Book X Quiz — The Odyssey

What does Aeolus place inside the oxhide bag he gives to Odysseus?

• Gold and silver treasures
• All the unfavorable winds
• Magical herbs and potions
• Provisions for the voyage

Why does Odysseus fall asleep on the tenth day of sailing from Aeolia?

• Circe casts a sleeping spell on him
• He has steered the ship without rest for nine days
• The crew drugs his wine
• Aeolus commands the winds to lull him

How does Odysseus's ship survive the Laestrygonian attack when the other eleven ships are destroyed?

• Athena protects it with a shield of mist
• It is faster than the other ships
• Odysseus anchored it outside the harbor entrance
• The crew fights off the giants with arrows

What animals surround Circe's palace, and how do they behave toward Odysseus's men?

• Fierce serpents that attack immediately
• Wolves and lions that fawn and wag their tails
• Wild boars that charge and gore intruders
• Enchanted birds that sing warnings

Which god gives Odysseus the herb moly?

• Athena
• Apollo
• Hermes (Mercury)
• Poseidon

What must Odysseus do immediately after Circe strikes him with her wand, according to Hermes's instructions?

• Recite a prayer to Athena
• Drink an antidote potion
• Draw his sword and rush at her as if to kill her
• Throw the moly herb at her feet

Where does Circe tell Odysseus he must journey before he can sail home to Ithaca?

• The island of the Cyclopes
• The land of the Lotus-Eaters
• Mount Olympus to seek Zeus's pardon
• The House of Hades to consult the prophet Teiresias

How does Elpenor die?

• He is killed by the Laestrygonians
• He drowns while swimming to shore
• He falls from the roof of Circe's house while drunk
• He is struck down by one of Circe's enchantments

True or false: Odysseus's men retain their human minds after Circe transforms them into pigs.

True or false: Eurylochus eagerly follows Odysseus back to Circe's palace to rescue the transformed men.

In the text, Odysseus says he climbed a rock "to reconnoitre." What does reconnoitre mean?

• To build a signal fire
• To make a preliminary survey of an area
• To pray to the gods for guidance
• To set up a defensive position

When Odysseus and his men return to Aeolus, they sit "as suppliants on the threshold." What are suppliants?

• Armed guards demanding entry
• Merchants offering trade goods
• People humbly begging for help or mercy
• Honored guests invited to a feast

Circe instructs Odysseus to bend the sacrificial animals' heads "towards Erebus." What is Erebus?

• A sacred mountain on Ithaca
• The throne room of Zeus on Olympus
• The deep darkness of the underworld
• A river that grants immortality