The Odyssey – Part I

  • Tell The Story – Invocation
  • Calypso, The Sweet Nymph (Lasts 7 Years)

Flashback Begins – Odysseus is telling his story to King Alcinous.

All of the events listed below happen BEFORE Calypso.

  • The Trojan War – Lasts 10 Years
  • Cicones – Attacked by Odysseus’ men after the Trojan War. His men are mutinous and this foreshadows what will happen with Helios’ sacred cattle.
  • Lotus Eaters – Make them forget home (goals/what is important)
  • Cyclops – Polyphemus is tricked by Odysseus’ intelligence – Arrogant at the end so Cyclops is able to curse Odysseus based on his prideful boasting.
  • Witch Circe – Turns Odysseus’ men to swine. Gives Odysseus advice on how to avoid losing all of his men to the Sirens, Scylla and Charybdis.
  • The Land of the Dead – Teiresias gives Odysseus his prophecy and three warnings or instructions upon leaving The Land of the Dead.
  • The Sirens; Scylla and Charybdis – In order to avoid sirens, Odysseus fills his men’s ears with beeswax. Scylla must be the lesser or two evils to avoid everyone succumbing to Charybdis.
  • Cattle of the Sun God – Odysseus’ prophecy comes true.

Part II:

The Meeting of Father and Son – Odysseus arrives in Ithaca disguised as a beggar. Athena reveals Odysseus to his son, Telemachus.

The Beggar and The Faithful Dog – Odysseus sees his dog, Argos has been rejected and forgotten. Argos is the only creature who recognizes Odysseus.

The Test of the Great Bow – Penelope decides to have the suitors try to string Odysseus’ bow as a challenge. The only “suitor” able to string the bow is the beggar.

Death at the Palace – The climax of The Odyssey. Odysseus kills the most brazen of the suitors, Antinous and finishes off the rest with the help of Telemachus, Eumaeus and Philoeteus.

Odysseus and Penelope – Penelope at first does not believe that Odysseus is real and sees him as a trick of the Gods. Based on what Odysseus says about their bed, Penelope realizes he is real.

Odyssey Characters

PART I:

OdysseusCicones

PenelopeLotus Eaters

TelemachusPolyphemus

LaertesAeolus

ZeusWitch Circe

PoseidonPersephone

AthenaHades

HermesTeiresias

CalypsoHelios

King AlcinousSirens

ScyllaCharybdis

PART II

EumaeusAntinous

ArgosApollo

EurycleiaEurymachus

Philoeteus