Book 1

Tell me, O muse

Homer prays to the muses to give him inspiration to tell the story
In the eyes of Odysseus/Ulysses
Hyperion sun god; like Apollo; Hermes stole Apollos cattle; cattle of Hyperion are the same
as Apollo
Captured by Calypso; she want him to marry her and prevent him from going back to Ithaca

Odysseus is being persecuted by Poseidon/Neptune; Odysseus blinded the son of Poseidon

He is helped by Athena
Perspective of Athena
Athena gets Zeus to try and help Odysseus get home safely without offending Poseidon
Poseidon
Odysseus blinded Polyphemus
Home
Ithaca
Zeus and Athena are trying to help Odysseus
Suitors partying and disrespecting Penelope and Telemachus
Trying to win Penelope as wife
Slaughtering animals and drinking wine
Mentes
Athena disguised as a mortal to help Telemachus
She is offered food and a shelter
She tells Telemachus to go to Pylos and Sparta to ask the kings if Odysseus is alive or dead
Athena says not to let the suitors take over/kill them
Book 2
Councilors
Like the chorus
Aegyptius asks who called the meeting; it was Telemachus

They havent met in over ten years

One of the suitors said that Penelope is taking forever to choose a new husband
Penelope
Penelope weaving a tapestry; unweaving at night
Sign
Zeus sends 2 eagles as a sign to Penelope
The soothsayer reads this sign and says that Odysseus will not be gone much longer
The soothsayer predicted this to happen

Telemachus is given a ship to set sail and find out where his father is
Pylos
Nestor (king) properly welcomes guests; lets them eat
Nestor has no idea where Odysseus is; he returned home without hearing anything of the others
Telemachus loses faith that his father will be returning home
Nestor tells Telemachus not to stay away from home for too long b/c of suitors
Sparta
Telemachus and Mentor go to Sparta by chariot
Pisistratus (son of Nestor); goes with Telemachus to Sparta
Lacedaemon (Sparta); Menelaus is king
Treated as proper guests; washed and anointed
Helen questions the guests as to who they are
Menelaus said he went to Troy and held captive in Egypt
On his way back to Sparta, he heard nothing of the House of Odysseus
Menelaus tells them to go back to Ithaca and protect the name of Odysseus
Suitors are wreaking havoc; Penelope is worried that Telemachus wont come back either

Part 2
Poseidons Wrath
Poseidon is angry that the other gods held a council meeting without him
Creates storm and tries to kill Odysseus
Ino tries to help Odysseus; tells him to swim to an island and gives him an enchanted veil
Odysseus doesnt listen to her
A big wave destroys his raft, and he is left floating for 2 days and 2 nights
Island of Phaeacians
The Phaeacians used to live in Hyperia, but Hyperia was too close to the Cyclopes
Nausithous moves the people from Hyperia to Phaeacia
On the Island
Athena comes in the form of Dymas daughter and visits Nausicaa in a dream
Tells her to go to a stream and wash all of her clothes
Nausicaa and her maids wake up Odysseus
Athena makes Odysseus look taller, stronger, etc. after he washes in the stream
Nausicaa cant resist Odysseus and wants to bring him back to the city
Book 7
Odysseus is led by Nausicaa into Phaeacia
Odysseus is protected by Athena because the Phaeacians dont like foreigners
Athena disguises herself as a little girl to guide Odysseus to the palace and tells him to go to the
queen
Palace of Phaeacia
Odysseus asks Arete for help and is given a drink
Alcinous tells Odysseus that he will help him figure out what to do tomorrow
Alcinous thinks that Odysseus might be a god that is trying to test him
Odysseus tells Alcinous about his troubles in travelling to Phaeacia
Next Day
Athena promotes going to the assembly
Odysseus is given a ship and an escort

Alcinous invites the noblemen to a feast

Demodocus (blind bard) is invited and tells the story of Odysseus and Achilles in the Trojan War
Games
Odysseus starts to cry when Demodocus tells the story
Alcinous starts games to make Odysseus feel better
Odysseus sits back and watches the games, but doesnt participate until the other players taunt
him
He throws the discus and wins; he can do anything better than all of the other people
Alcinous begins dinner and feasting
Dinner
Demodocus tells the story of Ares and Aphrodite (go behind Hephaestus back, he catches them
with net)
Odysseus is given gifts for the journey home
Nasicaa goes to see Odysseus and he thanks her for saving his life
During the feast, he tells the full story of his travels