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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. According to Book 4, who did Menelaus capture?
(a) Poseidon.
(b) Eidothea.
(c) Athena.
(d) Proteus.

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

3. When sadness grips the feasting in her hall, causing Menelaus and his visitors to cry in remembrance of friends lost in Troy, what does Helen do to the wine?
(a) She warms it.
(b) She pours it for the men.
(c) She adds herbs to sweeten it.
(d) She adds a drug.

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

5. Where is Poseidon coming from when he sees Odysseus on his raft in Book 5?
(a) Mt. Olympus.
(b) Libya.
(c) Ethiopia.
(d) Egypt.

6. With which hero did Odysseus first speak in Hades?
(a) Achilles.
(b) Ajax.
(c) Agamemnon.
(d) Hercules.

7. What announcement does Telemachus make to the suitors of his hall in Book 1?
(a) He's going to call a meeting of the assembly and formally ask the suitors to leave.
(b) He's going to go on a trip.
(c) He's been visited by the goddess Athena, and they should change their ways.
(d) His father is alive.

8. Having left Ogygia and survived Poseidon's attack, what is Odysseus' new problem, now that he spots land?
(a) The sea is deep as it ends abruptly on the steep bluff.
(b) There is no safe harbor.
(c) The coast is a bluff and jagged reefs.
(d) All answers are correct.

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

10. Why does Athena speak to Nausicaa in her dreams?
(a) She wants Nausicaa to discover Odysseus.
(b) She wants to tell Nausicaa that she hasn't been a good daughter or sister since she hasn't washed the clothes.
(c) She wants Nausicaa to prepare for her upcoming marriage.
(d) She wants others to know that Nausicaa has a connection with the immortals.

11. In Book 4, Helen and Menelaus tell tales of Odysseus' exploits in Troy. What story does Helen tell?
(a) The day Odysseus built the Trojan horse.
(b) The day Odysseus brought her from Priam's house.
(c) The day Odysseus took her maid as a hostage to flee Troy.
(d) The day Odysseus got into the city in a beggar's disguise without suspicion.

12. How long have the suitors been coming to Odysseus' home?
(a) Six years.
(b) More than three years.
(c) Four years.
(d) A couple of years.

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

14. What does Mentes tell Telemachus in Book 1 that he must do?
(a) Go on a quest.
(b) Make Penelope decide about marriage.
(c) Thrust the suitors from the house.
(d) All answers are correct.

15. How many men does Odysseus lose to the Cyclops?
(a) 8.
(b) 2.
(c) 6.
(d) 4.

Short Answer Questions

1. Telemachus is overrun with ________, who sponge off of him and his estate, making no amends.

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

3. According to Circe, how should Odysseus get past the Sirens while listening to their song?

4. What is happening in Lacedaemon when Telemachus arrives?

5. What skill are Phaecian men skilled beyond others?

(see the answer keys)

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