THE ODYSSEY

Odysseus' Family

Penelope (pe-nel'-o-pē): Wife.

Telemakhos (te-lem'-a-kus): Son.

Laertes (lā'-ur-tēz): Father.

Antikleia (an-ti-klē'-a): Mother.

Ithaka (ith'-a-ka): Homeland.

Odysseus' Voyages

Kikones (sik'-o-nēz): Inhabitants of Thrace.

Lotophagi (lo-tof'-a-jī): Lotus-eaters.

Kyklopes (sī'-klops): “Wheel-eyed.”

Polyphemos (pol-e-fē'-mus): Son of Poseidon.

Aiolia (ē-ō'-li-a): Land of the wind god, Aiolos.

Laistrygonians (les-tri-gō'-ni-anz): Giant inhabitants of Lamos (lā'-mus), or Sicily.

Aiaia (ē-ē'-a): Kirke's island.

Kirke (sur'-sē): A witch, sister of Aietes (ē-ē'-tez) and aunt of Medea.

Eurylokhos (u-ril'-o-kus): Faithful companion of Odysseus.

Kalypso (ka-lip'-sō): She kept Odysseus prisoner for seven years.

Ogygia (o-jij'-i-a): Kalypso's island.

Phaiakia (fē-ā'-shi-a): Island in the Ionian Sea.

Alkinoos (al-sin'-o-us): King of the Phaiakians.

Arete (a-rē'-tē): Wife of Alkinoos.

Nausikaa (no-sik'-a-a): Daughter of Alkinoos.

Odysseus in Hades

Elpenor (el-pē'-nor): The man who fell from Kirke's roof.

Teiresias (ti-rē'-si-as): The great prophet of Thebes.

Alkmene (alk-mē'-ne): Mother of Herakles by Zeus.

Epikaste (ep-i-kas'-te): Another name for Jocasta, wife of Oedipus.

Leda: Wife of Tyndareus and Zeus' paramour.

Otos (ō'-tus) and Ephialtes (ef-i-al'-tēz): Giant sons of Iphimedeia (if-i-me'-di-a) who tried to reach Olympus

by piling Mt. Pelian on Mt. Ossa.

Ariadne (ar-i-ad'-nē): Daughter of Minos and Pasiphae (pa-sif'-a-ē) who was seduced by Thesus and abandoned on the island of Dia (dēa).

Odysseus sees in succession Agamemnon, Akhilleus, and Aias.

Tityos (tit'-i-us): Vultures gnaw his liver.

Tantalos (tan'-ta-lus): He is "tantalized" by water and food.

Sisyphos (sis'-i-fus): Eternal rock(n) roller.

Herakles (her'-a-klēz): Greatest Greek hero.