysseus' men back to human, how long do they stay, feasting, on Aeaea?
A full year
63
Who is the blind prophet?
Tiresius - he is also dead.
64
What is wrong with Circe's xenia (besides her magic)?
She prevents her guest from reaching their destination
65
When Odysseus says he has to leave, what shatters his heart in his chest?
Circe tells him that he'll have to perform katabasis. He has to consult Tiresius (of Thebes), who will "tell him the route home" (which he does not).
66
Who is the "sacrificial victim" at Aeaea?
Elpenor. He gets drunk and falls off the roof of Circe's house, he snaps his neck and everyone leaves.
67
Who does Odysseus meet during his necromancy?
1. Tiresius
2. Anticleia
3. Agamemnon
4. Achilles
5. Ajax
6. Herakles
68
How does Odysseus perform necromancy/katabasis?
He digs a trench far out at the ends of the earth. Sacrificing animals, bloodshed in a trench.
69
Does Tiresius tell him what Circe said he would (how to get home)?
No.
70
Who is the first to speak with Odysseus during his necromancy? What does he say?
Elpenor - asking for a proper burial.
71
What does Tiresius tell Odysseus?
Not to touch the cattle of Hyperion on Thrinakia. To go off carrying an oar until people think its a winnowing fan, where he should apologize to Poseidon. That his house is full of suitors. Trouble in the house.
72
What does Anticleia tell Odysseus?
That she died of grief, of a broken heart. and that Laertes is dying of one. Penelope is faithful, Telemachus is flourishing.
73
What does Odysseus try to do to his mother?
He tries to embrace her 3x
74
What happens when Agamemnon and Odysseus meet in necromancy?
Agamemnon explains how Aegisthus and Clytemnestra killed him. He tells him not to trust his wife, and then reconsiders, remembering it's Penelope
75
What does Achilles say to Odysseus (necromancy)?
That he would rather be a slave than be dead. Odysseus reminds him of his kleos, but he says he'd rather have nostos. Odysseus tells him of how Neopthalamus helped to sack the city of Troy.
76
What does Ajax say to Odysseus during katabasis?
That he is still angry about Odysseus winning Achilles's armour. Odysseus says Zeus is responsible for his death. Ajax says nothing.
77
Who does Odysseus witness being tortured in Hades?
Sisyphus, Tantalus, Tityos
78
Odysseus and Herakles in the underworld?
Herakles is feasting eternally with Hebe
79
Who are the sirens?
Half bird, half woman. They sing an enchanting song.
80
Come this way, honored Odysseus, great glory of the Achaians,
and stay your ship, so that you can listen here to our singing;
for no-one else has ever sailed past this place in his black ship
until he has listened to the honey-sweet voice that issues
from our lips; then goes on, well pleased, knowing more than ever
he did; for we know everything that the Argives and Trojans
did and suffered in wide Troy through the gods’ despite.
What the sirens are singing to Odysseus - they want to sing to him about the battle of Troy - Odysseus can hear his kleos.
81
How does Odysseus get past the Sirens?
Following Circe's advice, he puts wax in the ears of his men and ties himself to the ship. He can still hear is kleos!
82
Who warned Odysseus about the Sirens?
Circe
83
Who warned Odysseus about Thrinakia? Who warned him about the Sirens?
1. Tiresius
2. Circe
84
Who wants to take a break in Thrinakia?
Eurylochus
85
What happens on the island of Thrinakia?
Odysseus hunts a deer and falls asleep. The other men have run out of Polyphemus' cattle. Eurylochus convinces them to hunt and eat one of Helios' cattle.
86
What are the portents of doom?
Moving flesh from Helios' cattle.
87
What is the result of Odysseus' men eating on Thrinakia?
Their ship is hit by a bolt of lightning sent by Zeus from Helios. Helios prayed to Zeus. All of the men die except for Odysseus.
88
Where does Odysseus end up after Thrinakia?
Ogygia - Calypso.
89
What happens when the Phaecians give Odysseus a ship?
They sail to Ithica - Poseidon is angry at them for helping Odysseus, so he encases their ship in stone - COMPARE POLYPHEMUS throwing the stone at their ship. They can never return home.
90
How many books does it take Odysseus to get to Ithica? How many to end?
12 and 12
91
Who covers Ithica in a mist when Odysseus arrives on the shore?
Athena
92
Who disguises Odysseus? As what?
A beggar, by Athena
93
Where does Odysseus go as soon as he arrives in Ithica? Who does he meet here?
To the hut of Eumaeus. His faithful swineherd. Telemachus is out looking for him and meets him in the hut. Odysseus does not reveal himself. Telemachus has heard a prophecy that he'll be killed by the suitors. Odysseus tests, then gradually reveals who he is to the two of them.
94
What is the first test Penelope does to Odysseus?
Odysseus/beggar says Odysseus will be home soon - Penelope asks what he was wearing - clothing are the same as Odysseus' - she made them.
95
Who does Odysseus ask for when Penelope offers a bath?
The oldest nurse - Eurycleia - she recognizes the scar on his foot. Odysseus does not allow her to reveal him to Penelope who is in the room. He says "I will kill you!" to Eurycleia.
96
What is Penelope's second test of Odysseus? Who inspired it?
Athena-inspired. She finally agrees to choose a new husband. Contest of the bow. They must be able to string Odysseus' bow, and shoot through all 12 axe heads.
97
What happens during the contest of the bow?
Penelope goes upstairs (crying - she doesn't want to give away the bow). None of the men can string the bow. After a few tries, Telemachus strings it, but Odysseus stops him (Telemachus laughs). Only Odysseus can string the bow. He is barely given a chance because he's just the beggar. He kills all of the suitors in the room, passing the test.
98
Who inspired the contest of the bow?
Athena
99
What is the scene of slaughtered men in Odysseus' palace like?
The death scene in the house of Agamemnon.
100
How does Odysseus get around the suspicion of all of the dead suitors in the house?
He gets Telemachus to play music and stuff so passerbys think it's a wedding.
101
Does Penelope acknowledge Odysseus for who he is right away? What happens?
Eurycleia tells her of the scar, and that he won the contest of the bow. She refuses to believe it. He goes and bathes and Athena makes him beautiful, but Penelope still doesn't believe it. She tests him again.
102
What happens in the third test, the test of the bed?
Penelope still does not believe it is Odysseus. Odysseus asks for a bed that he can sleep alone in (because Penelope won't lay with him). Penelope asks for a bed too. Odysseus finally snaps, he is so worried that Penelope cheated on him. His bed was trunkated into the floor. The room around the bed, the bed around the room. Oxhide thongs and huge olive tree trunks. The bed could not move.
Penelope finally believes him and they embrace and cry.
103
What does Athena do once Penelope recognizes Odysseus?
She doubles the night so they can make love and tell each other of all of their adventures.
104
What ends up happening with all of the dead suitors?
Their families are obligated to avenge their deaths. A huge battle breaks out. Athena (with Zeus' help) intervenes. The suitors families just accept Odysseus as king of Ithica.
105
How does the Odyssey end?
With Odysseus restored as the andra: king, father, husband, son, man, hero
