Odysseus and the Odyssey Trivia Quiz

Answer: Penelope

Penelope was the faithful wife of Odysseus, who kept her suitors at bay in his long absence and so was eventually rejoined with him.

Answer: Cicones

When Odysseus reached the island of the Cicones he ordered his men to attack the people on beach but didn't press any advantage. The Cicones rallied and counter-attacked Odysseus and his men from horse back.
Fighting a lost battle, Odysseus was forced to retreat and leave the island.

Answer: Polyphemus

Polyphemus was a Cyclops, and lived in the cave. When Odysseus was asked for his name, he said, Noman, or no one depending on the translation. So when Polyphemus was calling for help, he kept saying Noman (no one) is attacking me. As such, no help came.

Zeus was a God and Calypso a nymph, daughter of Atlas; she lived on an island and kept Odysseus as a prisoner for some time.

Answer: Ithaca

While the poem claims that Odysseus was king of Ithaca, scholars have yet to identify the location of the island.

Answer: Telemachus

Telemachus searched many times for his father, and upon Odysseus' return, Telemachus help drive off the suitors of his mother.

Laertes was the father of Odysseus, Anticlea was his mother and Aeolus was the King of Aeolia who had the power to control the winds.

Answer: Aeolus

Aeolus was favored by the Gods, and was given power over the winds. After Odysseus entertained him with the stories of his travels, Aeolus gave Odysseus bags of wind to help him return home. Unfortunately, his crew thought a great treasure was contained in the bags, and when Odysseus was sleeping they cut one open. The winds then blew them back to Aeolia.

Misenus was the friend of Odysseus, Virgil a Roman poet and author of the "Aeneid" and Poseidon was the God of the seas and father of Polyphemus.

Answer: He had anchored outside of the harbor and could escape, while the other two ships had anchored inside the harbor and were destroyed.

Odysseus wisely moored his ship to a rock outside of the harbor, while the other two ships anchored closely together near the shore. The Laestrygonians were giants and threw boulders at the two ships, sinking them, then killed and ate the crews.

Answer: An enchantress

Circe drugged his men, turning them into swine. Hermes gave Odysseus an herb called Moly to ward off the drug. Circe then offered to sleep with Odysseus, and he agreed, but only if she turned his crew back into men. She did and he stayed a year with her.

Answer: No

This was not the task of Odysseus. Rather it was Jason and the Argonauts who sought the Golden Fleece.

Answer: Attacked and drove off his wife's suitors

While Odysseus was gone, many suitors made advances to his wife. Upon his return he drove them away or killed the more persistent ones.