Book XX Quiz — The Odyssey

What does Odysseus sleep on in the entrance hall at the beginning of Book XX?

• A feather bed prepared by Penelope
• An undressed bullock's hide with sheepskins
• A wooden bench with linen blankets
• A pile of straw in the servants' quarters

What memory does Odysseus use to calm his anger at the disloyal maidservants?

• His separation from Penelope on the day he left for Troy
• His near-drowning during the storm sent by Poseidon
• His survival in the Cyclops's cave when his men were eaten
• His years of captivity on Calypso's island

What does Athena promise Odysseus during her nighttime visit?

• That Penelope will recognize him in the morning
• That even fifty bands of enemies could not defeat them together
• That the suitors will leave voluntarily at dawn
• That Zeus will strike the suitors with lightning

Who interprets Zeus's thunderclap as an omen inside the house?

• Euryclea the nurse
• Penelope from her chamber
• A miller-woman grinding grain
• Telemachus at the threshold

Why does Amphinomus tell the suitors to abandon their plot against Telemachus?

• He is secretly loyal to Odysseus's family
• An eagle carrying a dove flies past on their left, an ill omen
• Athena appears and warns him directly
• Telemachus confronts them with armed guards

What does Telemachus threaten to do to Ctesippus?

• Have him banished from Ithaca
• Run him through with his spear
• Report him to the council of elders
• Challenge him to a formal duel

How do the suitors react to Theoclymenus's prophecy?

• They are terrified and begin to leave
• They laugh and Eurymachus suggests throwing him into the street
• They consult another prophet for a second opinion
• They attack Theoclymenus and drive him from the hall

Did Penelope recognize Odysseus during Book XX?

Did Odysseus receive omens confirming his plan would succeed?

In Book XX, what does "hecatomb" refer to?

• A massive funeral pyre
• A large-scale animal sacrifice to the gods
• A fortified defensive wall
• A type of ancient Greek warship

When Homer describes Odysseus smiling "Sardinian fashion," what kind of smile does this indicate?

• A warm, welcoming smile
• A grim, mocking, or sardonic smile
• A confused, uncertain smile
• A triumphant, victorious smile

What does "gainsay" mean as used in Book XX?

• To praise or support
• To deny, contradict, or speak against
• To repeat or emphasize
• To forgive or pardon