| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Odysseus | The protagonist of the Odyssey. Fought in the Trojan war. Father of Telemachus and husband of Penelope |
| Telemachus | Odysseus' son. And obstacle to the suitors. Takes care of Penelope |
| Penelope | Wife of Odysseus. Spends her days pining for the husband who let Troy twenty years earlier and never returned. |
| Trojan War | The war between Greeks and Trojans. Odysseus fought in the war for 12 years |
| Muse | Spirit and goddess to inspire the creation of literature and arts |
| Athena | Daughter of Zeus and goddess of wisdom. Accompanies Odysseus on many of his journeys and disguises herself as Odysseus' friends |
| Eurycleia | Aged and loyal servant of Odysseus and Telemachus. Kept Odysseus' return a secret from Penelope when she discovered it was him and kept Telemachus' journey a secret from her as well |
| Melanthius | Brother of Melantho. Goatheard. Supports Eurymachus, the suitor, and abuses the begar who is actually Odysseus disguised in rags. |
| Melantho | Sister of Melanthius and maidservant in Odysseus's palace. Having an affair with Eurymachus. |
| Scherie | Island of the Phaecians |
| Calypso | Nymph who falls in love with Odysseus and holds him prisoner on her island on Ogygia |
| Hermes | Messenger god. Persuades Calypso to let Odysseus go back home. |
| Eurylochus | One of Odysseus' ship members. Convinces the crew to eat cattle that did not belong to them |
| Ogygia | Home of Calypso |
| Polyphemus | One of the giant Cyclopes |
| Cyclopes | Giant, one eyed creatures, try to kill Odysseus |
| Souls of the Dead | people in hades |
| Hyperion | Sun god, , his cattle are eaten by Odysseus' men |
| Circe | The beautiful witch god. Transforms Odysseus' crew members into swine but Odysseus resists her powers with Hermes help |
| Laertes | Odysseus' father. Kills Antinous' father |
| Tiresias | A Theban prophet who inhabits the underworld. Shows Odysseus how to get from Hades back to Ithica and how to communicate with the other souls. |
| Nestor | King of Pylos. Former warrior of the Trojan war |
| Menelaus | King of Sparta. Provides Telemachus with many gifts for his journey home |
| Helen | Wife of Menelaus and Queen of Sparta. Offers Telemachus assistance in his quest to find his faher |
| Agamemnon | Former king of Mycenae. Agamemnon murdered his wife, Clytemnestra and her lover, Aegisthus and then saw Odysseus in Hades |
| Laestrygonians | Giant Cannibals that destroy most of Odysseus' fleet |
| Nausicaa | Beautiful daughter of King Alcinous of the Phaeacians. Introduces Odysseus to his parents |
| Hades | The Underworld |
| Charybdis | Giant sea whirlpool. Sucks in Odysseus' crew and ship |
| Scylla | Monster with multiple heads |
| Alcinous | King of Phaecians. Offers Odysseus hospitality in his island kingdom of Cheria |
| Olympus | Kingdom of the gods |
| Epic | A long poem (The Odyssey) |
| Hemsuis | Bard based on Homer |
| Prophecy | Prediction of what will happen |
| Dawn | Goddess of the morning |
| Phaeacians | Dancers, close to the gods, honor and save Odysseus |
| Demodocus | Blind, Phaeacian bard |
| Homer | Odyssey composed by homer during 700 BC. Blind and lived in Greece |
| In Media Res | When an author begins a story from the middle and includes flashbacks |
| Halithereses | From Ithica, Prophet, Friendly to Telemachus |
| Aegisthus | Lover of Clyaemnestra, Killed by Agamemnons son, Orestes |
| Cicones | Odysseus raided the island of the cicones. |
| Aeolus | King of the winds. Gives Odysseus a leather bag of winds that sends him back to Aeolus |
| Sirens | Women that have a beautiful, luring voice |
| Cave with Two Mouths | Odysseus' crew members enter the cave the wrong way, and should have only been entered in by the immortals and gods. Gods created an earthquake because they felt disrespected |
| Autolychus | Grandfather of Odysseus |
| Bard | A poet |
| Flashback | When a story portrays a scene that occurred before the present scene |
| Mentor | Odysseus close friend. Supports Telemachus |
| Pylos | Home of Nestor. |
| Orestes | Son of Agamemnon |
| Proteus | Man of the sea. Consults Menelaus on how to get home |
| Lotus Eaters | a "drug" that makes the people feel content and never want to go back home |
| Anticleia | Odysseus' mother |
| Argus | Odysseus' old hunting dog |
| Philoetius | Odysseus' cowheard |
| Omen | Phenomenon told to believe the future |
| Peisistratus | Accompanies Telemachus on his many journeys |
| Clyaemnestra | Wife of Agamemnon. Has an affair of Aegisthus |
| Seer | A person who tells the future |
| Irus | Decides to fight the disguised Odysseus and looses |
| Mentes | King of Taphians. Old friend of Odysseus |
| Soothsayer | A person that is able to forsee the future |
| Lacedaemon | King of Sparta |
| Ino | Sea Goddess. Saves Odysseus at Sea |
| Euralus | Phaeacian who insults Odysseus |
| Nobody | Name Odysseus gives Polyphemus |
| Elpenor | Companion of Odysseus. Dies when he fell of Circes roof |
| Thrinacie | Place that Odysseus and his men stayed and ate the cattle |
| Theoclymenus | Caught the ship with Telemachus to escape the villagers who wanted to kill him |
Combine with other sets
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