Book VII Quiz — The Odyssey

How does Minerva (Athena) disguise herself when she guides Ulysses to the palace?

• An old beggar woman
• A little girl carrying a pitcher
• A Phaeacian soldier
• A priestess of Neptune

Why does Minerva advise Ulysses to seek out Queen Arete first?

• Because Alcinous is away at war
• Because Arete is more easily deceived
• Because Arete holds extraordinary influence and can help him get home
• Because custom requires women to receive guests first

What craftsman god created the gold and silver mastiffs guarding Alcinous's palace?

• Apollo
• Neptune
• Vulcan (Hephaestus)
• Mercury

What remarkable quality do the gardens of Alcinous possess?

• They are tended by invisible servants
• Their fruit never rots and grows year-round
• They change color with the seasons
• They produce golden fruit

Who urges Alcinous to raise Ulysses from the hearth and offer him proper hospitality?

• Queen Arete
• Nausicaa
• The elder Echeneus
• Pontonous the servant

How long does Ulysses say he was held on Calypso's island?

• Three years
• Five years
• Seven years
• Ten years

What does Alcinous offer Ulysses beyond safe passage home?

• Command of a Phaeacian warship
• Marriage to his daughter Nausicaa and an estate
• A treasure of gold and silver
• A position as royal advisor

Why does Ulysses claim he traveled separately from Nausicaa?

• He says he got lost along the way
• He says he wanted to explore the city first
• He says he was ashamed and afraid of displeasing the king
• He says Nausicaa ordered him to wait

Did Ulysses reveal his true name and identity to Alcinous and Arete in Book VII?

Did Alcinous speculate that Ulysses might be a god visiting in disguise?

In the context of Book VII, what is a "suppliant"?

• A merchant offering trade goods
• A person humbly begging for help or mercy
• A foreign diplomat on official business
• A priest performing a sacrifice

When Ulysses calls an empty stomach "importunate," he means it is:

• Unimportant and trivial
• Persistent and demanding of attention
• Painful and debilitating
• Shameful and embarrassing

What is a "hecatomb" as mentioned by Alcinous?

• A royal banquet hall
• A large sacrificial offering to the gods
• A type of ancient Greek warship
• A tomb for fallen heroes