Question 1

Because he is so inventive, Odysseus is able to craft an agreement with the suitors' families, so that the poem ends in peace.

Accepted Answer

In Homer's "The Odyssey," the poem ends with Odysseus taking revenge on the suitors and killing them, not crafting an agreement for peace. Athena intervenes to prevent further bloodshed, imposing peace between Odysseus and the suitors' families.

Question 2

Odysseus loses his men because they killed and ate the sacred cattle of Poseidon.

Accepted Answer

Odysseus loses his men because they killed and ate the sacred cattle of the Sun God, Helios, not Poseidon.

Question 3

Polyphemus is the son of Helios, the sun god, who avenges him by not allowing Odysseus to travel by day.

Accepted Answer

Polyphemus is the son of Poseidon, not Helios. Poseidon is the one who makes Odysseus's journey difficult as revenge for blinding his son, Polyphemus.

Question 4

In order for the dead in Hades to speak, Odysseus must feed them blood.

Accepted Answer

In Book 11 of The Odyssey, Odysseus is instructed by the prophet Tiresias to offer sacrifices to the dead, including pouring libations of milk, honey, wine, and water, and offering barley cakes and portions of meat. However, Tiresias also tells Odysseus to dig a pit and pour into it "a drink-offering of honey and sweet wine, and thereafter sprinkle with offerings of water, and then again cover it with ample barley meal." This will attract the souls of the dead, who will swarm around the pit "like bats," and Odysseus must then keep them away from the blood that he will offer to Tiresias. The blood is not a requirement for the dead to speak, but rather a specific offering for the prophet.

Question 5

Circe became Odysseus's lover for one year.

Accepted Answer

According to Homer's Odyssey, Odysseus was with Circe for one year as her lover before he and his men continued on their journey home.

Question 6

The moral universe of the Odyssey is typically Greek: humans have no control over their destinies; everyone is the victim of the whims of the gods.

Accepted Answer

In the Odyssey, while gods play a significant role in the lives of humans, individuals still possess agency and make choices that affect their destinies. The protagonist, Odysseus, for example, uses his wit and resourcefulness to navigate challenges, suggesting that human agency and intelligence are significant in shaping one's fate.

Question 7

Odysseus built his and Penelope's marriage bed so that it could not be moved.

Accepted Answer

This is true. In Book 23 of The Odyssey, it is described how Odysseus built their bed out of an olive tree trunk still rooted in the ground, and how Penelope tests his identity by asking their servants move the bed outside their bedroom. Odysseus reacts with anger, insisting that the bed is immovable, proving his true identity to Penelope.

Question 8

Odysseus does not appear until Book 5 of the Odyssey.

Accepted Answer

This is correct. Although the epic poem is named after Odysseus, he does not make an appearance until the fifth book. The first four books establish the background and set up the plot for Odysseus' long journey home.

Question 9

Lord Tennyson interprets Odysseus as embodying a modern spirit of scientific heroism.

Accepted Answer

In Tennyson's poem "Ulysses," he portrays Odysseus (Ulysses in Latin) as a restless explorer with an insatiable thirst for knowledge, which aligns with the modern spirit of scientific exploration and heroism.

Question 10

Some modern critics assume that the Odyssey's author is a woman.

Accepted Answer

Some modern scholars and critics, such as the classicist Samuel Butler in the late 19th century, have posited that the author of the Odyssey, traditionally attributed to Homer, might have been a woman, based on various aspects of the narrative and its focus on domestic details. This theory, while not universally accepted, reflects ongoing debates about the authorship and origins of ancient texts.

Question 11

At the end of the Odyssey, a new war breaks out between Odysseus and the vengeful relatives of the dead suitors.

Accepted Answer

This statement is false. In the Odyssey, no new war breaks out between Odysseus and the relatives of the dead suitors. Odysseus is able to reconcile with his people and restore order to his kingdom.

Question 12

Several traits distinguish Odysseus from other Greek heroes. Which one is not one of them?

Accepted Answer

Descending into the Underworld is a common theme in Greek mythology and many heroes do so, including Orpheus, Heracles, and Theseus. Therefore, it is not a trait that distinguishes Odysseus from other Greek heroes.

Question 13

Odysseus's most important characteristic is his physical strength.

Accepted Answer

Odysseus's most important characteristic is not his physical strength, but rather his intelligence, cunning, and strategic thinking. These traits are constantly showcased throughout his journey in the Odyssey.

Question 14

Odysseus blinded Polyphemus because he had said lewd things about Odysseus's wife.

Accepted Answer

Odysseus blinded Polyphemus to escape from the Cyclops's cave where he and his men were trapped and being eaten, not because of comments about his wife.

Question 15

Agamemnon was slain by his wife's lover Orestes and avenged by his son Aegistus.

Accepted Answer

Agamemnon was slain by his wife Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus. Orestes, Agamemnon's son, later avenged his father's death by killing Clytemnestra and Aegisthus.

Question 16

Circe made Odysseus's men drink a potion that turned them into dogs.

Accepted Answer

Circe turned Odysseus's men into pigs, not dogs, after they drank her potion.

Question 17

Calypso offers immortality to Odysseus, but Odysseus would rather go home to his wife.

Accepted Answer

In Homer's "The Odyssey," Calypso offers Odysseus immortality and eternal youth if he stays with her on her island, but Odysseus ultimately chooses to return home to his wife, Penelope.

Question 18

Most scholars believe that Homer's portrait of the bard Demodocus is autobiographical.

Accepted Answer

There is no clear evidence to suggest that Homer personally identified with the character of Demodocus. While both men were poets, there is no indication that the stories Demodocus tells in The Odyssey are based on Homer's own experiences.

Question 19

Odysseus arrived home with only three men from his original crew.

Accepted Answer

Odysseus arrived home to Ithaca alone, without any of his original crew members. All of them perished during the journey due to various misadventures and divine interventions.

Question 20

The Odyssey begins with the confrontation between Odysseus and his father Laertes, which causes Odysseus to go off to war to seek honor for himself.

Accepted Answer

The Odyssey actually begins with the story of Odysseus' son Telemachus and his struggle to deal with the suitors who have taken over his home during his father's long absence.

Quiz 13: A Different Kind of Hero: The Odysseus