Final answer:
The non-linear plot of the Odyssey can be chronologically arranged starting with the Trojan War and ending with Odysseus defeating the suitors and reclaiming his home.
Step-by-step explanation:
Creating a timeline for the Odyssey with its non-linear plot requires understanding both the chronology of the events as told in the story and the literary technique Homer used to unfold the narrative. The Odyssey utilizes flashbacks which may distort the temporal sequence. To align the events according to when they actually happened, rather than when they are recounted in the epic, we must rearrange the episodes into a linear narrative.
Odysseus participates in the Trojan War.
The end of the Trojan War - the Greeks win the war with the help of the Trojan Horse.
Odysseus and his crew begin their journey home to Ithaca, including the encounter with the Cicones.
Odysseus and his men visit the land of the Lotus Eaters.
The encounter with Polyphemus, the Cyclops, and the escape.
The visit to Aeolus, the wind god, and the mishap with the bag of winds.
Odysseus's men open the bag of winds which blows them off course to the Laestrygonians.
The crew arrives at Circe's island and stays for one year.
Trip to the Underworld to meet Tiresias.
Sailing past the Sirens, and navigating between Scylla and Charybdis.
The episode with the Sun god's cattle on the island of Thrinacia.
The storm sent by Zeus as punishment for killing the Sun god's cattle.
Odysseus washes ashore on the island of the Phaeacians.
The Phaeacians help Odysseus return to Ithaca.
Odysseus disguises himself as a beggar upon reaching Ithaca.
Odysseus reunites with his son Telemachus.
Odysseus reveals himself to Penelope and takes part in the contest of the bow.
Odysseus defeats the suitors, reclaiming his home and throne.
This order of events forms the backbone of the epic, and understanding this chronological sequence is key to appreciating the episodic plot Homer employed. When constructing the timeline in visual format, each event could be depicted with vivid colors or dramatic illustrations, defining the mood of each scene, and employing symbolic images to show the progression through Odysseus's journey home.