Characters in the Odyssey

Characters in the Odyssey

• Aeolus--ruler of the winds

• Argus--faithful dog belonging to Odysseus

• Athena--Greek goddess of wisdom and protectress of cities and their rulers, guardian of Odysseus

• Calypso--sea nymph who held Odysseus prisoner on her island

• Charybdis--whirlpool encountered by Odysseus

• Circe--enchantress who turned men into beasts

• Eumaeus--faithful swineherd of Odysseus

• Eurycleia--faithful old nurse of Odysseus -- and later Telemachus -- who recognizes him by a scar on his leg

• Hermes--herald and messenger to the gods

• King Alcinous--King of the Phaeacians and a host of Odysseus

• Menelaus--King of Sparta, husband of Helen, brother of Agamemnon, and leader of the Greeks during the Trojan War

• Nausicaa--daughter of Alcinous who aided Odysseus after the was shipwrecked

• Nestor--wise old King of Pylos and one of the Greek leaders in the Trojan War

• Odysseus--King of Ithica and a hero of the Trojan War, forced to spend ten years in wandering before returning home to reclaim his fortune and his wife

• Penelope--wife of Odysseus and mother of Telemachus

• Polyphemus--a Cyclops encountered by Odysseus and outwitted by him
• Poseidon--god of the sea, brother of Zeus and Hades, father of Polyphemus, and enemy of Odysseus

• Scylla--a sea monster situated opposite the whirlpool Charybdis

• Teiresias--blind prophet of Thebes, consulted in the underworld by Odysseus

• Telemachus--son of Odysseus and Penelope

• Zeus--ruler of all the gods and men, brother of Poseidon and Hades

Odysseus's Journey

• Troy--The Trojan War

• Ismarus--Odysseus and his crew sacked and looted the Cicones

• Cyclopes--blinded Polyphemus, son of Poseidon, for which Poseidon was royally upset; revealed to Polyphemus who he was and got a curse put on him: Odysseus shall not return home, but if he does return home, let him be late, alone, and with trouble in his home

• Aeolia--Aeolus gave Odysseus a leather bag of wind tied with silver wire

• Ithica--they were in sight of Ithica, when Odysseus fell asleep and his crew opened the bag, blowing them right back

• Aeolia--Aeolus turned them away

• Telepylus--several crew members eaten by the Laestrygonian people; the ship Odysseus was on was the only one to survive

• Aeaea--Odysseus was Circe's bed partner for a year; Circe sent them on their way with some supplies and advice

• Erebus (Hades/Hell)--went to Hades and sought the advice of Teiresias, the blind prophet; warned of the Sun God's Isle; after he returns home, Odysseus is to find a people who do not know of the oar and teach them, plant the oar, and then make an offering to Poseidon, then he will be free of Poseidon's curse

• Aeaea--Circe warns Odysseus of the Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis

• Sirens--pass, even though Odysseus wishes to stay

• Scylla--six of Odysseus's best men eaten

• Charybdis--provided a distraction

• Sun God's Isle--Odysseus's men demanded to rest; ate some of the Sun god's precious cattle (Hyperion is the Sun god); Hyperion smashed the ship and made a storm; Odysseus drifted for nine days until he ended up on the Isle of Ogygia, home of Calypso

• Ogygia--Odysseus stayed there for seven years while being courted by Calypso; sent on his way home when Hermes, the messenger of the gods, told Calypso to let Odysseus go

• Phaecia--Odysseus reached the land of the Phaecians after 19 days, nine of those at sea, and with the unacceptable hurt from Poseidon and the help of Athena; met Nausicaa on her journey, inspired by Athena; Nausicaa clothed and bathed him and took him back to the Palace of Alcinous; Odysseus challenged in the Phaecian Games, and Odysseus won; Odysseus begins his explanation of his journey

• Ithica--Alcinous helps Odysseus home; Athena helps Odysseus plan his revenge of the suitors; at Eumaeus's hut, Odysseus, disguised as an old beggar, discovers that Eumaeus, his shepherd, is still faithful; meanwhile, Athena goes to help Telemachus home; Telemachus goes to Eumaeus's hut on Athena's advice; they plan a strategy

• Home--Odysseus kills all of the suitors and the slaves and maids who have violated him and his wife, Penelope; wins back the love of his wife, Penelope