Greek Literature: Odyssey and the Greek Gods and Goddesses Notes

ODYSSEY

Odysseu’s Travel

1.        Thrace – City of Cicones

2.        Land of Lotus- Eaters

3.        Sicily: Land of Cyclopes (Polyphemus)

4.        Aeolian Island (Aelous – King of the Winds)

5.        City of Laestrygonians

6.        Aeae – Island of Circe

7.        Land of the Dead (Hades)

8.        Island of the Sirens

9.        Strait of Dilemma: Scylla and Charybdis

10.        Thrinacia: Island of the Sun God (Helios)

11.        Ogygia: Calypso’s Island

12.        Island of Phaecian

Main characters

1.        Odysseus

2.        Penelope

3.        Telemachus

4.        Athena

Minor Characters:

        1. Polyphemus        

        2. Poseidon                

3. Eurycleia                

        4. Calypso                

            5. Eumaeus

            6. Argos

            7. Circe

            8. Hermes

            9. Laertes

What are sirens?

-        Half bird; half human

-        Mermaids

-        Have voices that make people forget; it lures sailors to the island and sailors then forget the direction and they don’t notice that they were already crashing to the shore and eventually they die.

-        Odysseus ask his men to put some wax on their ears except for him so that he must be tied in a mast of the ship because he wants to hear the siren’s voice

Who was sent to Calypso’s Island and who sent him there?

-        Hermes is sent by Zeus; Athena and Zeus are talking and then they say that they had punished Odysseus enough so it’s time for him to get home, and asked Hermes to go to Calypso to lift the spell and let him go home

Who recognize Odysseus when he came back to Ithaca?

1.        Eumaeus

2.        Telemachus

3.        Eurycleia

Penelope is Helen’s cousin.

12 PRINCIPAL GODS AND GODDESSES

1. ZEUS

• King of the Gods; Notorious womanizer
• Thunderbolt

1. POSEIDON

• Ruler of the Sea
• Trident

1. HADES

• 3rd brother of Zeus
• God of Wealth
• King of Death but not death himself

1. HESTIA

• Goddess of the Hearth (fireplace)
• One of the three virgin goddesses

1. HERA

• Zeus wife and sister
• Goddess and protector of Marriage
• Vengeful – she doesn’t forget any wrong done to her

1. ARES

• God of War; son of Zeus and Hera
• Detested by both parents
• Dog (favorite animal); Vulture (favorite bird) – laziest predator because it’s just waiting for the prey to die; associated with war- death

1. ATHENA

• Daughter of Zeus alone (favorite daughter of Zeus because she is solely loyal to Zeus; keeper of Zeus’ weapons: thunderbolt and the aegis ‘ breast plate’
• Goddess of the City (Athens)
• Chief of the three virgin goddesses and called ‘the maiden’

1. PHOEBUS APOLLO

• Son of Zeus and Leto
• Master Musician (Plays the Lyre)
• God of Light and God of Truth
• Phoebus means light (can heal a wound); means brilliant and shining
• Most Greek of all the Gods

1. APHRODITE

• Daughter of Zeus and Dione
• Goddess of Love and Beauty
• Female version of Zeus

1. HERMES

• Son of Zeus and Maia
• Zeus’ messenger
• God of commerce and market, protector of Traders

1. PHOEBE ARTEMIS

• Apollo’s twin sister
• Another one of 3 maiden goddesses
• Huntsman-in-chief of the gods

1. HEPHAESTUS

• Son of Zeus and Hestia (in some story it says he is son of Hera alone in retaliation of Zeus giving birth to Athena on his own)
• God of Fire
• Protector of the Smith
• Husband of Aphrodite
• Lame and ugly

PERSEPONE

• Only mortal who could reach the underworld without having to die
• Hades’ wife

Reference:

Mythology by Edith Hamilton