unit 6 greek stories. word pretest 1.his death gave his father much grief. grief [u] n. — extreme...

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Unit 6 Greek Stories

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Unit 6 Greek Stories

Word Pretest

1. His death gave his father much grief.

grief [U] n. — extreme sadness, especially because someone you love has died

悲痛,极度悲伤

• grieve v.

grieve the loss of sb.

• grieved a.

be grieved at the sad news

2. They tried to arouse nationalistic passions against the foreigner.

passion n. — a very strong, deeply felt emotion

强烈的情感,激情,热情 (爱 )

• arouse one’s passion for/against sth.

• have a passion(=interest) for

• passionate a.

be passionate about =like sth. very much

3. Oh, do be careful, don’t tread on the flowers.

tread v. [trod, trodden]/ n.— to put your foot on or in sth. while you are walking; step

踩,踏 ; ( 脚步声 )

• Sorry — did I tread on your foot ?

• We should tread carefully. 步步为营

4. I despair of ever passing my driving test.

despair v./n. — to feel that there is no hope that a situation will improve

绝望,感到无望

• despair v.

despair of (doing) sth.

• despair n.

be in despair over/about sth.

drive sb. to despair

5. I only caught a glimpse of the thief, so I can’t really describe him.

glimpse n. / v. — to see something or someone for a very short time or only partly

一瞥 , 瞥见 , 瞥了一眼

• catch a glimpse of

6. The little boy looked with a longing at the toys in the shop window.

longing n./a. — a strong feeling of wanting sth. or sb.; yearning

渴望,期 望 (的 )

• a longing for peace

• long v.

long to do/have sth.

long for sth.

7. I am completely disoriented — where are we going now?

disoriented a. — confused and not knowing where to go or what to do

迷失方向的,迷失的

8. Her children were a great consolation to her when her husband died in a car accident.

consolation n. — something that makes someone who is sad or disappointed feel better

安慰;慰藉

• consolation prize

• console v.

• consolatory a.

★ Mount Olympus “ 奥林匹斯诸神”之所—奥林匹斯山 In Greek mythology, twelve gods and goddesses ruled the universe from atop Greece’s Mount Olympus.

Mount Olympus is the home of the Twelve Olympians.

Background Information

All the Olympians are related to one another. The Romans adopted most of these Greek gods and goddesses, but with new names. 1. Zeus (Roman name: Jupiter 朱庇特 ) The most powerful of all, Zeus was god of the sky and the king of Olympus. He was married to Hera but had many other lovers. ( ——宙斯 众神之首,掌管天界。他娶了赫拉,但却出了名地贪花好色。 )

The Olympian Gods and Goddesses(奥林匹斯诸神的十二位主神)

2. Hera (Roman name: Juno 朱诺 )

Hera was goddess of marriage and the queen of Olympus. She was Zeus's wife and sister; many myths tell of how she sought revenge when Zeus betrayed her with his lovers.

( 赫拉——宙斯的妻子。婚姻的保护神 , 生性善妒,常常报复宙斯的情人和私生子。)

The Olympian Gods and Goddesses

3. Poseidon (Roman name: Neptune 涅普顿 ) Poseidon was god of the sea. He was the most powerful god except for his brother, Zeus. (波塞冬——宙斯的哥哥,地位仅次于宙斯,掌控海洋。)

4. Hades (Roman name: Pluto 普鲁托 ) Hades was king of the dead. He lived in the Underworld, the heavily guarded land where he ruled over the dead. He was the brother of Zeus. ( 哈迪斯—宙斯的哥哥,冥界之王。 )

The Olympian Gods and Goddesses

5. Hestia (Roman name: Vesta 维斯塔 ) Hestia was the goddess of the hearth, the most gentle of the gods, the sister of Zeus. (赫斯提亚——宙斯的大姐,灶神,谦让且心地善良。)

6. Aphrodite (Roman name: Venus 维纳 斯 )

Aphrodite was the goddess of love and beauty, the daughter of Zeus. ( 阿佛洛狄忒—宙斯的女儿,爱与美之神。 )

The Olympian Gods and Goddesses

7. Apollo Apollo was the god of music and healing, and the sun-god. He was the son of Zeus, and the twin of Artemis. (阿波罗——宙斯的儿子,太阳神,同时也是音乐、医疗之神,是男神中最英俊的。)

8. Athena (Roman name: Minerva 密涅瓦 ) Athena was the goddess of wisdom. She was also skilled in the art of war. Athena sprang full-grown from the forehead of Zeus. ( 雅典娜—宙斯的女儿, 象征智慧与战争的女神,是从父亲宙斯的脑袋里诞生的。 )

The Olympian Gods and Goddesses

The Olympian Gods and Goddesses

9. Ares (Roman name: Mars 玛尔斯 ) Ares was the god of war. He was both cruel and a coward. Ares was the son of Zeus and Hera, but neither of his parents liked him. (阿瑞斯——宙斯和赫拉的儿子,战神,因脾气暴躁喜欢大喊大叫,众神都不太喜欢他。)

10. Artemis (Roman name: Diana 狄安娜 ) Artemis was the goddess of the hunt and the protector of women in childbirth. Artemis was the daughter of Zeus, and the twin of Apollo. ( 阿尔忒弥斯—宙斯的女儿,阿波罗的孪生姐妹,月亮女神、狩猎女神和助产女神。 )

The Olympian Gods and Goddesses

11. Hephaestus (Roman name: Vulcan 伏尔甘 ) Hephaestus was the god of fire and the forge . Although he made weapons for the gods, he loved peace. He was the son of Zeus and Hera and married Aphrodite. (赫菲斯托斯——宙斯和赫拉的儿子,铁匠之神、火神,他又驼又瘸,是众神中最丑陋的神,但他的心地非常善良。)

12. Hermes (Roman name: Mercury 墨丘 利 )

Hermes was the messenger god, a trickster. He was the son of Zeus. ( 赫尔墨斯—宙斯的儿子,是宙斯的传旨者和信使。他聪明狡猾,又被视为欺骗之术的创造者,兼具才华和魅力,众神都很喜欢他。 )

Section A : Text I

Orpheus and

Eurydice俄耳甫斯与欧律狄刻

Orpheus with his lute made trees , 俄耳甫斯的琴声在树梢回荡, And the mountain tops that freeze, 他的歌声凝结在山峦峰顶, Bow themselves when he did sing ; 大地都为之臣服, To his music plants and flowers 他的音乐使花草植物为之绽放, Ever sprung , as sun and showers 如阳光和雨露般使大地回春。 There had made a lasting spring.

Everything that heard him play, 万物都屏息以待他的演奏, Even the billows of the sea, 连深海中的波涛也停止了怒吼。 Hung their heads, and then lay by. In sweet music is such art, 他甜美的音乐具有魔力, Killing care and grief of heart 能消除忧虑,也能安抚悲恸, Fall asleep, or hearing, die. ---William Shakespare

Orpheus

令人进入沉沉梦乡,或是在倾听中,令忧虑和悲恸消逝。

In a pleasant valley in Thrace , among springing flowers and the happy songs of the birds, lived Orpheus , the first and greatest of musicians. He was the son of Apollo and the Muse Calliope. His father gave him a lyre and taught him how to play upon it, which he did to such perfection that nothing could withstand the charm of his music. By his wonderful playing he so charmed the hearts of men that they forgot their angry passions and evil desires and became gentle little children. Even rocks and trees would leave their resting place and come near to listen, while wild beasts became tame and harmless under the spell of his music.

Well into his youth he had mastered the lyre and his melodious voice attracted audiences from near and afar. It was at one such gathering of humans and beasts that his eyes fell on a wood nymph. The girl was called Eurydice, she was beautiful and shy. She had been drawn to Orpheus enamored by his voice and such was the spell of beauty in music and appearance that neither could cast their eyes off each other. Soon they felt dearly in love, unable to spend a single moment apart. After a while, they decided to get married. Their life was a bright and wonderful one, with the music of Orpheus running through it like a magical thread, till a sudden and terrible thing happened. Eurydice, treading unwittingly on a serpent, was bitten in the foot, and, in spite of all that Orpheus and the nymphs could do, after a few hours of suffering, she died, and her spirit fled to the Underworld, where Pluto the king and Persephone his young queen ruled over those who had died and been carried to Hades.

Now indeed were the days darkened for Orpheus. After the death of his beloved wife, he was no more the same carefree person he used to be. Nothing, not even his beloved lyre, could drag him from the depths of sorrow into which he had fallen, and at length, despairing of ever finding happiness without Eurydice, he had a great but yet crazy idea: he decided to go to Underworld and try to get his wife back. Apollo, his father, would talk to the king of the Underworld, to accept him and hear his plea. Armed with his weapons, the lyre and voice, Orpheus approached Hades and demanded entry into the Underworld. Standing in front of the rulers of the dead, Orpheus said why he was there. He played his lyre and sang out to King Pluto and Queen Persephone that Eurydice was returned to him. Not even the most stone-hearted of people or Gods could have neglected the hurt in his voice. Pluto openly wept, Persephone's heart melted and even Cerberus, the gigantic three-headed hound guarding the entry to the Underworld, covered his many ears with his paws and howled in despair. The voice of Orpheus was so moving that Pluto promised to this desperate man that Eurydice would follow him to the Upper World, the world of the living. However, he warned Orpheus that for no reason must he look back while his wife was still in the dark, for that would undo everything he hoped for. He should wait for Eurydice to get into the light before he looked at her.

With great faith in his heart and joy in his song, Orpheus began his journey out of the Underworld, joyful that he would once again be reunited with his love. As Orpheus was reaching the exit of the Underworld, he could hear the footfalls of his wife approaching him. He wanted to turn around and hug her immediately but managed to control his feelings. As he was approaching the exit, his heart was beating faster and faster. The moment he stepped on the world of the living, he turned his head to hug his wife. Unfortunately, he got only a glimpse of Eurydice before she was once again drawn back into the Underworld, her arms stretching out toward him longingly but helplessly. Too late he remembered Pluto's words. When Orpheus turned his head, Eurydice was still in the dark, she hadn't seen the sun and, as the king had warned him, his sweet wife was drowned back to the dark world of the dead. Waves of anguish and despair swept over him and shuddering with grief he approached the Underworld again but this time, he was denied entry, the gates were standing shut and god Hermes, sent by Zeus, wouldn't let him in.

Orpheus had to return alone — but not to the happy valley. That, without his bride, he could not bear, and he retired to the hills alone, where, for a few months, the sad songs of his lute could be heard. The heart-broken musician was wandering disoriented, day after day, night after night, in total despair. He could find no consolation in anything. His songs were no more joyful but extremely sad. His only comfort was to lay on a huge rock and feel the caress of the breeze, his only vision were the open skies. Then that stopped, and no one knew what happened to Orpheus. Some say he was killed by a band of Thracian dancing-women because he would not play merry music to them — he whose heart had no joy left in it — but at the last he and his Eurydice were united for ever in the Kingdom of the Dead.

Reading Comprehension

l. The ending lines of Shakespeare’s poem “Orpheus” suggest that Orpheus’ sweet music is able to____.

A.bring sleep and deathB.get rid of worry and griefC.kill careD.fall asleep and die

(B. Fact: Paraphrase “Such art as killing care and grief of heart is in sweet music” line11-13)

Reading Comprehension

2. “Springing flowers” means_______.A. flowers in spring timeB. flowers by a mountain streamC. flowers that are coming outD. flowers that are jumping

(C. Fact: spring -- v. to come or to appear suddenly and quickly; when flowers come out, they open. )

Reading Comprehension

3. Eurydice was attacked by a ________.A.servant B. hound C. snake D. beast

C (Fact: Eurydice, treading unwittingly on a serpent, was bitten in the foot, … line 34 serpent -- n. literary a snake)

Reading Comprehension

4. Orpheus’ music was not powerful enough to__________.

A.move the three-headed hound B. move Queen Persephone C. make Pluto weep in front of him D. make Pluto agree to give Eurydice back without

any condition

( D. Fact: However, he warned Orpheus that for no reason must he look back while his wife was still in the dark, for that would undo everything he hoped for… line 55-58)

Reading Comprehension

5. The land of the dead can be named by the following terms except ______.

A. Underworld B. Pluto's realm C. Cerberus D. Hades

(C. Fact: …even Cerberus, the gigantic three-headed hound guarding the entry to the Underworld… line 51Underworld - line 36; Hades - line 37)

Reading Comprehension

6. On the return journey Orpheus lost Eurydice because _________.

A. he was impatient and looked backB. she wasn't following himC. Pluto went back on his wordD. he was frightened and looked back

(A. Fact: The moment he stepped on the world of the living, he turned his head to hug his wife…… line 65)

Reading Comprehension

7. Orpheus went away to the hills alone and stayed there for_________.

A. ever B. a few years C. a few months D. a few days

(C. Fact: Orpheus had to return alone — but not to the happy valley. That, without his bride, he could not bear, and he retired to the hills alone, where, for a few months… Line 76-78)

Reading Comprehension

8. It is said that some Thracian dancing-women killed Orpheus because__________.

A. he refused to play music B. he hated Thracian women C. he still loved Eurydice D. he refused to play happy music

(D . Fact: Some say he was killed by a band of Thracian dancing-women because he would not play merry music to them. line 85)

Word Search (p. 95-96) ripple a large sea wave mischief charmed hospitality a little wave on the surface of water billow naughty behavior by children enamored welcoming behavior

nymph a soldier band great pain suitor a goddess of nature anguish a man wishing to marry a particular woman

warrior a group of musicians

Vocabulary Building

crafty not wild hostile satisfied merry cunning tame unfriendlycontent cheerful

resume a strong feeling of fear, anxiety and hopelessness

gloom the time just before night despise to take again dismay to look down on with contempt dusk darkness

Semantic Variations (p.91-92)

1. C 2. A 3. B 4. A 5. A 6. C

Stems (p.92)1. tendency : movement or prevailing movement in a given direction2. conservative : favoring traditional views and values; tending to oppose change3. preserve : to keep in perfect or unaltered condition; to maintain unchanged4. valuable : of great importance5. available : present and ready for use; at hand; accessible6. prevail : to be most common or frequent; to be predominant

val / vail = worth; strength , 表示“价值;力量”value n. 价值;重要性 ( val=worth, ue 为名词后缀 )valueless a. 没有价值的valuable a. 贵重的;有价值的;有用的 invaluable a. 无法估价的,非常贵重的

available a. 可利用的,可使用的;可获得的 (a=to + vail=worth+ able 为形容词后缀→对某人有价值的)avail v. 有助于;有益于

prevail v. 占优势,战胜;普及,盛行 ( pre=beyond 超过 + vail= strength 力量超过,过强)prevailing a. 占优势的;普及的,流行的prevalent a. 普及的,流行的prevalence n. 普及,流行

serv = keep , 表示“保持”observe v. 遵守(规则等);庆祝(节日等);观察 ( ob 加强动作 +serve→ 一直保持→遵守,引申为观察) observation n. 观察,注意,监视observance n. (法律等的)遵守,奉行;庆祝

conserve v. 保存,维护 (con 全部 +serve→ 全部保持下来→保存 )conservation n. 保护,保存;管理 conservative a. 保守的; (n.) 保守主义者,保守党人 preserve v. 保护,保存;保持,维持 ( pre 预先 +serve→ 预先保留→保存)preservation n. 保存,保护

reserve v. 保留,预约( re再 +serve→ → 再留住 预定) reservation n. 预约,保留

tend/ tens= stretch , 表示“ 伸展,延伸 ”extend v. 扩展,扩大 (ex =out +tend=stretch→ 伸出去→扩张 )extensive a. 广大的;广泛的extension n. 延长,扩大

tend v. 看管,照料(把注意力伸向某人或某事); 倾向,趋向(伸向 --> )tendency n. 倾向,趋势 (tend 伸向 +ence 名词后缀 )

Antonyms (p.93)

1. forbid 2. clarify 3. sorrow 4. remain 5. conceal

Cloze (p. 93)name place arrows wandered powermischief won neglected celebrate expedition

Among the Olympian gods the one most widely worshipped was Apollo, son of Zeus and Leto. According to Greek mythology, Leto was driven by Hera from land to land until at last Poseidon took pity on her and brought the island of Delos out of water for her to live on. There she gave birth to the twins, Apollo and Artemis. Apollo was the sun-god. Dressed in a purple robe, he sat in his bright eastern palace at dawn and made ready to start his daily journey across the sky. During the day he rode in his carriage of gold and ivory, and brought light, life and love to the world below. At dusk he came to the end of his journey in the far western sea and got on his golden boat to return to his eastern palace. Apollo was the god of music and poetry. With his lyre of gold and his god-like voice he led the choir of the Muses at Olympus. The music from his lyre was so inspiring that stones marched into their places in rhythmic time. On one occasion, challenged to a contest by the mortal musician Marsyas, he first excelled him and then whipped him to death for his pride. On another occasion, he lost out to Pan at a musical contest and transformed the ears of the judge, King Midas, into those of an ass.

His son, Orpheus, inherited such skill from the father that his harp moved man and beast alike. Apollo represented youthful, manly beauty. His golden hair and stately manners combined to make him the admiration of the world. A fair maiden, by the name of Clytie, loved his beauty and glory so much that from dawn to dusk she knelt on the ground, her hands outstretched towards the sun-god, and her eyes gazing at his golden-wheeled carriage racing across the sky. Though her love was not returned she had never changed her mind about Apollo. The gods were moved at the maiden, and transformed her into a sunflower.

After the theft of fire, Zeus became increasingly unfriendly to men. One day he commanded his son Hephaestus to mold an image of a beautiful maiden out of clay and asked the gods and goddess to endow her with different kinds of gifts. Among other, Athena clothed her in a beautiful robe and Hermes gave her the power of telling lies. A charming young lady, she was the first woman that ever lived. Zeus called her Pandora, for she had received from each of the gods and goddesses a gift which was harmful to men. Zeus decided to send her down to men as a present. So Hermes the messenger brought her to Epimetheus(厄庇米修斯 ), brother of Prometheus ( 普罗米修斯〔因盗取天火给世人而被宙斯锁在山崖上,每日遭神鹰啄食肝脏,夜间伤口愈合,天明神鹰复来。但他始终坚毅不屈〕 ).

Pandora

The greatness of her beauty touched the hearts of all who looked upon her, and Epimetheus happily received her into his house. He had quite forgotten Prometheus' warning: never to accept anything from Zeus. The couple lived a happy life for some time. Then trouble came on to the human world. When he was busy with teaching men the art of living, Prometheus had left a big box to Epimetheus. He has warned his brother not to open the lid. Pandora was a curious woman, and had been feeling bitterly frustrated that her husband had repeatedly forbidden her to take a look at the contents of the box. One day, when Epimetheus was out, she lifted the lid and out from it came strife and war, plague and sickness, theft and violence, grief and sorrow, and all the other evils that the human world was to experience. Only hope stays within the box and never flew out. So men always have hope within their bosoms.

Echo (厄科) and Narcissus (纳西塞斯) Narcissus was a handsome youth. His lovely face and graceful form were the admiration of all who looked upon him. And he knew it. He was so vain that he thought no one but himself was worthy to see his youthful beauty. Thus given up to sweet thoughts of self, Narcissus avoided all company. He roamed the wooded valleys every day, madly in love with himself. 他很骄傲,认为除了自己之外,别人都不配欣赏他那充满青春气息的面庞。因而,他沉溺于甜美的自我欣赏之中,远离所有的人。在苍翠蓊郁的小山谷中终日闲逛,他成了一位自恋狂 When he was delightfully wandering through the woods one day, a wood nymph, Echo by name, caught sight of him. She fell in love with him at once. Joyfully gliding down towards Narcissus, she stretched out her loving arms. To her dismay, however, the young man roughly brushed her aside and went by without so much as a glance at her. The poor nymph blushed and quickly withdrew to a shady spot, following the object of her love with her longing eyes.她伸出爱的双臂,高兴地走向那西塞斯。然而,令她惊愕的是,这位青年粗暴地将她推开,连看都不看她一眼就走开了。这位可怜的仙女羞红了脸,迅速退到遮阴处,含情脉脉地凝望着心上人 。

Narcissus stopped to drink from a little stream. Kneeling down on the brink, he saw a lovely face in the clear water. His heart gave a ripple. He smiled and was smiled back to. Thinking that it must be a nymph in love with him, he bent down to kiss her. And her lips also drew near his. But as soon as he touched the clear surface the lovely face disappeared. The youth was now desperate. Never had he been despised like that before. Day and night, he stayed at the stream without drinking and eating. Before long he died, never suspecting that his nymph was none other than his own image in the water. The gods took pity on the fair corpse and turned it into a flower bearing his name. 。( narcissus 水仙花 , 自恋狂的英文是 narcissist )当他跪在岸边时,他发现清澈的溪水中有一张非常可爱的面庞。他非常激动,并对着水中的人微笑,水中人也给了他一个微笑。他认为,一定是一位仙女爱上了他。于是,他就蹲下去吻她,她的嘴唇也向他靠拢。但是,当他的嘴唇一接触清澈的溪水,水中那张可爱的脸就消失了。这位恼怒的青年人此时变得绝望了,他从未被人如此鄙视过。他日夜呆在溪边,不吃不喝,不久就死了。他从未怀疑过水中的女子只是自己的影子罢了。众神非常怜悯他那优美的躯体,把他变成了一朵同名的花。 Echo saw all this. Slowly she pined away for despised love, until at last nothing remained of her except her voice.她由于单相思而日渐憔悴;最后,除了声音之外,她已经一无所有。

Dionysus( 狄奥尼索斯 ) Dionysus is the god of the wine. He invented wine and spread the art of tending grapes. He has a dual nature(双重性格 ). On the one hand bringing joy and happiness, on the other hand brutal, unthinking and rage, thus reflecting both sides of wine’s nature. Dionysus is the son of Zeus and Semele. He is the only god to have a mortal parent. Hera was jealous and arranged for the Titans to kill him. The Titans tore him into pieces. However, Rhea brought him back to life. After this Zeus arranged for his protection. Dionysus was one of the most important gods in everyday life. He became associated with several key concepts. One was rebirth after death because of his return to life after being torn into pieces. The other is the idea that under the influence of wine, one could feel possessed by a greater power. Unlike the other gods Dionysus was not only outside his believers but also within them. At these times a man might be greater than himself and do works he otherwise could not.The festival for Dionysus is in the spring when the leaves begin to reappear on the vine. It became one of the most important events of the year. Its focus became the theater. Most of the great Greek plays were initially written to be performed at the feast of Dionysus. All who took part, writers, actors, spectators, were regarded as scared servants of Dionysus during the festival.

Poseidon Poseidon is the brother of Zeus. After the overthrow of their Father Cronus, he drew lots(抽签 ) with Zeus and Hades, another brother, for shares of the world. His prize was to become lord of the sea. He had a glittering, golden palace far down in the deep sea-caves where the fishes live and the red coral grows; and whenever he was angry the waves would rise mountain high, and the storm-winds would roar fearfully, and the sea would try to break over the land; and men called him the Shaker of the Earth. Once he fell in love with Demeter, the goddess of fertility, corn, grain, and the harvest. To put him off Demeter asked him to make the most beautiful animal that the world had ever seen. So to impress her Poseidon created the first horse. His first attempts were unsuccessful and created a variety of other animals. By the time the horse was created, his passion for Demeter had cooled. His weapon is a trident, which can shake the earth, and shatter any object. He is second only to Zeus in power amongst the gods. He has a difficult quarrelsome (爱吵架) personality. He was greedy. He had a series of disputes with other gods when he tried to take over their cities.

Poseidon was the first who came to Attica. He produced a sea or, as some say, just a well of sea-water. It was the evidence to show Poseidon’s possession of the land. But Athena, coming after him, planted an olive tree. They fought for the possession of Attica. But Zeus parted them and appointed the other gods and goddesses as judges, and they declared the city to Athena. Athena called the city Athens after herself but Poseidon, angry at the result, flooded Attica. However, some say that it was Zeus who appointed Athens to Athena and that Poseidon never flooded the country. There remained preserved a long time an olive tree and a pool of salt water which had been set there by Athena and Poseidon as evidences that they competed for the city.

The Return of Odysseus奥德修斯 ,伊塞卡国王 , 在特洛伊战中献木马计,里应外合攻破特洛伊。在率领同伴从特洛伊回国途中,历尽各种艰辛、危难,最后于第十年侥幸一人回到故土伊塔卡,同儿子特勒马科斯一起

,杀死纠缠他妻子的、挥霍他的家财的求婚者,合家团圆。 Odysseus was the king of the rocky island of Ithaca, where he lived with his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus. When Agamemnon asked the Greek princes to the war against Troy, Odysseus, to escape going, pretended to be mad, ploughing the sands and sowing salt. Palamedes, however, discovered the trick, for he placed Telemachus in the field and Odysseus turned the plough aside to save his infant son. In the Trojan War, it was by his plan of the wooden horse that Troy was captured. After the fall of Troy the Greek heroes returned home, but none suffered so many hardships as Odysseus. For ten years he had fought at Troy, but it was ten years more before he came to Ithaca. During this time he passed through the adventures which are recorded in Homer’s poem The Odyssey. You may have heard of him as Ulysses, the name by which he is known in Latin poetry.

Odysseus Hears Bad News on His Homecoming Odysseus was asleep when the Phaecians carried him ashore. He awoke to find himself lying under a tree with his gifts beside him. But he had been away from Ithaca so long that he did not recognize his own country. He was disappointed as he thought that again he was on a foreign coast, and that the Phaecians had deceived him. A youth approached and Odysseus asked the name of the place. “You are in Ithaca,” was the reply. “Who are you and where did you come from?” Overjoyed to find that he was in his own kingdom at last, Odysseus wanted to shout the glad news. But remembering his past experience, he decided that it was best not to trust the unknown youth. He pretended to be a traveler from Crete. His imagination created such interesting details that he became fascinated with his own story-telling and would have gone on and on had not a delighted laugh interrupted him. Before his surprised eyes, the youth seemed to disappear and the stately goddess Athena stood in his place.

“You need not use your trickery on me, Odysseus,” she laughed. “I have come to help you. It is not safe to return to your palace yet. It is filled with nobles who, believing you to be dead, have been urging your wife Penelope to marry one of them. For years they have eaten your food and ordered your servants about as if they were already masters of the house. If you were suddenly to appear among them, they would kill you.” “And my wife Penelope — tell me about her,” said Odysseus. “She is a wise queen, worthy of the clever Odysseus. Three years ago she told the suitors that she could not marry until she had woven a robe for your aged father. The work was never finished, for each night Penelope undid what she wove in the daytime. But the suitors discovered her trick and now are bolder than ever.” Odysseus’ face darkened with anger, but Athena was continuing. “Your son Telemachus is now on his way home from Sparta, where he went to seek news of you from King Menelaus. The suitors have set a trap to kill him before his ship reaches Ithaca. But I shall be there to bring him safely home. Tomorrow you shall see him.”

Odysseus Is Disguised as a Beggar

Then Athena gave Odysseus the form and clothes of an old and ugly beggar and sent him to the hut of his faithful swineherd Eumaeus. The old servant, who was always kind to strangers, receiving him hospitably and filled his ears with tales of the suitors and of their endless banqueting. “Unless Odysseus returns very soon,” he said, “there will be no flocks and herds left, for they are all being killed to feed those hateful nobles.” The next morning when Eumaeus was preparing breakfast, a handsome youth appeared at the doorway. “Telemachus!” The old swineherd held his young master in his arms. “I have feared for your life!” Tears sprang into Odysseus’s eyes at the sight of his son, and he turned away to hide them.

“Take the news of my homecoming to my mother,” sard Telemachus to Eumaeus, “but be careful that the suitors do not hear. I very narrowly escaped their attack and do not yet want them to know I have returned.” As the servant left, Odysseus saw Athena appearing outside the door. He went out and in an instant she had restored him to his own form. Tall and kingly, he re-entered the hut. Telemachus looked at him, puzzled. “I am your father Odysseus, home after twenty years.”Happy tears flooded their eyes as father and son embraced, and the eager questions could not be answered enough. But there was much to be done; together they worked out a plan to get rid of the suitors.

Odysseus Enters the Palace and Sees Penelope Resuming his beggar’s disguise, Odysseus went the next day with Eumaeus to the palace. As he came near the gate, his old hunting dog Argus pricked up his ears, wagged his tail, and tried to crawl a few inches toward him. His master had come home at last. With a long, happy sigh the dog put down his head and died. Odysseus entered the banquet hall and began to beg food from the noisy suitors. They laughed at his dirt and rags. Then, not content with words alone, one struck at him with a stool. Seeing this, Telemachus controlled himself and said: “You forget the laws of hospitality! Even a beggar deserves a better treatment than this!” The suitor whispered to the man beside him: “We’ll have to get rid of this young man soon; he becomes a bit troublesome.” Penelope came into the room. Odysseus’s heart sang. She was as fair as on that long-ago day when they had parted. Pityingly she looked at the beggar and told her servants to bring him food and a mat to lie on. Then the old nurse who had cared for Odysseus when he was a child came to wash his feet. Suddenly she gave a cry of joy, for she recognized a scar he had received from a wild pig when he was young. The cry was unheard above the noisy merrymaking of the suitors, and Odysseus said softly, “Do not reveal my secret; it is not yet time.”

Penelope Makes a Decision That night as Penelope lay in her bed, she decided sadly that she could no longer put off her suitors. Her son was grown now, old enough to be master of the palace; yet they pushed him aside like a child and he could do nothing because they were so many. If she were to marry one of them, the others would have to leave. Her husband must be dead or he would have returned by now. Weeping, she went to the storeroom where Odysseus’ treasures were kept. From the wall she took his bow and arrows, fingering lovingly the worn spots where his hands had been. In the morning when the suitors again assembled to resume their banqueting, Penelope came into the great hail carrying the bow and arrows. “I will marry whichever one of you can bend the bow of Odysseus and shoot an arrow through the holes of twelve axes set up one behind the other. My husband was able to do this easily.” Then she returned to her own room, unwilling to see the bow of her noble husband in the hands of men so worthless.

Odysseus Triumphs Once More The suitors leaped up noisily to try their skill, but not one of them could bend the bow. Then the old beggar said quietly, “Let me try.” The suitors broke into laughter. But the beggar picked up the bow and bent it. Then he sent an arrow flying through the twelve axes holes. He leaped to the doorway and his disguise fell from him. “Odysseus!” The cry broke from the nobles. His bow twanged again, and this time the target was one of the suitors. The other ran to seize the weapons that usually hung on the wall, but Telemachus had removed them before the contest. When his arrows were gone, Odysseus’s sword — brought to his side by Telemachus — flashed through the hall until every suitor lay dead. Odysseus had fought the Trojan warriors, the monsters and tricksters of the islands, and the enemies in his own palace. Now at last he could put aside his sword and live in happy peace with Telemachus and the lovely Penelope.

Key to Section B: (p. 94-97)1. C 2. C 3. A 4. C 5. D 6. T 7. T 8. F9. F 10.F 11.T 12.T 13.B 14. B 15.C

Key to Section C: (p. 98-100)1. C 2. A 3. D 4. B 5. A 6. D 7. C 8. C