Before you begin the Odyssey, read the story of the Trojan War in Hamilton's Mythology. This will give you the story in the order in which it happened and familiarize you with the names of the principle characters.
Look at your map of the Ancient World. Locate Greece
(Greeks are also called Akhaians); locate and mark
Troy, Argos (home of Agamemnon), Sparta (also called
Lakedaimon, home of Menelaos), Pylos (home of Nestor),
and Ithaka. Use your map as you read.
As you read the first four books, ask yourself why
Odysseus the hero does not appear until the fifth
book. (The first four books are sometimes referred to
as the Telemachiad.)
Book One
Pay attention to the epic invocation. What is a muse? What particular attributes of the hero, Odysseus, does Homer use to characterize him in the opening lines? Why? Why is the poem called a song? What gods are friendly to Odysseus? Which one is his enemy? (Look up the gods in Hamilton as you come to them.) Why is he a particularly dangerous enemy to Odysseus?
Zeus makes some fundamental statements in his opening speech about the relationships of gods and men. (The story of Agamemnon's homecoming is told in the House of Atreus section of Hamilton, pp. 240 ff.) What kind of relationship does he describe?
How is Telemakhos first described? What is life like in the home of Odysseus? What part does Telemakhos play in it? What does Telemakhos's treatment of "Mentes" say about his character? What does Athena do for Telemakhos in Book 1? What does the modern English word "mentor" mean? Why?
Book Two
What does Athena do for Telemakhos at the beginning of Book 2? What is the point of having Telemakhos call an assembly? How well does he present himself? What confirmation do we have that his claim is right? Why does Telemakhos decide to make a journey? to where?
Are all the suitors alike? do they all look at things the same way? How many of them are there? who is their "leader"? How does Penelope deal with them?
How does Athena help Telemakhos prepare for his journey?
Book Three
What are the men of Pylos doing when Telemakhos arrives? How does Telemakhos learn to conduct himself in the proper way (the way the son of a hero and ruler would) at the courts of Nestor and Menelaos?
How does Nestor's household differ from Telemakhos's own? How is the hospitality offered at Pylos similar to that offered to "Mentes" at Ithaka? How is it different?
Why is it important for Telemakhos to meet, talk to, and listen to Nestor? Why does Athena leave Nestor and Telemakhos the way she does? How does Nestor interpret the manner of her departure?
What is Telemakhos's mode of transportation from Pylos to Sparta?
Book Four
What is going on when Telemakhos arrives in Sparta? Why is Menelaos angry with Eteoneus? Who is Menelaos? What relation is he to Agamemnon?
How does the court of Menelaos differ from the two courts you have already read about (be specific)? Why does Telemakhos not identify himself on arrival?
Is Menelaos a happy man? Why? Why did he not return home directly from the Trojan War? What was the result of his adventures? What does the modern English word "protean" mean? Why? What message of hope does Menelaos give Telemakhos?
What do you think of Eurykleia's actions in regard to her mistress? How does Athena help Penelope in her hour of sorrow? What are the suitors planning?
What is a "hekatomb?" a "libation?"