Module 17 - Nostoi and the Wonders of Odysseus’ Journey

Homer 750 - 630 BC

Examining Odysseus' 10 year journey home to his wife Penelope

Nostoi: "Return trips".

• Odysseus wanders for 10 years after the Trojan war, and is constantly impeded by Poseidon.

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Places

Ithaca

Odysseus' native home where he rules with his wife Penelope.

Island of the Cattle of the Sun

One of the last places Odysseus sails with his crew. They were warned by Circe not to touch any of the cattle.

Ismarus

Thracian city, Odysseus' first stop after leaving Troy. Home of the Cicones.

Located at the foot of mount Ismara, on the south coast of Thrace (modern Greece).

Scheria

Island of the Phaeacians.

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People

Aeolus

Keeper of the winds. Lives on a floating island. Odysseus sails to him after escaping Polyphemus' lair.

Gives Odysseus a leather bag containing winds. Odysseus uses them to get home, but his silly-ass crew opened them when he was sleeping and got blown back to Aeolus.

Alcinous

Inhabitant of Scheria. Wife of Arete, father of Nausicaa.

While Odysseus is in Scheria, Alcinous throws a feast in his honour, where Odysseus recounts all his adventures.

Calypso

Nymph who hardboured Odysseus on her island as her lover. Offers him immortality and a life of pleasure, but he likes his wife more.

Cicones

Homeric Thracian tribe, whose stronghold in the time of Odysseus was the town of Ismarus

Joined the war on the side of the Trojans. Odysseus and his men take Ismara by surprise and slay most of the Ciconian men they come across, taking Ciconian women as slaves.

Later Ciconian reinforcements arrive and attack the invading Achaeans, killing so many of them that Odysseus and his men are forced to flee in their ships.

Circe

A witch conencted to the East and descendant of Helios. Turns Odysseus men into pigs, except for Eurylochus.

Odysseus rescues them with the help of Hermes (best wingman ever) by seducing her.

She then sends Odysseus to the underworld (see Module 13).

Charybdis

A dangerous whirlpool in a narrow channel of the sea, opposite the cave of the sea monster Scylla. On the lower cliff.

Odysseus had to pass between the two cliffs.

Eumaeus

Trusted swineherd of Odysseus, who he meets secretly (along with Telemachus) when he returns to Ithaca.

Eurylochus

Odysseus' lazy first mate.

Laestrygonians

A savage group who sink all of Odysseus' ships (except 1) and eat most of the crew.

Lotus Eaters

Whoever eats the fruit of the of the lotus forgot everything and wanted only to stay. With great difficulty, Odysseus gets his men away.

Second stop on the Odyssey.

Maron

Priest of Apollo, who gives Odysseus and his men 12 jars of wine after they sack Ismarus.

Nausicaa

A girl that lives on Scheria and is one of the Phaeacians. She falls in love with Odysseus and brings him to her parents. Alcinous and Arete.

Odysseus

Also see Module 13

Odysseus is the primary hero of the Odyssey. He's a clever Greek hero married to Penelope.

Here are the people and places he visits on his journey, in order, after leaving Troy.

1. Cicones, at the city of Ismarus
2. Lotus Eaters - the fruit that made you forget and just want to stay
3. Polyphemus the cyclops, son of Poseidon
4. Aeolus, keeper of the winds
5. Laestrygonians - vicious cannibals that destroy all but one of his ships
6. Circe, who sends Odysseus to the underworld.
7. The Underworld (see Module 13)
8. The Sirens
9. Charybdis and Scylla.
10. Island of the Cattle of the Sun, where the rest of his crew is killed.

Afterwards Odysseus visits the Phaeacians and returns home to Ithaca

He kills Penelope's suitors, hangs her maids, and makes love with her for the first time in 20 years.

Penelope

Wife of Odysseus. Mother of Telemachus. Remains faithful to Odysseus while he's missing, as other suitors try to take her as their wife.

When Odysseus returns to Ithaca, he disguises himself as a begger and presents himself to her (to test her fidelity). He eventually reveals himself and kills all the suitors (overreact much?).

Phaeacians

Inhabitants of Scheria, who were very big on pleasure. They return Odysseus to Ithaca, which prompts Poseidon to turn them to stone.

Polyphemus

One of the Cyclopes. Son of Poseidon. Traps Odysseus and his men in his cave, and begins eating them one by one.

Odysseus uses Maron's wine to get Polyphemus drunk and trick him into thinking Odysseus' name is "Nobody". Odysseus then stabs him in the eye, and sneaks out under a sheep.

Polyphemus then prays to Poseidon, who gets super pissed at Odysseus.

Scylla

Originally a sea-nymph. Was changed into a monster with 6 dogs heads and 12 feet by Aphitrite (Poseidon's wife). She was in the strait opposite Charybdis.

Takes 6 of Odysseus' men, but he passes successfully.

Sirens

Creatures with female form or female heads with bodies of birds. As men passed their island they would lure them in with their beautiful singing which promises to give further knowledge, and then kill them once they approached.

Odysseus passed them without harm by putting wax in his companions ears and having them bind him to the mast so that he could hear the Sirens without swimming to them.

Telemachus

Son of Odysseus and Penelope. Goes in search for his father when he comes of age. Goes to visit Menelaus in Sparta.