Important People and Places The Odyssey Important People and Places
Ithaca Odysseus’s home; his goal for the entire story is to return to this place.
Characters in ITHACA Penelope: Odysseus’s wife. Faithfully waits for Odysseus’s return. Keeps suitors at bay by weaving, promising to be open to marriage when she is finished, and then unraveling whatever she has accomplished every night.
Telemachus: Odysseus’s son, born on the day Odysseus left for battle in Troy. Protects his mother from suitors and goes in search of Odysseus
Antinous and Eurymachus: two of Penelope’s chief suitors Antinous and Eurymachus: two of Penelope’s chief suitors. Antinous is mean-spirited, while Eurymachus plots to kill Telemachus. Eurycleia: Odysseus’s nurse; first person to recognize Odysseus when he returns to Ithaca.
Characters on the JOURNEY
Characters that cause trouble: The Ladies Charybdis: female monster who sucks in water three times a day to form a deadly whirlpool. Calypso: beautiful nymph goddess who keeps Odysseus on her island for seven years Circe: enchantress and goddess who turns Odysseus’s men into swine
Scylla: female monster with six serpent heads, each head having a triple row of fangs Sirens: sea nymphs whose beautiful and mysterious music lures sailors to steer their ships toward a dangerous rock.
Characters Who Cause trouble: The Gentlemen Polyphemus: Cyclops who is blinded by Odysseus. Son of sea god Poseidon and from a race of brutish, one-eyed giants who live solitary lives as shepherds Poseidon: the sea god. An adversary who puts obstacles in the way of Odysseus’s journey home
Other characters who cause trouble Cicones: people living on the southwestern coast of Thrace who battled Odysseus and his men on their journey Lotus Eaters: people who feed Odysseus’s men lotus plants to make them forget Ithaca “Itha-whaaaa?”
The Gods Zeus: the most powerful god. His home is on Mt. Olympus Apollo: god of poetry, music, prophecy, medicine, and archery. (He’s a busy guy.) Athena: favorite daughter of Zeus; goddess of wisdom as well as war and peace. Favored the Greeks during the Trojan War
Cronus: Titan (giant god) who ruled the universe until his son Zeus overthrew him Poseidon: god of the sea; brother of Zeus. Enemy of Odysseus Helios: sun god Hephaestus: god of metal working Hermes: messenger god
Which character is represented by these pictures? Can you guess? Which character is represented by these pictures?
Charybdis
The Lotus Eaters
Poseidon
Zeus
Scylla
Polyphemus (The Cyclops)
Calypso