1. BACKGROUND NOTES:EPIC POETRY, EPIC HERO, TROJAN WAR, & GREEK MYTHOLOGY The Odyssey by Homer

2. EPIC POETRY An epic is defined as a long narrative poem about the deeds of gods or heroes. Homer’s The Odyssey is an example of epic poetry.

3. CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EPIC: A hero A quest or journey Epic similes An invocation of the muse Sacrifice or pray to the gods for victory in battle Combat Intervention from the supernatural

4. CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EPIC, CONTINUED: Deus Ex-Machina–“god from the machine;” a god comes down at the end of the story to solve the conflicts Visit to the Underworld Apotheosis –elevation to divine status In many epics, the hero is a demigod, born to one human parent and one divine parent.

5. CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EPIC, CONTINUED: Some cycles (series) of epic poems develop around a hero or event. Epics date back to prehistoric times, with the earliest form being sung by their poets. The Iliad and The Odyssey, by Homer, is a cycle that develops around a partly historical/partly mythical Trojan War. Rules for epics were based on The Iliad & The Odyssey.

6. CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EPIC, CONTINUED: These rules state that the epic must begin in medias res, or “in the middle of things,” and the poet must write in a dignified style that begins with an “invocation” in which he asks a Muse for divine inspiration.

7. THE EPIC HERO Hero is of imposing stature Hero and/or his style is grand, yet simple Setting is vast Hero has superhuman strength or courage Hero faces supernatural forces

8. THE TROJAN WAR 12 th ~ 13 th Century B.C. Between the Greeks and the people of Troy in W. Asia Minor Events celebrated in Homer’s The Iliad & The Odyssey The Trojan prince, Paris, ran off with the beautiful Helen, wife of Menelaus of Sparta

9. TROJAN WAR, CONTINUED… Agamemnon, brother of Menelaus, led an expedition to retrieve her, which led to the war that spanned 10 years. War ended when the Greeks pretended to leave Troy, leaving behind a giant wooden horse The Trojans wheeled the horse inside the city walls At night, the Greeks poured out of the horse, opened the gates for their fellow soldiers, and took over the city of Troy and its citizens

10. THEMES The Power of Cunning over Strength The Pitfalls of Temptation

11. MORTALS Odysseus is well- known for his resourcefulness and guile and is known by his epithet, “Odysseus the Cunning.” Odysseus is the king of Ithaca and the husband of Penelope. When he left to fight the Trojan War, he left Penelope pregnant with his son, Telemachus.

12. MORTALS PENELOPE Penelope spends her days in the palace pining for the husband who left for Troy twenty years earlier and never returned. Homer portrays her as sometimes flighty and excitable but also clever and steadfastly true to her husband. Wife of Odysseus and mother of Telemachus.

13. MORTALS TELEMACHUS Odysseus’s son. He is a natural obstacle to the suitors desperately courting his mother, but despite his courage and good heart, he initially lacks the poise and confidence to oppose them.

14. MORTALS EURYLOCHUS Odysseus’ second in command. Cowardly and unpleasant, he frequently undermines Odysseus’ authority and causes trouble. Relative of Odysseus through marriage.

15. MORTALS Tiresias A Theban prophet, Tiresias meets Odysseus when Odysseus journeys to the underworld. He shows Odysseus how to get back to Ithaca and allows Odysseus to communicate with the other souls in Hades.

16. THE TWELVE OLYMPIANS Zeus Chief Olympian; chases the women, tries to hide his infidelity from his wife; also called Lord of the Sky, The Rain God, and The Cloud Gatherer; wields the thunderbolt as a weapon.

17. THE TWELVE OLYMPIANS Hera Wife to Zeus; prolonged the Trojan War & allowed Troy to be left in ruins because a Trojan said another goddess was lovelier than she; sacred animals are the peacock and cow.

18. THE TWELVE OLYMPIANS Poseidon Brother to Zeus; Lord of the Sea; gave man the first horse; also responsible for earthquakes

19. THE TWELVE OLYMPIANS Hades Ruler of the Underworld and the dead; spent most of his time in the Underworld because he was not welcomed on Mt. Olympus.

20. THE TWELVE OLYMPIANS Athena Daughter of Zeus ONLY – no mother –she sprang from Zeus’ head; she created the olive; described as a fierce battle goddess, protector of civilized life, and the goddess of crafts and agriculture.

21. THE TWELVE OLYMPIANS Apollo Described as the beautiful god of music; plays a golden lyre; also seen as the Archer god & a healer

22. THE TWELVE OLYMPIANS Artemis Twin sister of Apollo; personality not easily defined – is she good or evil? Example: Known to protect the young while on the hunt – BUT – kept the Greek fleet from sailing to Troy until a maiden was sacrificed in her honor.

23. THE TWELVE OLYMPIANS Aphrodite Goddess of Love and Beauty; laughter-loving goddess who used her wiles to hypnotize men; extremely beautiful; without her…no joy or loveliness anywhere; could have a deadly or destructive power over men.

24. THE TWELVE OLYMPIANS Hermes Graceful and swift; wore winged sandals, had wings on his hat, and carried a magic wand; he was Zeus’ messenger and also guided the dead to the Underworld.

25. THE TWELVE OLYMPIANS Ares God of War; described as a “murderous curse” who was also a coward; a symbol of war

26. THE TWELVE OLYMPIANS Hephaestus God of Fire; unattractive and crippled – ironically, he is married to the most beautiful of the goddesses, Aphrodite.

27. THE TWELVE OLYMPIANS Hestia Goddess of the Hearth; the symbol of home; meals began and ended with an offering to her; each city had a public hearth sacred to her where the fire was never allowed to go out.

28. THE LESSER GODS OF OLYMPUS Eros–The God of Love (Cupid) Hebe–Goddess of Youth Iris–Goddess of the Rainbow

29. LESSER GODS OF OLYMPUS The Three Graces –Aglaia (Splendor); Euphrosyne (Mirth); Thalia (Good Cheer). The Nine Muses Clio = History Urania= Astronomy Calliope = Epic Poetry Melpomene= Tragedy Erato= Love Poetry Thalia= Comedy Polyhymnia= Songs Terpiscore= Dance Euterpe= Lyric Poetry

30. THE UNDERWORLD Ruled by Hades and Persephone Cerberus –3-headed, dragon-tailed dog who guards the gate and allows spirits to enter Two divisions: Tartarus & Erebus Two Rivers: Acheron, River of Woe Cocytus, River of Lamentation

31. Aeolus King of the Winds; lived on Earth on the island of Aeolia (character in The Odyssey)

32. The Sirens 3 bird-like female creatures with enchanting voices; would sing & lure sailors to their death. (also characters in The Odyssey)

33. Scylla A monster with 12 feet and 6 heads with 3 rows of teeth, carries off a sailor in each mouth

34. Charybdis A monster at the bottom of the ocean who, three times a day, caused a whirlpool that would pull in sailors to their deaths.

35. Calypso The beautiful nymph who falls in love with Odysseus when he lands on her island-home of Ogygia. Calypso holds him prisoner there for seven years until Hermes, the messenger god, persuades her to let him go.

36. Polyphemus One of the Cyclopes (uncivilized one-eyed giants) whose island Odysseus comes to soon after leaving Troy. Polyphemus imprisons Odysseus and his crew and tries to eat them. He is Poseidon's son.

37. Circe The beautiful witch-goddess who transforms Odysseus’s crew into swine when he lands on her island. With Hermes’ help, Odysseus resists Circe’s powers and then becomes her lover, living in luxury at her side for a year.