The Odyssey By Homer

Odysseus The Odyssey is a story about a hero . . . Adventure lurks around every corner during Odysseus’s journey home.

Scholars credit the blind poet Homer with authorship of The Odyssey and The Iliad written about 800 B.C. Both stories were first told orally and may not have been written down until several generations later.

The role of gods and goddesses

The Ancient Greeks believed in many different gods and goddesses The Ancient Greeks believed in many different gods and goddesses. The Greeks believed that these gods and goddesses controlled everything in their lives. There was a god for many aspects of life. It was important to please the gods; happy gods helped you, but unhappy gods punished you.

The Greeks believed that the most important gods and goddesses lived at the top of Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in northern Greece.

The gods were a family and, just like a human family, they argued as well as looking after each other.

The trip home from Troy Athena felt wronged after the war and convinced Poseidon to make the Greek’s trip home difficult. Storms blew ships in all different directions Odysseus wouldn’t arrive home for another 10 years.

During Odysseus’s journey home, some gods and goddesses helped him. Other gods and goddesses attempted to keep Odysseus from returning home.

Zeus Zeus is the supreme ruler of Mount Olympus and of the gods who reside there.

Athena Athena is the goddess of wisdom, war, the arts, industry, justice and skill. She is also Zeus’s daughter. She frequently helps Odysseus, who was well-known for his clever mind.

Hermes the messenger of the gods In addition to being the god of invention, commerce, and cunning, Hermes is also Zeus’s son. Hermes helps Odysseus several times in The Odyssey.

Some goddesses both help and hinder Odysseus during his journey home. Circe, a goddess and enchantress will use her magic to toy with Odysseus. The sea goddess Calypso delays Odysseus’s return home because of her desire for companionship.

Poseidon Poseidon is the god of the sea, earthquakes, and horses. Poseidon is also the father of the one-eyed cyclopes. Odysseus’s excessive pride angers Poseidon.

Helios/Apollo As the god of the Sun, Helios rides a chariot drawn by horses through the sky, bringing light to the earth. Odysseus angers Helios when his men ignore Helios’s warnings.

The Illiad before The Odyssey The Trojan War

The Heroic Story of Odysseus Odysseus longs to return home after ten years of fighting in the Trojan War. He begins the trip home with 12 ships carrying 720 men. The gods and goddesses toy with Odysseus, creating obstacles which delay his journey home another ten years. Odysseus’s intelligence set him apart from others.

Back in Ithaca In Ithaca, all assumed Odysseus dead except his wife, Penelope and son, Telemachus. Penelope was receiving suitors at her door, but she stalled by claiming to be weaving a burial shroud for Odysseus’ father, Laertes, which had to be done before she could marry. She wove during the day and unwove it at night until the suitors found her out.

Athena’s forgiveness In the end, Athena made it possible for Calypso to release Odysseus so he could go home. She also decided to send Telemachus on a journey of his own to seek news of his father. Athena went to Telemachus disguised as an old man and told him to go to Nestor and Menelaus to find news.

Story within a Story The Odyssey has two plots the main plot is of Odysseus traveling from Calypso’s island home to Ithaca. While Odysseus is traveling to Ithaca, he stops at many places along the way telling the story of where he has been as he goes.

Important Literary Terms Epic Epic Hero Epic Simile

Epic An epic is a long narrative poem that tells about the adventures of gods or heroes who reflects the ideals and values of a nation. The Odyssey is an example of an epic poem.

Epic Hero An epic hero is a larger-than-life figure from history or legend. The hero undertakes a dangerous voyage, demonstrating traits—such as courage, loyalty, and honor—that are valued by the society in which the epic originates Odysseus is the epic hero of the Odyssey

Epic Simile A simile is a comparison of two things using like or as. An EPIC SIMILE, also called a Homeric Simile, is a longer, more detailed simile that can go on for several lines. Example: “And like a mast / a lugger of twenty oars, broad in the beam— / a deep-sea going craft—might carry: / so long so big around it seemed.”