The Odyssey: Terms to Know

What is the term for a civil and religious code of conduct for guests and hosts in ancient Greece?

• kudos

• xenia

• arete

• myth

Fill in the blank: In ancient Greece, a person who would sing lengthy poems from memory is called a ________.

• rhapsode.

• prophet.

• hero.

• muse.

What does the Latin expression 'in medias res' mean?

• in the middle of things

• at the beginning

• at the end

• in a circle

Fill in the blank: A long narrative poem that tells the adventures of a hero and conveys the values of the hero’s civilization is called an ________.

• epic

• sonnet

• myth

• limerick

Who are the Greek goddesses who inspired the arts?

• muses

• myths

• epithets

• rhapsodes

Fill in the blank: A traditional story explaining some natural or social phenomenon, typically involving supernatural beings or events, is called a ________.

• myth

• adventure

• epic

• romance

What is the term for a group of words regularly used to characterize a person or thing?

• myth

• epithet

• simile

• epic

What is the title of the epic of the war between the Greeks and Trojans?

• The Iliad

• The Odyssey

• The Aeneid

• The Argonautica

In The Odyssey, what was the so-called gift that the Greeks gave the Trojans near the end of the Trojan War?

• the Trojan Horse

• a golden apple

• a peace treaty

• a large ship

What is the title of the epic of Odysseus’ journey home from Troy to Ithaca after the Trojan War?

• The Odyssey

• The Iliad

• The Aeneid

• The Argonautica