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THE ODYSSEY • QUIZ

The Odyssey — Books 1–4 Quiz

A ready-to-use 10-question reading quiz covering Books 1–4 of Homer’s Odyssey, including Athena’s guidance, Telemachus’s growing independence, the suitors, and his visits to Nestor and Menelaus. Includes a free printable student PDF for classroom use.

By Richer Resources Publications Resources Editors

 
Name: ____________________________________________     Date: ____________________ 

Directions: Choose the best answer for each question. Each question is worth 1 point. Total: 10 points. 


1. When Athena first visits Ithaca in Book 1, whose identity does she assume when speaking with Telemachus? 

A. Mentor 
B. Mentes 
C. Nestor 
D. Menelaus 

2. What is the main problem Telemachus faces in his household at the beginning of the poem? 

A. Trojan soldiers have occupied the palace. 
B. The suitors are consuming his household's resources while courting Penelope. 
C. Laertes has seized control of the estate. 
D. Penelope has ordered Telemachus to leave Ithaca. 

3. What journey does Athena urge Telemachus to make in order to seek news of Odysseus? 

A. To Troy and Crete 
B. To Delphi and Athens 
C. To Pylos and Sparta 
D. To Argos and Thebes 

4. At the Ithacan assembly in Book 2, who blames Penelope for delaying the suitors and describes her deception involving the burial shroud? 

A. Antinous 
B. Halitherses 
C. Mentor 
D. Phemius 

5. What does Telemachus announce that he intends to do after confronting the suitors in the assembly? 

A. Challenge Antinous to single combat 
B. Send Penelope back to her father's house 
C. Leave Ithaca to seek information about Odysseus 
D. Surrender the palace to the suitors 

6. Whom does Telemachus visit in Pylos in Book 3 to ask about his father's fate and the return of the Achaeans from Troy? 

A. Agamemnon 
B. Nestor 
C. Menelaus 
D. Proteus 

7. In Book 3, Athena accompanies Telemachus in the form and voice of which trusted companion of Odysseus? 

A. Mentor 
B. Eumaeus 
C. Peisistratus 
D. Halitherses 

8. Who accompanies Telemachus from Pylos to Sparta? 

A. Antinous 
B. Laertes 
C. Peisistratus 
D. Phemius 

9. What story does Helen tell in Sparta to illustrate Odysseus's courage and cunning during the Trojan War? 

A. He entered Troy disguised as a beggar. 
B. He defeated Achilles in a chariot race. 
C. He escaped Troy by swimming across the Hellespont. 
D. He captured Priam and released him for ransom. 

10. What do the suitors plan near the end of Book 4 after learning that Telemachus has sailed away? 

A. They decide to abandon their courtship of Penelope. 
B. They prepare an ambush to kill Telemachus on his return. 
C. They sail to Sparta to bring Telemachus home. 
D. They ask Nestor to mediate their dispute. 


Teacher Use Note 
This quiz is intended for use after students complete Books 1-4. It focuses on major characters, events, and the development of Telemachus rather than minor details. The questions are aligned to the opening four books of the Richer Resources Publications edition of Ian Johnston's translation. 

Free Printable PDF 

Teachers may download a free, print-ready student PDF of this quiz for classroom use. The downloadable version includes space for a name and date and does not include the answer key. 

Downloads

The Odyssey — Books 1–4 Quiz

Teacher Answer Key

Available free to educators by email.

Explore The Odyssey Explore The Odyssey Abridged

Filed under

Teaching the Classics Homer & the Epic Tradition The Odyssey Greek Mythology Quizzes

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