Athene:—Minerva, the goddess of wisdom, skill, and science. She was interested in war, and protected warlike heroes.

Cyclops:—One of a race of uncouth giants, each of whom had but a single eye, which was in the middle of the forehead.

Nausithoüs:—The king of the Phaeacians at the time they entered Scheria.

Hades:—The realm of souls; not necessarily a place of punishment.

Artemis:—Another name for Diana, goddess of the moon.

Taÿgetus and Erymanthus:—Mountains in Greece.

Leto:—The mother of Artemis.

Delos:—An island in the Aegean Sea.

Ogygia:—The island of the goddess Calypso, who held Odysseus captive for seven years.

Hephaestus:—Another name for Vulcan, the god of the under-world. He was a skilled worker in metal.