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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Theoclymenus tell Penelope about the omen of the birds?
(a) He says that Odysseus will be home soon.
(b) He says that Odysseus won't make it home.
(c) He says that Odysseus is in the hall now, amongst the suitors.
(d) He says that Odysseus is already there, biding his time.

2. Who betrayed Penelope's loom of deceit?
(a) She was caught by the suitors in the fourth year.
(b) She was caught by the suitors after five years.
(c) Her slave maids told the suitors after three years.
(d) It took them two years, but they figured it out themselves.

3. Who is the first in the hall to notice Odysseus the beggar?
(a) Eumaeus.
(b) Telemachus.
(c) Melanthius.
(d) Antinous.

4. Why are there so few boars among Odysseus' swine in Book 14?
(a) The suitors use them for hunting games.
(b) They keep running off.
(c) The suitors feast upon them.
(d) You only need a few to maintain the numbers.

5. How does Penelope test the truth of Odysseus the beggar's story regarding Odysseus?
(a) She asked the beggar at which games Odysseus excelled.
(b) She asked what Odysseus' ship looked like.
(c) She asks him the month and year he visited with Odysseus.
(d) She asks him to describe Odysseus' clothing, his person, and his companions.

6. Once Odysseus realizes he's in Ithaca, what does Athene advise him to do?
(a) Hide his goods in a corner of the nearby cave.
(b) Disguise himself and see the suitors.
(c) Reveal himself to his loyal swineherd.
(d) Send a secret message to Penelope.

7. What does Eupeithes seek at the assembly after the lords learn of the slaughter of the suitors?
(a) He wants Odysseus to go into exile.
(b) He wants the queen to be killed.
(c) He wants revenge against Odysseus for his son, and the others lost to Odysseus.
(d) He wants recompense for his son from Odysseus.

8. Who interprets the sign of the eagle and the goose as Telemachus and Peisistratus are leaving Lacedaemon?
(a) Peisistratus.
(b) Menelaus.
(c) Helen.
(d) Telemachus.

9. When Odysseus is on land after his voyage from Scheria, why doesn't he know where he is?
(a) The Phaecians brought him to another island.
(b) Athene has spread a cloud, obscurring him.
(c) He's been gone too long.
(d) He is unfamiliar with this part of Ithaca.

10. How do the suitors view the fight between the two beggars in Book 18?
(a) They don't really care about the fight.
(b) They think the beggars show their worth behaving in such a manner.
(c) They think the beggars are disgusting, but they can't stop watching it.
(d) They think it is the best entertainment that they've had.

11. What gift does Menelaus give to Telemachus as they part company in Book 15?
(a) A tapestry woven by Athena.
(b) A well-wrought bowl made by Hephaestus.
(c) A cauldron used by the oracles.
(d) A pair of mules.

12. What does Eurymachus offer Odysseus in Book 22 from the remaining suitors to make amends for their behavior at his house for so long?
(a) Twenty oxen and bronze and gold.
(b) Cattle, meal, and golden cups.
(c) All of their personal wealth and that of their families.
(d) Some cattle and some servants.

13. Where did Menelaus get the gift he gave to Telemachus?
(a) From Troy as a spoil of war.
(b) From his wife as a wedding present.
(c) From an immortal when he was close to death.
(d) From a king who sheltered him.

14. In addition to Odysseus and Penelope, who knew the secret of the bed?
(a) Eurycleia.
(b) Laertes.
(c) Telemachus.
(d) Actoris.

15. What is the name Odysseus the beggar gives as his own in Book 19?
(a) Idomeneus.
(b) Aethon.
(c) Deucalion.
(d) Iphitus.

Short Answer Questions

1. What gift does Helen give to Telemachus as he is preparing to leave Lacedaemon?

2. Who tries to help the suitors in Book 22 by grabbing the armor and weapons?

3. What does Odysseus do during the voyage home in Book 13?

4. In Book 14, where does a disguised Odysseus tell Eumaeus he is from when asked?

5. As Odysseus tells Eumaeus his story in Book 14, how does he say he earns a living and makes a name for himself?

(see the answer keys)

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