Chapter 11

Summary:

In Chapter 11, Odysseus visits the Underworld to meet the Theban Prophet, who can tell Odysseus his future. Odysseus thrusts his sword in its sheath, so that the Theban Prophet would drink the dark blood and tell the truth. The Theban Prophet tells Odysseus that Poseidon will make it very difficult for him (Odysseus) to get back home again, especially after he killed Poseidons son. He warns Odysseus and his crew about touching the Helios when he lands on Thrinakia. He says that Odysseus will arrive back at Ithaca alone, without any crew. He then tells Odysseus that when he reaches home he will kill the suitors, and that he will die of old age. His death will be painless. Odysseus then meets his mother, who died waiting for him to return from Troy. They talk to each other and Odysseus asks her about Telamachus and Penelope. Odysseus meets many people in the Underworld. They start exchanging stories about people they know and how their doing or how they died. Odysseus was hoping to see famous heroes, but he couldnt. He had to leave the Underworld quickly because many dead people were swarming him, and he was scared Queen Persephone was going to send a monstrous head. So he quickly got back on to his ships, made sure everybody was on deck, and then set sail.

Characters:

Elpenor- A friend of Odysseus and a ghost.

Anticleia- Odysseus mother; daughter of Autolycus.

Theban Prophet- He lives in the Underworld; he is able to tell the future.

Helios- God of the sun; he sees all and hears everything.

Tyro- A mortal who loved Enipeus, a God. She gave children to Poseidon.

Enipeus- River God.

Pelias- Son of Tyro; lived on the plains of Ioclos.

Neleus- Son of Tyro; lived in sandy Pylos.

Cretheus- Husband of Tyro.

Aeson, Pheres, Amythaon- Sons of Tyros and Cretheus.

Salmoneus- A great Lord; father of Tyro.

Antiope- Daughter of Asopus; she got pregnant from Zeus and got twins, Amphion and Zethus.

Alcmena- Wife of Amphitryon; she became pregnant from Zeus and gave birth to Heracles.

Heracles- Had a rugged will and lion heart.

Megara- Wife of Heracles

Epicaste- Mother of Oedipus; she married her son that killed his father.

Chloris- Youngest daughter of Amphion.

Amphion- A Minyan King who once ruled Orchomenos.

Nestor, Chromius, Periclymenus- Sons of Chloris and Neleus.

Pero- Daughter of Chloris and Neleus; She was courted by young lords. Neleus would only give her to the suitor that would bring back home the herds that Iphiclus had stolen.

Leda- Tyndareus wife, they had two sons, twins, Castor and Polydeuces.

Iphimedeia- Aloeus wife. She said the she gave Poseidon two sons, but they died early in their lives.

Ariadane- Daughter of Minos. She was killed by Artemis because he got no joy from her.

Arete- White Armed Queen.

Echeneus- The eldest lord of Phaeacia.

Alcinous- All commands are taken from him.

Great Ajax- The first man of his build and bearing of all the Argives, after Achilles.

Vocab:

Shrouded- To wrap somebody in a cloth used for burial.

Libation- The pouring out of wine.

Heifer- A young cow.

Pyre- A heap of combustibles for burning a dead body.

Sinews- Vigorous strength.

Confided- To trust.

Array- Place in an orderly arrangement.

Ramparts- Fortifications consisting of embankments.

Noose- A loop formed in a rope by means of a slipknot so that it binds tighter as the rope is pulled.

Sleek- Polished or smooth in manner.

Saying:

Alcinous, majesty, shining among your island people, if you would urge me now to stay here one whole year then speed me home weighed down with lordly gifts, Id gladly have it so. Better by far, that way. The fuller my arms on landing there at home, the more respected, well received Id be by all who saw me sailing back to Ithaca. Odysseus said this to Alcinous after Alcinous told him about getting gifts. This quote contradicts what Odysseus really wants. What he really wants is to get back home to Ithaca as soon as possible without wasting time. This is why it didnt make sense for Odysseus to say that he can wait a whole year for the gifts.

Lessons to Be Learned:

No matter how long you want to spend in a place and find out more you will eventually have to leave. This happens at the end of the chapter when Odysseus wants to meet other famous heroes but the dead people in the underworld keep on swarming him, so he decides that it is better to leave.

Chapter 12

Summary

     Odysseus visits Circe, and she tells him what will happen to him. She tells him to beware of the sirens, who sound very nice but lure people into a trap. She tells Odysseus that there are 2 passages to choose from after the sirens. One passage is a place that no ship (apart from the Argo) has ever come out of, there are always big disasters there. The other passage is where Scylla, a ferocious monster with 6 heads, and Charybdis, a monster that creates whirlpools when she vomits, live. She tells Odysseus that she can not choose his path, only he could. She also tells Odysseus not to touch Helios cattle. The last thing she tells him is that she can see in the future that his ship will be broken, his men dead, and that if Odysseus makes it, he will arrive home as a broken man. Odysseus then sets sail. He passes the sirens by putting beeswax on his shipmates ears, and then he is tied (by his shipmates) to the ship, so he cant go to the sirens. They then take the beeswax out of their ears and untie Odysseus. They sailed further and eventually reached Charybdis, who tried to get them into a whirlpool. As they were trying to get away from Charybdis, Scyllas six heads took one man each from Odysseus ship. Those men were killed by the heads. Odysseus lost his six best crewmembers. Odysseus and his remaining crew managed to sail away from Scylla. They then pass the island of the sun, where Helios cattle live. Eurylochus, a mutinous man on Odysseus ship, persuaded the rest of the crew to stop on the island, against Odysseus will. But he warned them all no to touch Helios flock. They all swore they wouldnt. They then got off the island. After a month they were still on the island because they couldnt find the right wind. Food began to run scarce, and Eurylochus again went against Odysseus will and told all the other crewmembers that since they have no more food left they have to kill Helios flock. So they end up killing and eating Helios flock. Odysseus gets very angry and worried when he sees them eating the flock. Helios asks Zeus to punish Odysseus and his crew for eating his flock. After Odysseus and his crew finally find the right wind and set sail, Zeus sends a lightening bolt which hits the ship and kills everyone apart from Odysseus. Odysseus manages to survive by attaching a piece of cattle fur and the ship together so that he is able to float. The south wind takes Odysseus back to Charybdis, where he climbs a fig tree hoping to escape the whirlpools.

Vocab: 

Ensnare: To catch as if in a snare

Burnished: To cook by direct exposure to heat over a fire.

Writhed: To twist or turn.

Forestay: A stay extending from the head of the foremast to the bowsprit of a ship.

Bilge: The lowest inner part of a ship's hull.

Reeking: To emit vapor.

Characters:

Circe: A nymph Queen.

Scylla: A monster who has 12 legs, and six necks, each with its own head.

Charybdis: A monster that makes whirlpools.

Phaethusa and Lampetie: Nymphs who were daughters of Helios and Neaera, a queen.

Lessons to Be Learned:

Always know the consequences of what you do. Odysseus crewmembers started eating Helios flock without knowing the real consequence. They were all killed by Zeus after they ate the flock. They didnt think about what would happen to them if they ate the flock, even after Odysseus warned them.