1. Fundamentals of Greece in the Heroic Age Homer

2. The gods: Zeus Hera Hephaistos Apollo

3. The gods (cont.) Artemis Athena, Aphrodite Hermes, the messenger god

4. Timeline Greek Dark Ages: ca. 1000-800 BC Archaic Period: ca. 800-500 BC –Homer: ca. 750 BC Classical Period: ca. 500-323 BC –Persian Wars: 490-479 BC (Herodotus) –Peloponnesian War: 431-404 BC (Thucydides) Hellenistic Period: ca. 323-150 BC

5. Terms and Questions arete agon Iliad, Odyssey What qualities in a man did the ancient Greeks admire? What was the position of women in this culture? What did the Greeks of this period think of homosexuality? Why was this the case? What was one of the purposes of homosexual relations between men?

6. Discussion Questions Most scholars agree that the Iliad was passed down by word of mouth over many generations before it was written down. Is there evidence you could use from the source to support such a conclusion? What are the implications for the Iliad as an historical source? What is the basis for the quarrel between Achilles and Agamemnon? How and why does Achilles decide not to attack the king? What does this exchange tell us about the role of women in warfare and in the household? about the pride of warriors? about the power of gods? What do the scenes involving negotiations among the gods tell us about the relative power of the various gods? Agamemnon backs down from his position after his Greeks suffer reversals in war. Why does Achilles refuse his offer? What concession does Achilles make?

7. Question to Ponder What is your assessment of the heroic ideal, as revealed in this selection of the Iliad? Is there anything admirable about it? Anything you find worthy of criticism?