Book 19 Eurycleia Recognises Odysseus

• What does Odysseus tell Telemachus to do at the start of Book 19?


  To hide all the weapons and armour
• What does Telemachus tell Eurycleia to do at the start of Book 19?

  To keep the women locked away in their quarters
• How does Athene help Odysseus and Telemachus hide the weapons and armour?

  She walks in front of them carrying a golden lamp~
• Who does Homer compare Penelope to in Book 19?

  Artemis and Aphrodite
• How does Penelope help beggar Odysseus?

  She scolds Melantho for insulting him
• How did Penelope trick the Suitors?

  By telling them that she was weaving Laertes' death shroud and secretly unravelling it every night for 3 years. Athene put the idea into her head to do this
• How does Homer demonstrate Odysseus's storytelling ability in Book 19?

  By having Odysseus's lies sound so convincing that Penelope was moved to tears by his fake story
• What does beggar Odysseus tell Penelope?

  That Odysseus is alive and is heading back to Ithaca, bringing a large fortune with him
• Who does beggar Odysseus say he wants to wash his feet?

  An old and trusty woman rather than any of the younger maids
• What does Eurycleia observe about beggar Odysseus?


  How similar he is to Odysseus
• How does Eurycleia recognise the beggar to be Odysseus?

  By a scar on his thigh from a boar that Odysseus had hunted
• Who was Autolycus?


  Odysseus's grandfather, who was favoured by Hermes
• How does Athene prevent Penelope from finding out that the beggar is Odysseus?

  By distracting her when Eurycleia finds out
• What was Odysseus's response to Eurycleia finding out he wasn't a beggar?

  He threatens to kill her if she tells anyone else
• What does Penelope say happened in her dream?

  An eagle came and killed 20 geese, representing Odysseus returning home and killing the Suitors
• How does Penelope say she will test the Suitors?

  She will marry whoever can string Odysseus's bow and fire it through 12 axes