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Odysseus, the Hero of Ithaca Adapted from
Odysseus, the Hero of Ithaca Adapted from

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of Odysseus, the Hero of Ithaca Adapted from is here in full — 86 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Odysseus, the Hero of Ithaca Adapted from
Context Illustration Reading 1/17 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
ODYSSEUS CONVERSES WITH HIS MOTHER AND AGAMEMNON "When Tiresias had gone, my mother came back to the dark trench and drank of the blood.
She knew me at once and cried out: 'Oh, my child, how didst thou ever come down to this gloomy place alive?
Art thou on thy way home from Troy?
And hast thou not seen Ithaca yet, nor thy wife and child?'
"I answered her: 'Dear mother, I was compelled to come down here in order to consult the soul of the prophet Tiresias about my return; for I have not yet touched foot to Grecian soil.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Odysseus, the Hero of Ithaca Adapted from

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of Odysseus, the Hero of Ithaca Adapted from is here in full — 86 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/17 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
ODYSSEUS CONVERSES WITH HIS MOTHER AND AGAMEMNON "When Tiresias had gone, my mother came back to the dark trench and drank of the blood.
Line 2
She knew me at once and cried out: 'Oh, my child, how didst thou ever come down to this gloomy place alive?
Line 3
Art thou on thy way home from Troy?
/ɑːrt ðaʊ ɑːn ðaɪ weɪ hoʊm frʌm trɔɪ/
Line 4
And hast thou not seen Ithaca yet, nor thy wife and child?'
/ənd hæst ðaʊ nɑːt siːn ˈɪθəkə jet nɔːr ðaɪ waɪf ənd tʃaɪld/
Line 5
"I answered her: 'Dear mother, I was compelled to come down here in order to consult the soul of the prophet Tiresias about my return; for I have not yet touched foot to Grecian soil.

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

agamemnon noun US /ˌæɡəˈmemnɑːn/

(Greek mythology) the king who lead the Greeks against Troy in the Trojan War

From this reading “ODYSSEUS CONVERSES WITH HIS MOTHER AND AGAMEMNON "When Tiresias had gone, my mother came back to the dark trench and drank of the blood.”

converses noun US /ˈkɑːnvərsəz/

plural of “converse” — a proposition obtained by conversion

From this reading “ODYSSEUS CONVERSES WITH HIS MOTHER AND AGAMEMNON "When Tiresias had gone, my mother came back to the dark trench and drank of the blood.”

didst auxiliary verb US /dɪdst/

an old form of “did”, used with “thou”

From this reading “She knew me at once and cried out: 'Oh, my child, how didst thou ever come down to this gloomy place alive?”

Grecian adjective US /ˈɡriːʃən/

of or relating to or characteristic of Greece or the Greeks or the Greek language

From this reading “"I answered her: 'Dear mother, I was compelled to come down here in order to consult the soul of the prophet Tiresias about my return; for I have not yet touched foot to Grecian soil.”

Ithaca noun US /ˈɪθəkə/

a college town in central New York on Lake Cayuga

From this reading “And hast thou not seen Ithaca yet, nor thy wife and child?'”

odysseus noun US /oʊˈdɪsiəs/

(Greek mythology) a famous mythical Greek hero; his return to Ithaca after the siege of Troy was described in the Odyssey

From this reading “ODYSSEUS CONVERSES WITH HIS MOTHER AND AGAMEMNON "When Tiresias had gone, my mother came back to the dark trench and drank of the blood.”

trench noun US /trentʃ/

a ditch dug as a fortification having a parapet of the excavated earth

From this reading “ODYSSEUS CONVERSES WITH HIS MOTHER AND AGAMEMNON "When Tiresias had gone, my mother came back to the dark trench and drank of the blood.”

Troy noun US /trɔɪ/

a system of weights used for precious metals and gemstones; based on a 12-ounce pound and an ounce of 480 grains

From this reading “Art thou on thy way home from Troy?”

All words in this reading · 74

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading "I answered her: 'Dear mother, I was compelled to come down here in order to consult the soul of the prophet Tiresias about my return; for I have not yet touched foot to Grecian soil.

AGAMEMNONnounUS /ˌæɡəˈmemnɑːn/

(Greek mythology) the king who lead the Greeks against Troy in the Trojan War

From this reading ODYSSEUS CONVERSES WITH HIS MOTHER AND AGAMEMNON "When Tiresias had gone, my mother came back to the dark trench and drank of the blood.

aliveadjectiveUS /əˈlaɪv/

possessing life

From this reading She knew me at once and cried out: 'Oh, my child, how didst thou ever come down to this gloomy place alive?

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading ODYSSEUS CONVERSES WITH HIS MOTHER AND AGAMEMNON "When Tiresias had gone, my mother came back to the dark trench and drank of the blood.

answeredverbUS /ˈænsərd/

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading "I answered her: 'Dear mother, I was compelled to come down here in order to consult the soul of the prophet Tiresias about my return; for I have not yet touched foot to Grecian soil.

Artauxiliary verbUS /ɑːrt/

an old form of “are”, used with “thou”

From this reading Art thou on thy way home from Troy?

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading She knew me at once and cried out: 'Oh, my child, how didst thou ever come down to this gloomy place alive?

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading ODYSSEUS CONVERSES WITH HIS MOTHER AND AGAMEMNON "When Tiresias had gone, my mother came back to the dark trench and drank of the blood.

bloodnounUS /blʌd/

The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.

From this reading ODYSSEUS CONVERSES WITH HIS MOTHER AND AGAMEMNON "When Tiresias had gone, my mother came back to the dark trench and drank of the blood.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading ODYSSEUS CONVERSES WITH HIS MOTHER AND AGAMEMNON "When Tiresias had gone, my mother came back to the dark trench and drank of the blood.

childnounUS /tʃaɪld/

a young person of either sex

From this reading She knew me at once and cried out: 'Oh, my child, how didst thou ever come down to this gloomy place alive?

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading She knew me at once and cried out: 'Oh, my child, how didst thou ever come down to this gloomy place alive?

compelledverbUS /kəmˈpeld/

inflected form of “compel” — force somebody to do something

From this reading "I answered her: 'Dear mother, I was compelled to come down here in order to consult the soul of the prophet Tiresias about my return; for I have not yet touched foot to Grecian soil.

consultverbUS /kənˈsʌlt/

get or ask advice from

From this reading "I answered her: 'Dear mother, I was compelled to come down here in order to consult the soul of the prophet Tiresias about my return; for I have not yet touched foot to Grecian soil.

CONVERSESnounUS /ˈkɑːnvərsəz/

plural of “converse” — a proposition obtained by conversion

From this reading ODYSSEUS CONVERSES WITH HIS MOTHER AND AGAMEMNON "When Tiresias had gone, my mother came back to the dark trench and drank of the blood.

criedverbUS /kraɪd/

inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading She knew me at once and cried out: 'Oh, my child, how didst thou ever come down to this gloomy place alive?

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading ODYSSEUS CONVERSES WITH HIS MOTHER AND AGAMEMNON "When Tiresias had gone, my mother came back to the dark trench and drank of the blood.

DearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading "I answered her: 'Dear mother, I was compelled to come down here in order to consult the soul of the prophet Tiresias about my return; for I have not yet touched foot to Grecian soil.

didstauxiliary verbUS /dɪdst/

an old form of “did”, used with “thou”

From this reading She knew me at once and cried out: 'Oh, my child, how didst thou ever come down to this gloomy place alive?

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading She knew me at once and cried out: 'Oh, my child, how didst thou ever come down to this gloomy place alive?

drankverbUS /dræŋk/

inflected form of “drink” — take in liquids

From this reading ODYSSEUS CONVERSES WITH HIS MOTHER AND AGAMEMNON "When Tiresias had gone, my mother came back to the dark trench and drank of the blood.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading She knew me at once and cried out: 'Oh, my child, how didst thou ever come down to this gloomy place alive?

footnounUS /fʊt/

the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading "I answered her: 'Dear mother, I was compelled to come down here in order to consult the soul of the prophet Tiresias about my return; for I have not yet touched foot to Grecian soil.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "I answered her: 'Dear mother, I was compelled to come down here in order to consult the soul of the prophet Tiresias about my return; for I have not yet touched foot to Grecian soil.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Art thou on thy way home from Troy?

gloomyadjectiveUS /ˈɡluːmi/

depressingly dark

From this reading She knew me at once and cried out: 'Oh, my child, how didst thou ever come down to this gloomy place alive?

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading ODYSSEUS CONVERSES WITH HIS MOTHER AND AGAMEMNON "When Tiresias had gone, my mother came back to the dark trench and drank of the blood.

GrecianadjectiveUS /ˈɡriːʃən/

of or relating to or characteristic of Greece or the Greeks or the Greek language

From this reading "I answered her: 'Dear mother, I was compelled to come down here in order to consult the soul of the prophet Tiresias about my return; for I have not yet touched foot to Grecian soil.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading ODYSSEUS CONVERSES WITH HIS MOTHER AND AGAMEMNON "When Tiresias had gone, my mother came back to the dark trench and drank of the blood.

hastauxiliary verbUS /hæst/

an old form of “have”, used with “thou”

From this reading And hast thou not seen Ithaca yet, nor thy wife and child?'

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "I answered her: 'Dear mother, I was compelled to come down here in order to consult the soul of the prophet Tiresias about my return; for I have not yet touched foot to Grecian soil.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading "I answered her: 'Dear mother, I was compelled to come down here in order to consult the soul of the prophet Tiresias about my return; for I have not yet touched foot to Grecian soil.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading "I answered her: 'Dear mother, I was compelled to come down here in order to consult the soul of the prophet Tiresias about my return; for I have not yet touched foot to Grecian soil.

HISdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading ODYSSEUS CONVERSES WITH HIS MOTHER AND AGAMEMNON "When Tiresias had gone, my mother came back to the dark trench and drank of the blood.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading Art thou on thy way home from Troy?

how

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading She knew me at once and cried out: 'Oh, my child, how didst thou ever come down to this gloomy place alive?

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "I answered her: 'Dear mother, I was compelled to come down here in order to consult the soul of the prophet Tiresias about my return; for I have not yet touched foot to Grecian soil.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading "I answered her: 'Dear mother, I was compelled to come down here in order to consult the soul of the prophet Tiresias about my return; for I have not yet touched foot to Grecian soil.

IthacanounUS /ˈɪθəkə/

a college town in central New York on Lake Cayuga

From this reading And hast thou not seen Ithaca yet, nor thy wife and child?'

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading She knew me at once and cried out: 'Oh, my child, how didst thou ever come down to this gloomy place alive?

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading She knew me at once and cried out: 'Oh, my child, how didst thou ever come down to this gloomy place alive?

MOTHERnounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading ODYSSEUS CONVERSES WITH HIS MOTHER AND AGAMEMNON "When Tiresias had gone, my mother came back to the dark trench and drank of the blood.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading ODYSSEUS CONVERSES WITH HIS MOTHER AND AGAMEMNON "When Tiresias had gone, my mother came back to the dark trench and drank of the blood.

norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading And hast thou not seen Ithaca yet, nor thy wife and child?'

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading And hast thou not seen Ithaca yet, nor thy wife and child?'

ODYSSEUSnounUS /oʊˈdɪsiəs/

(Greek mythology) a famous mythical Greek hero; his return to Ithaca after the siege of Troy was described in the Odyssey

From this reading ODYSSEUS CONVERSES WITH HIS MOTHER AND AGAMEMNON "When Tiresias had gone, my mother came back to the dark trench and drank of the blood.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading ODYSSEUS CONVERSES WITH HIS MOTHER AND AGAMEMNON "When Tiresias had gone, my mother came back to the dark trench and drank of the blood.

OhnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading She knew me at once and cried out: 'Oh, my child, how didst thou ever come down to this gloomy place alive?

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Art thou on thy way home from Troy?

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading She knew me at once and cried out: 'Oh, my child, how didst thou ever come down to this gloomy place alive?

ordernounUS /ˈɔːrdər/

(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading "I answered her: 'Dear mother, I was compelled to come down here in order to consult the soul of the prophet Tiresias about my return; for I have not yet touched foot to Grecian soil.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading She knew me at once and cried out: 'Oh, my child, how didst thou ever come down to this gloomy place alive?

placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading She knew me at once and cried out: 'Oh, my child, how didst thou ever come down to this gloomy place alive?

prophetnounUS /ˈprɑːfət/

an authoritative person who divines the future

From this reading "I answered her: 'Dear mother, I was compelled to come down here in order to consult the soul of the prophet Tiresias about my return; for I have not yet touched foot to Grecian soil.

returnverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrn/

go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading "I answered her: 'Dear mother, I was compelled to come down here in order to consult the soul of the prophet Tiresias about my return; for I have not yet touched foot to Grecian soil.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading And hast thou not seen Ithaca yet, nor thy wife and child?'

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She knew me at once and cried out: 'Oh, my child, how didst thou ever come down to this gloomy place alive?

soilnounUS /sɔɪl/

the state of being covered with unclean things

From this reading "I answered her: 'Dear mother, I was compelled to come down here in order to consult the soul of the prophet Tiresias about my return; for I have not yet touched foot to Grecian soil.

soulnounUS /soʊl/

the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading "I answered her: 'Dear mother, I was compelled to come down here in order to consult the soul of the prophet Tiresias about my return; for I have not yet touched foot to Grecian soil.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading ODYSSEUS CONVERSES WITH HIS MOTHER AND AGAMEMNON "When Tiresias had gone, my mother came back to the dark trench and drank of the blood.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading She knew me at once and cried out: 'Oh, my child, how didst thou ever come down to this gloomy place alive?

thoupronounUS /ðaʊ/

an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person

From this reading She knew me at once and cried out: 'Oh, my child, how didst thou ever come down to this gloomy place alive?

thydeterminerUS /ðaɪ/

an old word for “your”, speaking to one person

From this reading Art thou on thy way home from Troy?

Tiresiasnoun

(Greek mythology) the blind prophet of Thebes who revealed to Oedipus that Oedipus had murdered his father and married his mother

From this reading ODYSSEUS CONVERSES WITH HIS MOTHER AND AGAMEMNON "When Tiresias had gone, my mother came back to the dark trench and drank of the blood.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading ODYSSEUS CONVERSES WITH HIS MOTHER AND AGAMEMNON "When Tiresias had gone, my mother came back to the dark trench and drank of the blood.

touchedadjectiveUS /tʌtʃt/

having come into contact

From this reading "I answered her: 'Dear mother, I was compelled to come down here in order to consult the soul of the prophet Tiresias about my return; for I have not yet touched foot to Grecian soil.

trenchnounUS /trentʃ/

a ditch dug as a fortification having a parapet of the excavated earth

From this reading ODYSSEUS CONVERSES WITH HIS MOTHER AND AGAMEMNON "When Tiresias had gone, my mother came back to the dark trench and drank of the blood.

TroynounUS /trɔɪ/

a system of weights used for precious metals and gemstones; based on a 12-ounce pound and an ounce of 480 grains

From this reading Art thou on thy way home from Troy?

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading "I answered her: 'Dear mother, I was compelled to come down here in order to consult the soul of the prophet Tiresias about my return; for I have not yet touched foot to Grecian soil.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Art thou on thy way home from Troy?

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading ODYSSEUS CONVERSES WITH HIS MOTHER AND AGAMEMNON "When Tiresias had gone, my mother came back to the dark trench and drank of the blood.

wifenounUS /waɪf/

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading And hast thou not seen Ithaca yet, nor thy wife and child?'

WITHprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading ODYSSEUS CONVERSES WITH HIS MOTHER AND AGAMEMNON "When Tiresias had gone, my mother came back to the dark trench and drank of the blood.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading And hast thou not seen Ithaca yet, nor thy wife and child?'

Chapter 17 of Odysseus, the Hero of Ithaca Adapted from by 751? BCE-651? BCE Homer holds 86 sentences, grouped into 18 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 17 of Odysseus, the Hero of Ithaca Adapted from contain?

Chapter 17 holds 86 sentences of Odysseus, the Hero of Ithaca Adapted from, unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of Odysseus, the Hero of Ithaca Adapted from by 751? BCE-651? BCE Homer exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 86 sentences, grouped into 18 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 17 of Odysseus, the Hero of Ithaca Adapted from?

Work through the 18 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 18 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading Odysseus, the Hero of Ithaca Adapted from

Common questions about reading Odysseus, the Hero of Ithaca Adapted from by 751? BCE-651? BCE Homer on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Odysseus, the Hero of Ithaca Adapted from?

Yes. All 2620 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #24856 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Odysseus, the Hero of Ithaca Adapted from is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #24856, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Odysseus, the Hero of Ithaca Adapted from take to read?

About 218 minutes of reading across 524 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Odysseus, the Hero of Ithaca Adapted from section by section

How to work through Odysseus, the Hero of Ithaca Adapted from section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Odysseus, the Hero of Ithaca Adapted from

Words and structures a reader meets early in Odysseus, the Hero of Ithaca Adapted from, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Odysseus, the Hero of Ithaca Adapted from; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Literary
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Odysseus, the Hero of Ithaca Adapted from; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Landmarks
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Odysseus, the Hero of Ithaca Adapted from; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Stories
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Odysseus, the Hero of Ithaca Adapted from; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.