Odyssey Character Map

Gods/Goddesses

Greek Warriors: Fought in Troy

Other

Odysseus + Friends and Family

Telemachus*

Penelope*

Odysseus*

Poseidon

Zeus

Athena

Nestor*

Menelaus*

Agamemnon

Tiresias*

Helen

Polyphemus*

Hermes

Calypso

Circe

Helios

Laertes*

Eumaeus

Anticlea*

(minor god) Aeolus

Suitors

Antinous*

Eurymachus*

Eurycleia

Heracles

Ino

Monsters

Charybdis

The Sirens

Scylla

Encourages Zeus to help Odysseus get off of Calypso's Island.

Convinces Zeus to help Odysseus and Telemachus

Gave Telemachus more confidence to stand up to the Suitors and convinced him to go out in search of information about his father's current whereabouts.

Quote: "you will work out what to do, through your own wits and with divine assistance. the gods have blessed you in your life so far."

King of Pylos

Fought in the Trojan War

Tells Telemachus stories of Odysseus but knows little of his whereabouts

King of Sparta

Leads the Greeks in the Trojan War

Offers to help Telemachus find Odysseus

Former king of Mycenae

Led the Achaean forces at Troy

Was murdered by Clytemnestra and Aegisthus

The most arrogant

Leads the search in hopes of killing Telemachus

Manipulative and deceitful

Exerts influence/dominance over suitors

Daughter of Zeus and the goddess of Wisdom and Battle strategy.

Quote

Quote: "I have a final piece of advice for you--take head of it. when you arrive in your own land, do not anchor your ship in full view; move in secret. there is no trusting women any longer."

Quote:

God of the sea and Earthquakes

Messenger of the Gods

Father of the Cyclops that Odysseus fought.

Made Odysseus stay on Calypso's Island for seven years

Sent by Zeus to tell Calypso that Odysseus must leave the island

Lightening god; King of the Gods

Is convinced by Athena to help Telemachus and Odysseus

Quote: "Ah how shameless—the way these mortals blame the gods. From us alone, they say, come all their miseries, yes, but they themselves with their own reckless ways, compound their pains beyond their proper share."

Quote: "Poseidon must give up his anger, since he cannot fight alone against the will of all the gods." (107) here Poseidon's anger is shown and how he is the only one against Odysseus for this action.

Minor goddess, Is trapped on her Island, Ogygia

Kept Odysseus on her Island for seven years and used him for pleasure.

Cursed to have many lovers who never want to stay with her

Quote: "Calypso, a great goddess, had trapped him in her cave; she wanted him to be her husband." (105)

Sun God

Not one of the 12 Olympians

the "white goddess"

Goddess who works with herbs and makes potions kind of like a witch.

Gave Odysseus a bag of strong winds to help him get home.

Quote:

Wife of Odysseus and mother of Telemachus

Hopeful that Odysseus will return after 10+ years

Son of Odysseus and Penelope

Odysseus's father

Is visited by Athena in Disguise who suggests that he goes to look for information on his father

Helps Odysseus by giving him a scarf of immortality

Hero who fought in the Trojan war but did not manage to make it back home right away.

Quarrels with Polyphemus which offends Poseidon; makes his journey home even more complicated.

A cyclops

Son of poseidon

Tried to eat Odysseus and his crew when they reached Sicily but was blinded after being stabbed in the eye

Menelaus's wife

Queen of Sparta

Her abduction started the Trojan War

Quote: "he leapt up, cloak and all, and seized a massive discus, heavier than that used by others. He spun around, drew back his arm and from his brawny hand he hurled. the stone went humming. The Phaeacians, known for rowing, ducked down cowering beneath its arc; it flew beyond the other pegs" (8.187-193)

Quote:

Quote: "the eye of godlike Polyphemus, [Poseidon's] son, the strongest of the Cyclopes--whose mother, Thoosa, is a sea-nymph" (1.69-72)

Quote: "Helen emerged from her high-ceilinged, fragrant bedroom, like Artemis, who carries golden arrows" (4.119-121).

Quote: "At once he fastened on his feet the sandals of everlasting gold with which he flies on breath of air across the sea and land; he seized the wand he uses to enchant men's eyes to sleep or wake as he desires and flew" (181).

Quote: "Ino, the White Goddess, Cadmus' child, once human, human-voiced, now honored with the gods in salty depths" (5.333-336).

sea-monster who haunted the rocks of a narrow strait opposite the whirlpool of Charybdis

Ships who sailed too close to her rocks would lose six men to her ravenous, darting heads.

Tricked half of Odysseus's men and transformed them into pigs

Odysseus was helped by Hermes who gave him an antidote so she didn't drug him.

Odysseus slept with Circe after her plan failed and him and his crew stayed with her for a year.

Odysseus's men were idiots and they opened the bag thinking there were jewels inside.

Aeolus refused to help Odysseus again after the bag was opened and sent the ship right back to Aeolus's kingdom

Quote: "the beautiful, dreadful goddess Circe, who speaks in human languages-"

Quote: "Aeolus, who is well loved by all the deathless gods" (10.1-2).

Quote: "Around his chest was strapped a terrifying baldric made of gold, fashioned with marvelous images of bears, wild boars, and lions with fierce starring eyes, and the battles and slaughtering of men" (299)

Blind Prophet

Told Odysseus about Helios's cattle and how they would either get home safely if the cows were untouched and

Divine Hero who lived before the trojan war

Son of Zeus and Alcmene

Heracles was the epitome of bravery and masculinity in the ancient world and the most notable champion of the Olympian order, which he staunchly protected from various chthonic monsters and earthly villains.
Source: https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Heroes/Heracles/heracles.html

Odysseus's mother who has passed and he meets again in the underworld while looking for Tiresias. Anticlea tells Odysseus that his father isn't doing well.

Quote:

Curses Odysseus because he blinded him. Prays to Poseidon to make Odysseus's journey a treacherous one.

Quote:

dwelt in the Strait of Messina.

Since the passage between the two monsters was very narrow, sailors who tried to avoid one sea monster would unavoidable get into reach of the other.

dangerous creatures, who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and singing voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island.

owns cattle

Oher quote: "Odysseus and his bad luck. For too long he has suffered, with no friends, sea all around him, sea on every side, out on an island where a goddess lives" (1.48-51)