This document provides a clear layout of Homer's Odyssey - describing the most important events from each of the 24 chapters. This does not cover the unprescribed chapters, but most are colour-coded by theme and include an easy guide in order to help you coordinate your own notes.
Book Key themes Summary
Athene visits Telemachus Invokes muse – resourceful man
1 Gods talk about destiny in terms of Aegisthus
Suitors overeating
Athena disguises self as Mentes and talks to Telemachus
Mentes suggests Telemachus should journey to Nestor
Offers Athena gifts as token of friendship / hospitality
Penelope sad about the bards song, Telemachus tell her to shut up
Eurycleia said to love Telemachus
The Debate in Ithaca
Telemachus with Nestor
Menelaus and Helen
Calypso Odysseus miserable because he can’t get home
5 Athena asks Zeus to allow Odysseus off the island
Calypso claims there are double standards w / in divinities
Odysseus chooses Penelope over Calypso, she says she is prettier than the mortal
Calypso helped Odysseus to get off the island
Poseidon caused a storm
Ino gave Odysseus a cloak when he was about to draw
Becomes supplicant to the river
Hides in a bush overnight
Nausicaa Athena took form as Dymas (Nausicaa’s friend), shamed her into washing her clothes
6 Odysseus approached them / only Nausicaa stayed to talk
Shows good xenia, allows O into home and chastises girls
People will gossip if they walk in together so asks for him to walk behind
Nausicaa tells Odysseus that if he wants to get home should appeal to her mother
Odysseus prayed to Athena, she didn’t appear – afraid of Posiedon
, The Palace of Alcinous Athena disguises herself as a young girl, tells Odysseus where to go
7 Alcinous doesn’t immeadiately accept Odsyseus
Odysseus wants to eat and leave straight away
Tells about his troubles w Calypso and sailing
Alcinous wants Odysseus to marry Nausicaa
Phaeacian Games Athena made Odysseus seem immortal for assembly
8 Bard sings of Trojan war, Odysseus cries
Odysseus says he is too heartbroken for games
Phaeacians say he doesn’t look like an athlete, he gets angry & challenges (poor xenia)
Odysseus says it is bad xenia to challenge one’s host, so wouldn’t challenge
Alcinous says his men are good at other things – dancing and seamanship
Odysseus gets the bard to sing of the Trojan horse
Prophecy that, bc of city’s xenia, would one day be surrounded by a wall of mountains
Alcinous asks Odysseus to tell his story and be truthful
Cyclops Went to Cicones, sacked their city
9 Men refused to leave and Cicones killed some men
Went to lotus-eaters, some of the crew wanted to stay
Went to the home of Polyphemus, ate his food w/o him being there
Polyphemus says he doesn’t care about the gods
Odysseus gets P drunk, calls self Nobody and stabs Polyphemus’ eye
Odysseus says his name before he leaves
Polyphemus (as his son) asks Poseidon to May never reach home
curse Odysseus Lost all comrades w trouble at home
Circe Went to Aeolus, gave him the winds
10 Crew opened because they didn’t trust Odysseus
Aeolus wouldn’t help again, thought they must be cursed
Laestrygonians (giants) tried to kill them
Landed at Circe, she had turned some of the men into pigs
Hermes gave Odysseus molly and told him want to do to keep self safe
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