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Odyssey Exam Questions Odyssey Exam Questions 1st Trimester 1. What ancient culture did the story of Gilgamesh come from? 2. What was the capitol of this culture? 3. Why does Gilgamesh have to row Urshanabi’s boat by himself? 4. What is not so impressive about Gilgamesh & Enikidu’s slaying of Humbaba? 5. What does Shamhat do to civilize Enkidu? 6. Before he was civilized, how was Enkidu annoying the local hunters? 7. Who wins the Enkidu/Gilgamesh wrestling match? 8. What is one of the rules imposed by Gilgamesh on his city that annoys the citizens? 9. What does Enkidu die of? 10. When Gilgamesh first tries to live forever, what is the task given to him by Utnapishtim? 11. How does Utnapishtim show that Gilgamesh failed at this task? 12. What is Gilgamesh told to retrieve that will make him live forever? 13. Who winds up benefiting from this item? 14. Why was Utnapishtim made immortal? 15. What did Ea do that saved mankind? 16. Who lives in the Cedar Forest? 17. Why does Gilgamesh reject the goddess Ishtar? 18. What does she send to kill him after this rejection? 19. When Gilgamesh goes to see Utnapishtim, he travels through a tunnel that is usually traversed by what? 20. Name one way in which the god Shamash helps out Gilgamesh? 21. What do Gilgamesh and Enkidu do that would look odd to most people today? 22. Who tries to stop Gilgamesh from going into the Cedar Forest? 23. What is the job of the High Priestesses of Ishtar? 24. When does Gilgamesh decide that it is time to bury Enkidu’s body? 25. Which god sends the Great Flood to destroy mankind? The Odyssey Chapter 1 & 2 1. Who is Telemachus? 2. What is he told to do by Athena? 3. Which god is currently angry at Odysseus? a. Zeus c. Poseidon b. Apollo d. Hera 4. Which Greek king does Telemachus visit first? a. Nestor c. Diomedes b. Menelaus d. Agamemnon 5. What is the name of this king’s home? a. Lesbos c. Cyprus b. Ithaca d. Pylos 6. Who is Pisistratus? a. Telemachus’ brother c. A suitor b. Nestor’s son d. Menelaus’ father 7. What is the name of Odysseus’ wife? a. Clytemnestra c. Hermione b. Helen d. Penelope 8. What is the name of Odysseus’ home? a. Lesbos c. Cyprus b. Ithaca d. Pylos 9. What is the current problem plaguing this island? a. Disease c. It is sinking into the ocean. b. Foreign invaders d. Suitors trying to marry the queen. 10. Who wrote the Odyssey? The Odyssey Chapters 3 – 6 1. Nestor tells Telemachus which thing about his father? a. He thinks Odysseus is dead c. He tells him that he’s trapped with Calypso b. Odysseus went home at a different time d. He lost Odysseus while sailing home 2. Nestor tells Telemachus to go visit who? a. Hector c. Menelaus b. Aeneas d. Ajax 3. What happened to Agamemnon? a. He died in the war c. Poisoned to death b. Murdered by his wife d. Killed by the gods 4. Who was Agamemnon’s son? a. Neoptolemus c. Pyrrhus b. Pisistratus d. Orestes 5. Who sails with Telemachus to Sparta? a. Neoptolemus c. Pyrrhus b. Pisistratus d. Orestes 6. On Ithaca, Penelope learns what? a. That Odysseus is alive c. That the suitors are planning to leave. b. That Telemachus found his father d. That the suitors are planning to kill her son 7. Which god convinces the others to let Odysseus go home? a. Athena c. Zeus b. Ares d. Thetis 8. Which god is conspicuously absent during that meeting? a. Apollo c. Hades b. Artemis d. Poseidon 9. What does Calypso say when she is forced to let Odysseus go? a. Sure, I don’t love him c. I’m going to kill him b. It’s not fair d. I want him to be happy 10. What is the name of the island Odysseus lands on after he leaves Calypso? a. Phaeacia c. Lemnos b. Pylos d. Thebes 11. Who is the princess of that island? a. Hermione c. Electra b. Helen d. Naussica 12. What does she do for Odysseus? a. Gives him a boat c. Scares him away b. Tells him how to talk to her parents d. Gives him food and shelter for the night The Odyssey Chapters 7-10 1. Which of the following is not a member of the Phaecian royal family? a. Alcinous c. Demodocus b. Arete d. Nausicaa 2. What does Odysseus confess to the king and queen? a. That he is Odysseus c. That he is a spy b. That their daughter assisted him d. That Athena helps him 3. The king likes Odysseus so much that he… a. Offers his daughter to him c. Trick question, he is suspicious of him b. Gives him armor and weapons d. Lets him sleep in the royal chambers 4. Who might Demodocus be in actuality? 5. Which athletic competition does Odysseus win? a. Discus c. Javelin throw b. Footrace d. Wrestling 6. Demodocus sings a song about the love of…. a. Menelaus and Helen c. Hera and Zeus b. Pyramus and Thisbe d. Ares and Aphrodite 7. Where did Odysseus and his men become drugged? a. On the Cyclops island c. At Troy b. On the Lotus-eaters island d. On Calypso’s island 8. What is the name of the Cyclops? a. Briareus c. Polyphemus b. Megarea d. Typhon 9. Odysseus told the Cyclops that his name was… a. Hector c. Apollo b. Mentor d. Nobody 10. Aeolus is the god of what? a. Earth c. Water b. Fire d. Wind 11. What are the Laestrygonians? a. Giants c. Wolf-people b. Dragons d. Gorgons 12. What does Circe do to Odysseus’ men? a. Kills them c. Puts them in a cage. b. Turns them into animals d. Seduces them The ‘Good Guy’ Odysseus Quiz 1. Which of the following IS NOT a compliment about Odysseus? a. He’s a great strategist c. He’s handsome b. He’s well spoken d. He’s a best friend 2. Where is Odysseus from? a. Argos c. Mycenae b. Ithaca d. Sparta 3. What is the name of Odysseus’ son? a. Telemachus c. Pisistratus b. Orestes d. Neoptolomos 4. Who tells Odysseus’ son to go looking for him? a. Athena c. Hector b. Nestor d. Achilles 5. What is the name of Odysseus’ wife? a. Clytemnestra c. Hermione b. Helen d. Penelope 6. What is Odysseus’ favorite disguise? a. Trojan c. Egyptian b. Beggar d. Tradesman 7. When Telemachus goes to look for his father, where does he go first? a. Circe’s island d. Calypso’s island b. Nestor at Pylos d. Menelaus at Sparta 8. Which of the following people does NOT live at Sparta? a. Helen c. Menelaus b. Hermione d. Pisistratus 9. What did Agamemnon and Menelaus get in a fight over? a. Helen c. How to get home b. When to go home d. Splitting up the treasure 10. How did Agamemnon die? a. In battle c. Murdered by wife b. Shipwrecked d. Old age 11. Which of the following characters is an old man? a. Nestor c. Orestes b. Pisistratus d. Telemachus 12. When Helen talks about Odysseus, she told the story where he… a. Retrieved Neoptolemus c. Stole the Palladium b. Retrieved Philocetes d. Created the Trojan Horse .
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