What is the order of events in the Odyssey?
| Timelines of Homer’s Odyssey | |
|---|---|
| Chronological Order | Odyssey Order |
| Odysseus and his men raid the Cicones. | Council of the gods. Athena bargains with Zeus. |
| They arrive at the Land of the Lotus Eaters. | Athena visits Telemachus; he sails for Pylos. |
| Odysseus blinds Polyphemus. | Telemachus reaches Pylos, then moves on to Sparta. |
What does the odyssey begin with?
Homer invokes the muse. He begins his story with Odysseus trapped on the island of Calypso, a nymph who wants to take Odysseus as her lover. Athena talks Zeus into pulling strings to set Odysseus free. Then Athena disguises herself to visit Odysseus’s son, Telémachus in Ithaca.
What happened in the book The Odyssey?
The Odyssey is Homer’s epic of Odysseus’ 10-year struggle to return home after the Trojan War. While Odysseus battles mystical creatures and faces the wrath of the gods, his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus stave off suitors vying for Penelope’s hand and Ithaca’s throne long enough for Odysseus to return.
What happens in the first book of the Odyssey?
In Homer’s epic story of the journeys of Odysseus (or Ulysses), The Odyssey, what happened in Troy was over when Homer’s story begins. The very first sentence in Book I, in fact, begins with this notation: “Tell me, O muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of Troy.”
How did Odysseus get away from the Cicones?
Reluctantly, Odysseus tells the Phaeacians the sorry tale of his wanderings. From Troy, the winds sweep him and his men to Ismarus, city of the Cicones. The men plunder the land and, carried away by greed, stay until the reinforced ranks of the Cicones turn on them and attack. Odysseus and his crew finally escape, having lost six men per ship.
Why did Odysseus order his men to leave?
He ordered his men to leave immediately, but they instead chose to feast on wine, sheep and cattle that they took from the city. This later turned out to be a very bad decision, since Odysseus lost six men from each ship of his fleet when the trained fighting men of Cicones attacked and drove them out.
How did the survivors of the Odysseus raid escape?
While the men were distracted, the survivors of the raid were able to call for help from further inland. As dawn came, the main fighting force of the land attacked Odysseus’ men, who were able to escape in the morning after suffering heavy losses.