525) point out that the term is used to refer to all of Odysseus' subjects, but specifically residents of an island west of Ithaca that is part of his kingdom.Ĭreon king of Thebes, successor to Oedipus.Ĭrete an island in the Mediterranean off the southeastern coast of Greece.Ĭronus a primordial god who ruled the world until dethroned by his son Zeus.Ĭyprus an island in the Mediterranean off southern Turkey.Ĭythera a Greek island located between the Peloponnesus and Crete.ĭam the female parent of any four-legged animal.ĭionysus god of wine for whom a cult is named, celebrating the power and fertility of nature.Įchetus a mainland Greek king known for his cruelty.Įlis a region in the northwestern Peloponnesus near Pylos.Įthiopians the people of Ethiopia, an empire in eastern Africa.įathom a unit of length equal to six feet, used to measure the depth of water.įlotilla a small fleet of ships or small boats.

Achaeans here, a collective name for all Greeks, including Ithacans.Īchilles famed warrior, hero of Homer's Iliad.Ījax (4.560) the Greek warrior whose offense at Athena's temple resulted in Odysseus' wanderings not to be confused with the Great Ajax, whom Odysseus defeated in the contest for Achilles' armor.Īmbrosia food of the gods, thought to grant immortality.Īphrodite goddess of love and beauty, daughter of Zeus.Īpollo god of archery and patron of the arts.Īrgos here, a region in the northeastern Peloponnesus.Īrtemis virgin goddess of the hunt and moon, twin sister of Apollo.īellwether a ram, usually castrated, that wears a bell around its neck and is followed by the other sheep.īuckler a small, usually round shield that is carried or worn on the arm or shoulder.Ĭauconians people living to the southwest of Pylos.Ĭentaur a mythological creature that is part man, part horse.Ĭephallenians Fagles and Knox (p.

The Odyssey by Homer