Glossary

Euryalus: One of the young Phaecian noblemen in Book VII.  He taunts and then challenges Odysseus to a discus-throw but realizes his wrong and apologizes with a gift.

Nausicaa:  The daughter of King Alcinous, king of the Pahecians.  She is the first to encounter Odysseus when he lands on Phaecia, and she leads him to her father's castle.

Penelope: The wife of Odysseus.  She remains faithful to Odysseus during his 10 years at war and his 10 years travelling home from the war. 

Tiresias:  A famous dead prophet who has the ability to see the future.  He is visited by Odysseus in Book XII, in which he tells Odysseus of his travel home and cautions he should heed.

Trojan War: A ten year-long war fought between Greece and Troy, which Greece won, primarily through the use of the legendary "Trojan Horse."  It is from this war that Odysseus returns in The Odyssey.

Calypso: The goddess who keeps Odysseus captive for nine years and tempts him with immortality if he agrees to stay with her forever.

Circe: A goddess who transforms Odysseus' men into pigs.  She then takes Odysseus as her temporary lover for a year, after which she supplies Odysseus with important advice, concerning his trip to the Land of the Dead and his trip home.

Hermes: Son of Zeus, he prepares Odysseus for Circe and delivers Zeus' message that Odysseus is to be freed from Calypso.

Cyclops:  Named Polyphemus, son of Poseidon.  He traps Odysseus and his men in a cave and eats a few of Odysseus' men.  Odysseus intoxicates him with wine while he is sleeping, and Odysseus blinds him by driving a hot stake through his single eye.  After he is blinded, Polyphemus begs his father, Poseidon, to punish Odysseus.

Poseidon: God of the sea. He attempts to prevent Odysseus from returning home because Odysseus blinded his son, Polyphemus.  Eventually, with the gods' help, Odysseus does return home.

The Sirens: Beautiful women that lure sailors to their island through their enchanting song.  The bewitched sailors attempt to sail to them on the island, but their ships are dstroyed on the rocks that surround the island of the Sirens.

Zeus: The God of the Gods.  He allows Odysseus to leave Calypso's island.  He also destroys Odysseus' crew for killing the animals of the sun-gods.