Who is Homer? What is the “original story pattern” for a heroic adventure? (you’ll need to take some notes)

Who is Homer? Greek Poet During 700’s BC, Homer “composed” two great epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey. Epic – long poem describing heroes and great events. Modern tributes to Homer: James Joyce – Ulysses Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? Cold Mountain

The Homeric Age  Why was it called “The Homeric Age”?  Hero  Mythology  Why was it called “The Homeric Age”?  Hero  Mythology

The Odyssey

What is an Epic? A long narrative poem about a legendary hero.

Homer poet thought to be blind, but describes events as a seeing person lived between 900 and 700 B.C.E.

Homer Wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey Both are epic stories about the war between the Trojans and the Greeks (which occurred around 1200 B.C.E.)

Iliad Story of the last year of the Trojan War (it lasted 10 years) Troy was defeated when Odysseus and his men were able to get inside the city Concealed within the hollow body of an enormous horse, they secretly opened the gates to the rest of the Greek forces. Troy was destroyed.

The Trojan Horse

The Odyssey Odysseus and his men journey home after winning the Trojan War Takes 10 years to get back home to Ithaca, his kingdom Archetypal story: It is about humans on the journey of life overcoming temptations along the way

Characters – family or close friends Odysseus (Ulysses) Penelope – wife Telemachus - son Laertes – father of Odysseus Tiresias – advisor and prophet Eumaeus – loyal servant who knew Odysseus from childhood

Characters – gods or monsters Circe - goddess, enchantress, turned men into swine Scylla - monster with six heads, each with three rows of teeth, who carries off a sailor in each mouth Charybdis – Three times a day, this enormous whirlpool monster destroys ships Sirens – beautiful women whose songs lured sailors to steer their ships onto rocks where they crashed (and the men drowned)

Characters - gods Hyperion - the sun (distinct from Apollo, the sun god) Zeus - leader of the gods Hermes – messenger of the gods Persephone – daughter of Demeter & wife of Hades Calypso – sea goddess who fell in love with Odysseus

Characters - gods Apollo – god of music, poetry, medicine Poseidon – “earth shaker” – the god of the seas and earthquakes Athena – goddess of wisdom, skillcraft, and warfare Cronus – father of Zeus, he was a Titan (forebears of the gods) Polyphemus – one of the Cyclops and a son of Poseidon

Characters - mortals Agamemnon – king of all the Greek forces Antinous – leader of the suitors Amphinomus &Eurymachus – suitors Perimedes & Eurylochus – crewmembers Eurynome – housekeeper to Penelope