The Odyssey Homer

 An ancient Greek poet traditionally considered to be the composer of The Iliad and the Odyssey.  According to tradition, he was blind Who is Homer?

 Over 3,000 years ago people living in the land we call Greece were telling stories of a great war  Homer is credited with gathering all of these stories and telling them as one unified epic.  These great wars were called The Iliad and The Odyssey.  The real stories would have taken place around 1200 B.C. (as long ago for Homer as the Pilgrims are for us!) Where did the story come from?

 Tells the story of the 10 year war fought in the city of Troy  The war is said to have begun when Helen of Troy abandoned her husband Menelus ( a Greek king) for Paris ( a prince of Troy) The Iliad

 The story of the attempt of a Greek soldier, Odysseus, to get home after the Trojan war.  Odysseus’ wanderings involve encounters with various monsters, enchanting women, and much more The Odyssey

 In the years before the Trojan War, Odysseus married the beautiful and ever faithful Penelope.  They had one son named: Telemachus who was still a toddler when Odysseus was called by Menelaus and Agamemnon to join them in war against Troy.TelemachusMenelaus Agamemnon Odysseus before the war

 Odysseus was a homebody  He didn’t want to go to war, so he pretended to be insane.  He dressed as a peasant and began sowing his field with salt.  Odysseus quickly displays his sanity when he avoids running his son over with the plow. Odysseus before the war

The Wooden Horse Trick  Odysseus performed extremely well as a soldier and commander. It was he who thought of the famous wooden-horse trick that would lead to the downfall of Troy.

A Search for Our Place in Life  Instead of beginning at the beginning, with Odysseus’ departure from Troy, the story begins with his son, Telemachus.  Telemachus is now twenty years old. He is being threatened by powerful men who want to marry his mother. He in turn would lose his inheritance. Telemachus  Meanwhile, we hear that his father, Odysseus, is stranded on an island, longing to find his way back to his wife, son and home.

Relationship with the Gods  Myths- are stories that use fantasy to express ideas about life that cannot be expressed easily in realistic terms.  Myths are essentially religious because they are concerned with the relationship between humans and the unknown or spiritual realm.

Relationship with the Gods  Homer is always concerned with the relationship between humans and gods.  Homer is religious: For him, the gods control all things.  Athena, the goddess of wisdom, is always at the side of Odysseus.  Odysseus is known for his mental abilities

gods as alter-egos  In Homer’s stories, a god can be an alter-ego, a reflection of hero’s best or worst qualities.  The god who works against Odysseus is Poseidon, the god of the sea, who is known for arrogance and a certain brutishness.  Odysseus himself can be violent and cruel, just as Poseidon is.

 A long narrative poem about the adventures of a hero whose actions reflect ideals and values of a race or nation.  Epics address universal concerns, such and good and evil  Epics often include elements of myth, legend, folk tale, and history. Epic Poem

 Epic poetry often begins with an “invocation,” which is when the narrator calls on creative help to tell the story.  Epic poems often begin “in media res,” which is Latin for “in the middle of the action (story).” This means a good part of the story has already happened and the narrator begins the poem by catching the reader up on what’s happened. Epic Poem

 1. Hero is a great leader identified by a group of people  2. Setting is broad and often includes both the upper and lower worlds  3. Hero does great deeds in battle and undertakes a journey  4. Sometimes gods or other supernatural beings appear  5. Story is told in heightened language Characteristics of Epic Poetry

 6. Unusual circumstances surround the hero’s birth  7. Hero encounters “women as temptresses” who threaten his completion of the journey  8. At the end of the journey, the hero must complete a final task alone  9. After the final task is accomplished, the hero returns home, a leader of his people Characteristics of Epic Poetry

 An Epic Hero is the central figure in an epic who has superior qualities and risks personal danger to persue a grand quest. Epic Hero

 1. Significant and glorified  2. Is on a quest  3. Has superior or superhuman strength, intelligence, and/or is courageous  4. Is ethical-of good moral standing  5. Risks death for glory or the greater good of society  6. Performs brave deeds  7. Is a strong and responsible leader  8. Reflects the ideals of a particular society Characteristics of an Epic Hero

Characteristics of an Epic An Epic  Epics usually include action such as a quest or journey taken in search of something of value The Odyssey  Odysseus is trying to return home to his wife and son.

Characteristics of an Epic An Epic  Epics include evidence of supernatural forces at work The Odyssey  Greek gods, goddesses, monsters, and other characters from Greek mythology play an important role in The Odyssey

Characteristics of an Epic An Epic  Epics usually include a physically impressive hero of national or historical importance The Odyssey  Odysseus is a war hero

Characteristics of an Epic An Epic  Epics usually include a vast setting involving much of the known physical world and sometimes the land of the dead as well. The Odyssey  During his journey home, Odysseus travel to many locations and even visits the underworld.

Characteristics of an Epic An Epic  Glorifies the hero at the end The Odyssey  Odysseus restores order to his house and is welcomed home by his family.

Characteristics of an Epic An Epic  Shows the values and culture of a specific culture and society The Odyssey  The Odyssey reflects the beliefs and values of the culture of ancient Greece.

How were Epics told?

Poets traveled from community to community singing their stories. *Longer stories, such as The Odyssey, were probably told over a period of several days.

Epics were told orally. *They followed basic story lines and incorporated formulaic descriptions. *Most of the words were improvised to fit a particular rhythm or meter.

Homer’s Epics Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey are the best known epics in Western civilization.

The Iliad is the primary model for the epic of war.

The Odyssey is the model for the epic of the long journey home.

 England – Beowulf  France – The Song of Roland  Italy – The Aeneid  Spain – El Cid  Germany – the Nibelungenlied Many Countries have Epics

The United States The U.S. has no epic. Our country is too young to have an epic, as of yet. Perhaps in a thousand years… if we last that long.

While not written this is the American Epic!

 Similes that compare heroic or epic events to simple and easily understandable everyday events-events the audience would recognize instantly. Homeric (or Heroic) Similes

 Aeaea – Home of Circe, the witch- goddess People and Places

 Alcinous – king of Phaeacia. Odysseus tells the story of his adventures to Alcinous’ court. People and Places

 Calypso – beautiful goddess-nymph who keeps Odysseus on her island for seven years. People and Places

 Charybdis – female monster who sucks in water three times a day to form a deadly whirlpool. People and Places

 Cicones – people living on the southwestern coast of Thrace, who battled Odysseus and his men on their journey home. People and Places

 Circe – witch- goddess who turns Odysseus’ men into swine. (pigs) People and Places

 Erebus – dark area of the underworld where the dead reside People and Places

 Eurylochus – one of Odysseus’ loyal crew People and Places

 Lotus Eaters – people who feed Odysseus’ men with lotus plants to make them forget Ithaca People and Places

 Phaeacia – island kingdom ruled by King Alcinious. The Phaeacians are shipbuilders and traders. People and Places

 Polyphemus – the Cyclops blinded by Odysseus. The son of the sea god Poseidon. Cyclopes are a race of brutish one-eyed giants who live solitary lives as shepherds supposedly on the island known today as Sicily. People and Places

 Syclla – female monster with six serpent heads, each head having a triple row of fangs People and Places

 Sirens – sea nymph whose beautiful and mysterious music lures sailors to steer their ships towards the rocks People and Places

 Tiresias – famous blind prophet from the city of Thebes. Odysseus meets him in the Land of the Dead. People and Places

 Thirnakia – island where the sun god Helios keeps his cattle. People and Places

 Antinous – one of Penelope’s leading suitors; and arrogant and mean young noble from Ithaca.  Eumaeus – swinheard, one of Odysseus’ loyal servants  Eurycleia – Odysseus’ old nurse  Eurymachus – suitor of Penelope  Eurynome – Penelope’s housekeeper  Penelope – Odysseus’ faithful wife  Philoeteus – cowherd, one of Odysseus’ loyal servants  Telemachus – Odysseus’ son Ithaca – the people at home

 Apollo – god of poetry, music, prophecy, medicine, and archery  Athena – favorite daughter of Zeus; the great goddess of wisdom and the arts of war and peace. She favored the Greeks during the Trojan War  Cronus – TITAN who ruled the universe until his son Zeus overthrew him  Helios – sun god The Gods

 Hephaestus – god of metalworking  Hermes – messenger god  Poseidon – god of the sea; brother of Zeus. Called the Earth Shaker because he is believed to cause earthquakes. Poseidon is an enemy of Odysseus.  Zeus – most powerful god whose home is on Olympus. The Gods

 The Trojan war has ended  Odysseus departs from Troy with a fleet of 12 ships carrying about 700 men  Odysseus makes Poseidon angry with his prideful remarks  Fights monsters and battles storms  Encounters enchanting women who try to keep him from his wife  Loses his men  Goes into the underworld for advice from a blind prophet  Makes it home ???? Plot summary

Conflict Internal  Pride  Bragging, boasting  Curiosity  Hunger for fame  Homesickness External  War  Nature  Gods, Goddesses  Monsters  Penelope’s suitors