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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Floating with the aid of Ino and safe from Poseidon in Book 5, how does Odysseus make it to dry land when he first sees it?
(a) He swims until he finds a river.
(b) He swims until he finds a beach.
(c) He swims until he finds a boat.
(d) He swims until he finds a harbor.

2. Who interrupts Phemius' sad song of the Achaeans in Book 1?
(a) Mentes.
(b) Penelope.
(c) Telemachus.
(d) Antinous.

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

4. As Odysseus and his men push away from the Cyclops island, what does Odysseus do?
(a) He spurs his crew to go faster.
(b) He prays to the gods for deliverance.
(c) He taunts Polyphemus.
(d) He mourns the loss of his crewmen.

5. What is the purpose of Telemachus' quest?
(a) He has to find Odysseus.
(b) He is to find word or rumor about Odysseus and his fate.
(c) He has to appeal to the gods for help.
(d) He has to assemble an army of heroes.

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

7. Helen and Menelaus tell tales of Odysseus' exploits in Troy. What story does Menelaus tell?
(a) Menelaus gives Odysseus credit for keeping the men still and quiet inside the horse.
(b) Menelaus gives Odysseus credit for contriving of the horse
(c) Menelaus gives Odysseus credit for gaining access and intelligence of Troy in the first place.
(d) Menelaus gives Odysseus credit forbuilding the horse so they wouldn't be detected.

8. What does Telemachus seek from the assembly above all?
(a) Advice.
(b) Justice.
(c) Help.
(d) Supplies.

9. How does Eurylochus convince Odysseus to land on Thrinacia?
(a) His men are tired and hungry. They need a break from the sea.
(b) They might not see land for days.
(c) Odysseus is reckless and has lost a lot of crew. They don't trust what he says.
(d) Odysseus is out of touch with his crew.

10. Who tells Telemachus that it's time for him to behave like a man, not a child?
(a) Laertes.
(b) Mentes.
(c) Antinous.
(d) Penelope.

11. 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) He goes into the woods and finds a couple of shrubs to provide shelter and comfort.
(c) A man approaches and shows him a place used by hunters.
(d) He creates a makeshift shelter with nearby debris.

12. What does Circe turn Odysseus' crew into in Book 10?
(a) Deer.
(b) Lions.
(c) Wolves.
(d) Pigs.

13. Which word best describes Odysseus' initial reaction when Calypso offers to help him in Book 5?
(a) Bewildered.
(b) Skeptical.
(c) Excited.
(d) Angered.

14. 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 adds herbs to sweeten it.
(b) She pours it for the men.
(c) She warms it.
(d) She adds a drug.

15. Why was Menelaus late returning from Troy?
(a) They endured rough seas and wind.
(b) His pilot died.
(c) They were pirating.
(d) All of the answers are correct.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who killed Aegisthus for the murder of Agamemnon?

2. Who first notices Odysseus' clothes in Alcinous' house?

3. To whom does Odysseus pray while in the meadow awaiting the appropriate time to arrive at the palace in Book 6?

4. When captured by Menelaus, who had been stuck for 20 days, what did this being reveal to him to get his freedom?

5. What does Ino give Odysseus to save his life when he loses his raft to Poseidon?

(see the answer keys)

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