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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In whose grove of poplar trees is Odysseus told to wait before approaching the palace in Book 6?
(a) Athene.
(b) Zeus.
(c) Aphrodite.
(d) Poseidon.

2. In Book 6, what instructions does Nausicaa give her maids regarding Odysseus?
(a) They are to run to get the men for protection.
(b) They are to keep away from this stranger.
(c) They are to wash his clothes too.
(d) They are to give him food and drink and bathe him.

3. How does the Cyclops in Book 9 show hospitality?
(a) He offers them food, wine, and a place to sleep.
(b) He dashes two men's brains out and eats them.
(c) He gives them the stranger's gift.
(d) He offers them food and wine.

4. What does Nestor tell Telemachus about his relationship with Odysseus?
(a) They never agreed at council during the war.
(b) They never fought side by side during the war.
(c) They never differed at council during the war.
(d) They never spoke those nine years at war.

5. What advice does Agamemnon give to Odysseus regarding women in Book 11?
(a) Hide your ship and surprise her with your return.
(b) Tell a part and let a part be hid.
(c) Always be gentle with your wife.
(d) Send your treasures ahead of yourself after so long an absence.

6. What is Nausicaa's greatest concern for the trip back to her father's house from the river?
(a) She's worried about her reputation.
(b) She's worried that Odysseus will get lost.
(c) She's worried that Odysseus isn't strong enough to make it.
(d) She's worried that Odysseus will act immodestly, causing her shame.

7. Which god(dess) visits Telemachus at the beginning of the poem?
(a) Zeus.
(b) Kronos.
(c) Hermes.
(d) Athene.

8. In Book 5, who orders Odysseus' release from Calypso?
(a) Poseidon.
(b) Athene.
(c) Zeus.
(d) Hermes.

9. Who gets Telemachus' supplies of wine and barley for his quest?
(a) Eurycleia.
(b) Mentor.
(c) Athene.
(d) Penelope.

10. What is the subject of Demodocus' first song at Alcinous' feast in Book 8?
(a) The famous quarrel between Odysseus and Achilles.
(b) The end of the Trojan war.
(c) The deeds and misdeeds of the gods.
(d) The tragic end of Agamemnon.

11. In Chapter 12, with his ship destroyed, Odysseus drifts until he reaches _____________.
(a) Aeaea.
(b) Hades.
(c) Scheria.
(d) Ogygia.

12. By what type of people did the Phaecians once live?
(a) Cyclops.
(b) Giants.
(c) Barbarians.
(d) Pirates.

13. After his battle with Poseidon in Book 5, where does Odysseus find shelter in the land on which he has just arrived?
(a) He goes into the woods and finds a couple of shrubs to provide shelter and comfort.
(b) A man approaches and shows him a place used by hunters.
(c) He creates a makeshift shelter with nearby debris.
(d) He decides to go into the hills to find a cave.

14. Where is Odysseus at the beginning of the poem?
(a) Ithaca.
(b) Pylos.
(c) Taphos.
(d) Ogygia.

15. Who led the group which wanted to leave Troy immediately after the war?
(a) Odysseus.
(b) Ajax.
(c) Menelaus.
(d) Nestor.

Short Answer Questions

1. How many men does Odysseus lose to the Cyclops?

2. In Book 7, why does Athena cloak Odysseus in clouds on his walk to the palace?

3. What does the first spirit to visit Odysseus in Hades ask him to do?

4. What does Odysseus receive from the thirteen kings of Phaecia?

5. What is Nestor doing when Telemachus arrives in Pylos?

(see the answer keys)

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