Cruz Odyssey

Trojan War

Nov 5, 1200

The Trojan War started when Paris of Troy stole Helen from Menelaus, the king of Sparta, leading all the Greek kings, including Odysseus, to sail to Troy for a ten-year battle. Odysseus, known for his cleverness, came up with the Trojan Horse trick, allowing Greek soldiers to sneak into Troy and win the war. While the other Greeks headed home, Odysseus faced a cursed journey because the gods were angry with him. This shows how the Trojan War was just the beginning of his troubles.

Trojan War (Analysis)

Nov 5, 1200

In this event, we learned that Odysseus is not like other Greek men. We learn that Odysseus is intelligent and clever, as he fooled a whole army of Trojans. Although Odysseus and his men came out victorious, the journey back home would be long and rigorous. This also shows us how Odysseus and his men gained popularity among the gods.

Lotus-Eaters

Nov 8, 1200

In The Odyssey, Odysseus and his men land on an island where people called the Lotus Eaters reside. The Lotus Eaters offers some lotus to Odysseus’s men.They try the lotus and lose all desire to go home. Odysseus has to drag them back to the ship by force so they can keep moving.

Lotus-Eaters (Analysis)

Nov 8, 1200

The Lotus Eaters shows us for the first time how naive and gullible Odysseus' men can be. Odysseus' men ate the lotus they were given as a gift, not even wondering if the lotus could be poisoned or tampered with. Odysseus is shown as a great leader during this event. This event also shows us for the first time how Odysseus will have to constantly save and rescue his men.

Cyclops

Nov 11, 1200

On their way home from the Trojan War, Odysseus and his men encounter the cyclops Polyphemus while seeking food and shelter. Polyphemus traps them in his cave and begins eating them one by one. Odysseus tricks Polyphemus by getting him drunk and telling him his name is Nobody. After blinding the cyclops, they escape by hiding under his sheep as they leave the cave. Once back on his ship, Odysseus reveals his true name, prompting Polyphemus to curse him through his father, Poseidon.

Cyclops (Analysis)

Nov 11, 1200

When Odysseus and his men meet Polyphemus, we see Odysseus' bravery and cunning to get him and his men out of their situation. If Odysseus didn't come up with his plan, his journey would've ended there. While Odysseus shows us his pros, he also shows us his cons during this event as well. We see how cocky Odysseus can get when he revealed himself to Polyphemus. Odysseus could've made it back home earlier if he wasn't so smug about beating Polyphemus.

Aeolus - Bag of Wind

Nov 13, 1200

Odysseus and his crew received a special bag of winds from Aeolus, the god of the winds, to help them sail back to Ithaca. The bag contained all the bad winds, and only the west wind was meant to be released. Odysseus kept the bag a secret from his men. While Odysseus slept, his men opened the bag, releasing the winds and blowing them back to Aeolus’s island. Aeolus refused to help them again, believing they were cursed by the gods.

Aeolus - Bag of Wind (Analysis)

Nov 13, 1200

This event shows how curiosity got the better of Odysseus' men. Odysseus kept the bag away from his men for a reason, assuming they would open the bag. And as Odysseus predicted, his men opened the bag thinking it contained valuables. This event also showed how Odysseus and his men need to have better trust with each other. Odysseus and his men will have to go through many other obstacles if they don't try to change their flaws.

Circe (Analysis)

Nov 15, 1200

This event is significant for Odysseus because he stays calm and uses strategy instead of acting recklessly. Interestingly, Circe, who starts as a threat, becomes an ally, showing how dangerous figures in Greek mythology can often be turned into helpers. Ultimately, this event tests Odysseus’s cleverness and his ability to use divine help to his advantage.

Circe

Nov 15, 1200

In The Odyssey, Odysseus and his crew land on Aeaea, where the sorceress Circe lives. She tricks some of the men with enchanted food, turning them into pigs. Odysseus, with help from Hermes and a magical herb, resists her magic and confronts her. Circe turns the men back and even helps Odysseus, hosting them on her island for a year. Eventually, she gives him advice for the rest of his journey, and they sail away.

Sirens

Nov 18, 1200

In The Odyssey, Odysseus and his crew sail past the Sirens, whose beautiful songs lure sailors to their doom. To stay safe, he orders his men to plug their ears with beeswax and tie him to the ship so he can hear the song without risking their lives. When the Sirens sing, Odysseus is enchanted and begs to be untied, but his crew follows orders and keeps rowing. They eventually sail out of range, and everyone survives. Odysseus is shaken but impressed by the Sirens’ power.

Sirens (Analysis)

Nov 18, 1200

This event shows how loyal and how determined Odysseus men are in the Odyssey. Odysseus fell under the Sirens spell when they sang, and begged for his men to untie him. While they could've obeyed him and untied him, they chose to follow Odysseus' first order and keep him tied. This shows how much Odysseus' men care about him, and how they were brave during this event.

Scylla and Charybdis

Nov 18, 1200

In The Odyssey, Odysseus and his crew face Scylla, a six-headed monster, and Charybdis, a deadly whirlpool. Odysseus decides to steer closer to Scylla to avoid losing the entire ship to Charybdis. He doesn’t warn his men about Scylla, knowing it would cause panic. As they pass, Scylla snatches and eats six of his men. It’s a heartbreaking moment, but they manage to survive and continue their journey.

Scylla and Charybdis (Analysis)

Nov 18, 1200

This event shows how Odysseus cares about his men. Odysseus could've told his men about Scylla and Charybdis, but he decided not to for the sake of the ship and their lives. Odysseus' men would've went into panic if they found out about the dangers that were up ahead. This event also shows how brave Odysseus is to go through Scylla and Charybdis. His leadership was needed to encourage his men to fight through the tough and scary times as well.

Helios' Cattle

Nov 19, 1200

In The Odyssey, Odysseus and his men land on Thrinacia, where Helios' sacred cattle live. Despite warnings not to touch the cows, Odysseus' men kills and eats them when they get stranded and run out of food. Helios gets furious and demands Zeus punish them, threatening to stop shining if he doesn’t. Zeus strikes their ship with a lightning bolt, killing everyone except Odysseus. It’s a big lesson about respecting the gods and resisting temptation, which Odysseus' men failed to do.

Helios' Cattle (Analysis)

Nov 19, 1200

This event shows us how Odysseus' men fails him once again. Despite Odysseus telling them not to eat the cattle, they do anyway. This might be Odysseus' men losing faith in Odysseus and they might've not trusted Odysseus anymore. A more likely reason Odysseus' men did this because they were extremely hungry and they ran out of food (which they did). Even though they were starving, they should've waited because not long after they were back at sea again. But unfortunately, they met their end.

Suitors/Home

Nov 19, 1200

In The Odyssey, Odysseus returns home after years away to find his palace overrun by suitors trying to marry his wife, Penelope. Disguised as a beggar, he observes their behavior and plans his revenge with his son, Telemachus. During a contest to string his bow and shoot an arrow through axe heads, Odysseus reveals himself by succeeding where the suitors fail. He then kills all the suitors in a brutal fight with Telemachus and a few loyal allies. In the end, Odysseus reclaims his home at last.

Suitors/Home

Nov 19, 1200

This event shows us how loyal Penelope and Odysseus' servants are. The Suitors only came to Penelope because Odysseus was gone, and they were basically using her. We see how loyal Odysseus' servants are when they are happy to see him again when he reveals himself to his servants. Penelope is also shown to be loyal because she was waiting on him to come back. Odysseus is shown to be loyal to Penelope as well because Penelope was one of the main reasons he wanted to come back home.