Homer's Odyssey Characters Books 9, 10, 20 - 23

Characters:

Odysseus: Hero and main character. Has been fighting in the Trojan War for 10 years, then spends the following 10 years trying to get home. King of Ithaca.

King Alcinous: King of the Phaeacia. Welcomes Odysseus into his home and at the start of Book 9 he listens to Odysseus' story of his journey so far.

Ithaca: Home of Odysseus, Penelope, Telemachus and the Suitors.

Calypso: a nymph who kept Odysseus on her island and tried to persuade him to stay with her.

Zeus: king of the gods - "inflicted on me [a disastrous voyage] when I started back from Troy". God of suppliants and guests: XENIA SEQUENCE

Ilium: another name for Troy (where Odysseus had been fighting in the Trojan War).

Cicones: a race of men who live on Ismarus. Odysseus attacked them but in the process lost six men from each of his ships.

Achaeans: another name for Greeks.

Lotus Eaters: Odysseus reached the country of the Lotus Eaters and although harmless, they did feed some of his men with the fruit of the lotus, which caused them to forget their desire to go home.

Cyclopes: a race of one eyed beasts - giantlike.

Polyphemus: the Cyclops whose house/cave Odysseus enters UNINVITED. He eats some of Odysseus' men. Has a fondness for sheep. He is blinded by Odysseus. SON OF POSEIDON - GOD OF THE SEA. Prays to Poseidon that Odysseus should not get home, but if he does than he would do so late, having lost all of his men, and would arrive to find trouble in his home.

Maron: Priest of Apollo; the man who gave Odysseus the wine that he took with him as a gift to the cave of Polyphemus.

Aeolia: Island of Aeolus.

Aeolus: god of the winds - given this power by Zeus.

West wind: favourable wind to carry Odysseus home.

Laestrygonians: giant-like race who succeed in destroying all of Odysseus' ships apart from his own. Cannibals.

Antiphates: Laestrygonian chief who eats one of Odysseus' men upon meeting them.

Circe: a witch/goddess who lives on the island of Aeaea - sleeps with Odysseus.

Eurylochus: chosen by lot to take 22 men off to explore the island. One of Odysseus' most trusted companions. Suspecting a trap, he stays outside Circe's palace, and so is able to run back and report what has happened to Odysseus. When he returns to the ship, in fear, he suggests leaving the men behind and even accuses Odysseus of being the reason that they are in so much trouble.

Hermes: messenger god who helps Odysseus by giving him a herb with a black root and white flower called Moly. It is an antidote to Circe's drug. He also gives very specific instructions as…