The Odyssey Timeline Flashcards

Key Locations and Events in The Odyssey

• Troy

  • Starting point of Odysseus's journey home after victory in the Trojan War.

• Cicones

  • Odysseus and his men raid this island for supplies.
  • Encounter an attack resulting in the loss of 72 men.

• Lotus Eaters

  • Men are sent to forage but consume the Lotus Flower, leading to a loss of desire to return home.

• Land of the Cyclops

  • The crew finds a cave filled with resources.
  • Odysseus blinds the Cyclops Polyphemus to escape.

• Aeolus

  • Receives a bag of winds from the god of winds to aid their journey.
  • His men release the winds against his orders, jeopardizing their voyage.

• Laestrygonians

  • Encounters a race of cannibals, resulting in the loss of most of his crew.
  • Only Odysseus and his ship survive the attack.

• Circe's Island

  • Circe transforms Odysseus's men into swine, but he resists using the herb Moly.
  • Remains with Circe for what becomes a couple of years; she advises him to seek Teiresias in the Underworld.

• Underworld

  • Odysseus consults the blind prophet Teiresias for guidance to return home.
  • Faces the sorrow of discovering his mother’s suicide due to grief.

• Sirens

  • Odysseus navigates past their beautiful songs by using beeswax in his crew's ears and ties himself to the mast to resist temptation.

• Scylla and Charybdis

  • Faces the dilemma of choosing between the six-headed monster Scylla or the whirlpool Charybdis.
  • Sacrifices six men to prevent total destruction of his ship.

• Helios

  • Crew disregards Odysseus's warning and consumes the sacred cattle of Helios.
  • Zeus punishes them by destroying their ship with a lightning bolt; only Odysseus survives.

• Calypso's Island

  • Odysseus washes ashore and spends seven years with the nymph Calypso.
  • Hermes persuades Calypso to let him leave to build a ship for his return.

• Phaecians

  • The kind-hearted Phaecians hear Odysseus's tale during a feast.
  • They grant him a ship to finally return home.

• Ithaca

  • Odysseus returns home after 15 years and reunites with his son Telemachus.
  • Together, they eliminate the suitors and restore Odysseus as king alongside Penelope.

Test your knowledge of the key events and locations in Homer's 'The Odyssey' with this timeline flashcard quiz. Each card covers significant points, from the fall of Troy to encounters with mythological beings. Perfect for students studying this classic text.