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Odyssey
Character List
70
Literature
9th Grade
04/25/2010

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Term
Achaeans
Definition
Collective name for all Greek people, including citizens of Ithaca
Term
Achilles
Definition
Mightiest of the Greeks who fought in the Trojan War, and who invulnerable with exception of his heels; dressed as female to escape going to war
Term
Aegisthus
Definition
Lover of Clytemnestra, Agamemnon's wife; conspires with her to murder Agamemnon
Term
Aeolus
Definition
Master of the winds; befriends Odysseus gives him bag of winds as gift
Term
Agamemnon
Definition
King of Mycenae, husband of Clytemnestra, King killed at his homecoming by wife and her lover; Leader of Greek forces during th Trojan War; meets Odysseus in the Underworld
Term
Alcinious
Definition
King of the Phaeacians
Term
Amphimedon
Definition
Suitor killed by Telemachus; in the underworld talks to ghost of Agamemnon; reports suitors problems and blames Penelope: warned by Odysseus about deaths to come (when they were in Great Hall)
Term
Anticleia
Definition
Odysseus' mother who dies from grief and sadness while he was away on his voyage; Odysseus talks to her in the underworld
Term
Antinious
Definition
Ringleader of Penelope's suitors
First suitor to die
Term
Apollo
Definition
God of archery, music, poetry,"god of the silver bow", son of Zeus and Leto,
Term
Aprhodite
Definition
Goddess of love, daughter of Zeus and wife of Hephaestus, the blacksmith of the gods
Term
Arete
Definition
Queen of the Phaecians; King Alcinious' wife
Term
Argives
Definition
Another name for Achaeans
Term
Argos
Definition
Odysseus' faithful dog; shadow of death closed down on his eyes as soon as He recognizes Odysseus.
Term
Artemis
Definition
Daughter of Zeus and Leto, sister of Apollo, goddess of the hunt; Penelope prays to Artemis to relieve her of her long suffering and to take her life
Term
Athena
Definition
Pallas Athena, "the bright eyed one", defender of Odysseus; goddess of wisdom and war; daughter of Zeus
Term
Calypso
Definition
a sea-nymph who lives on the island of Ogygia, falls in love with Odysseus and kept him for 7 years on her island; claims gods are sexist
Term
Charybdis
Definition
Monster that swallows the sea in a whirlpool
Term
Charybdis
Definition
Monster in the form of a giant whirlpool, located across from Scylla
Term
Circe
Definition
Goddess of Aeaca, changes Odysseus' men into swine; strikes bargain with Odysseus, if he sleeps with her, she will turn the swine back into men (symbolic of women's view of men? men are pigs); Tells O. to go to Hades and gives directions; O stays with her a year.
Term
Clytemnestra
Definition
Queen of Argos, wife of Agamemnon, she and her lover conspire to murder her husband.
Term
Cyclops
Definition
Cannibal clan of one-eyed giants
Term
Demodocos
Definition
Blind minstrel; could represent Homer: NOT from royal family
Term
Dolius
Definition
Loyal servant of Laertes and welcomes Odysseus back to Laertes farm; ironic because he is the father of Melantius and Melanthro
Term
Eidothea
Definition
Daughter of Proteus; helps Odysseus, tells him that her father is loyal to Poseidon but that he will not lie
Term
Elpenor
Definition
One of Odysseus' crew who dies; his ghost meets Odysseus in the underworld and begs him to give him a proper burial, Odysseus does this
Term
Eteoneus
Definition
Attendant of Menelaus and Helen; resopnsible for strangers and taking care of guests horses ect.
Term
Eumaeus
Definition
Faithful swineherd who helps Odysseus; one of the men who fights with Odysseus and Telemachus against the suitors; was a prince kidnaped and sold by his nurse; chooses to sleep with pigs.
Term
Eupeithes
Definition
Father of Antinious the leader of the suitors
Term
Eupithes
Definition
Father of lead suitor, Antinous; killed by Laertes at end of story
Term
Eurycleia
Definition
Old nursemaid who remained loyal to Penelope, Odysseus and Telemachus
Term
Eurylochus
Definition
Odysseus' second in command; relative of Odysseus
Term
Eurymachus
Definition
Suitor who throws a stool at Odysseus, the beggar; when confronted by Odysseus blames Antinious; second suitor to die
Term
Eurynome
Definition
Housekeeper of Penelope
Term
Halitherses
Definition
Ithacan elder with prophetic powers; argues with the grief stricken crown, urges them not to fight Odysseus, says the suitors deserved what they got
Term
Helen
Definition
Wife of Menelaus;give's weeping dinner guests a drug; her face launced 1000 ships
Term
Helios or Hyperion
Definition
Sun god
Term
Hera
Definition
Queen of the gods, wife and sister of Zeus
Term
Hermes
Definition
Messenger of the gods; gives O. moly as protection against Circe;summons the dead sould in Hades; tells Calypso to release Odysseus
Term
Irus
Definition
Real beggar who Odysseus meets near the the palace; wants to beat-up Odysseus
Term
Laertes
Definition
Odysseus grief stricken father; married to Anticleia
Term
Laestrygonians
Definition
Man-eating, rock throwing, giant cannibals
Term
Lotus Eaters
Definition
Drug addicted people visited by Odysseus and his men; men eat the plant/drug and forget memories of home; crew does not want to leave.
Term
Medon
Definition
Herald (messenger) of Odysseus
Term
Melanthios
Definition
One of Penelope's cruelest suitors; Odysseus' goatherd; turns on his master and supports suitors;Brings weapons to suitors; brother of Melanthro; son of Dollius; MEL=bad
Term
Melanthro
Definition
Penelope's disloyal maid; sleeps with Eurymachus/enemy-suitor; sister of Melanthious; daughter of Dolius
Term
Menelaus
Definition
King of Lacedaemon; husband of Helen; brothrer of Agamemnon
Term
Mentes
Definition
Son of the king of the Taphians; friend of Odysseus; one of the disguises used by Athena
Term
Mentor
Definition
Friend of Odysseus; one of the disguises used by Athena; MENTOR=advisor, guide, counselor, teacher
Term
Nausicaa
Definition
Daughter of Alconous and Arete; meets Odysseus while she is bathing and doing laundry at the river with her maids
Term
Nestor
Definition
Old and brave King of Pylos; father of Pisistratus;fought in the Trojan War despite his old age of 90 years and who advised Telemachus to visit Menelaus
Term
Odysseus
Definition
Protagonist; unable to return home after the Trojan War; cunning schemer, storyteller; pretended to be crazy to avoid going to war
Term
Olympus
Definition
Home of the gods
Term
Penelope
Definition
Odysseus' cunning, beautiful and faithful wife; Mother of Telemachus; temptress of suitors, weaves shroud for Laertes as deception; symbol of faith
Term
Philoetious
Definition
Faithful cow herd of Odysseus; one of the men who fights with Odysseus and Telemachus against the suitors
Term
Pisistratus
Definition
Son of Nestor, King of Pylos; accompanies Telemachus to Sparta
Term
Polyphemus
Definition
Cyclops outsmarted by Odysseus; son of Poseidon
Term
Poseidon
Definition
Antagonist; God of the sea, "Father Earthshaker"; father of Polyphemus, the Cyclops; brother of Zeus;carries a grudge against Odysseus for putting out Polyphemus' eye; punishes the Phaeacian sailors by turning thier ship to stone for aiding Odysseus
Term
Proteus
Definition
Old mand of the sea; doesn't lie; father of Eidothea; Shape changer
Term
Scheria
Definition
Island of the Phaeachians, place where Odysseus meets Naussica and her maids
Term
Scylla
Definition
Frightful sea-monster with twelve feet and six heads, each with three rows of teeth. Below the waist her body was made up of hideous monsters, like dogs, who barked unceasingly. She is a peril to all sailors who passed near her. Whenever a ship passed, each of her heads would seize one of the crew
Term
Sirens
Definition
Enchantresses of the Sea whose song can lure a sailor to his death
Term
Sisyphus
Definition
Legendary figure doomed in the underworld to rolling a boulder up an incline and forever failing to surmount its crest, it rolls back down and he has to start all over for eternity.
Term
Sparta
Definition
Capital city of Lacedacemon, home of Menelaus and Helen
Term
Styx
Definition
Name of the river in the Greek Underworld
Term
Tantalus
Definition
Legendary figure who tried to feed his son to the gods; punished in underworld to eternal temptation of hunger and thirst
Term
Teiresias
Definition
Blind prophet, the most famous soothsayer of ancient Greece; Odysseus meets him in the Underworld;tells him of his fate
Term
Telemachus
Definition
Son of Odysseus and Penelope;goes on journey to find news of his father; grows from naive young man to strong hero like his father
Term
Theoclymenos
Definition
Prophet who returns to Ithaca on the ship with Telemachus
Term
Zeus
Definition
King of the gods, brother and husband of Hera; father of Athena; God of sky and weather, uses lightening and thunder as weapons; god of hospitality and the rights of guests and punisher of injustice, sends omens, supreme god who rules over gods and humanity
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