1. Homer as History Remnants of Mycenaean Epic?

2. Wall Remnants Troy

6. Geometric panel Trojan Horse

7. Troy 2004

8. Dark Age and Geometric Greece Post-Mycenaean World (1050-700 BCE )  Destruction of Palace Centers ca. 1200 BCE  Colonization of Asia Minor Coast Crete (cf. Odyssey, 19.172-3; Cyprus)  Rudimentary Material Culture on Mainland non-literate society based on villages approximate 75% population decline disruption of trade; disappearance of imports

9. Post-Mycenaean Movements

11. Language Map of Post-Mycenaean World

12. Discontinuities with Mycenaean Past  Cremation instead of Inhumation  Introduction of Iron-Working (from Cyprus)  Emergence of Athens (embarkation point for colonizers; leader in proto-geometric pottery ca. 1050-900 BCE ; continuity of habitation (?); continuous series of graves in Kerameikos from sub-Mycenaean times)  Disappearance of Literacy: Iliad 6.168: “baleful signs” (semata lugra)

13. Sub-Mycenaean Vase Kerameikos Cemetery (Athens)

14. Geometric Amphora

15. Homeric Poems and Geometric Folk Memory of Bronze Age Greece  Iliad and Odyssey: conservative nature of oral epic poetry  Discovery: Milman Parry and Serbo- Croatian epic  Reappearance of Writing in Greece ca. 800-750 BCE : Homeric epic and a society in transition

16. Mycenaean Survivals in Homer  King is wanax, not basileus  King is chief judge, priest, and warlord  Place names of no importance in Geometric period (Iliad 2, “Catalogue of Ships”)  Palace-controlled society

17. Dark Age Migrations

18. The Homeric World

20. Anachronisms: Homeric World as Composite World  Weaponry: boar’s tooth helmet probably out of use by the time of the Trojan expedition; spear is thrown in Homer; Myceneans used thrusting spear  Crete an Achaean island in Homer  Cremation in Homer; no mention of tholos tombs  Homer has no knowledge of palace bureaucracies (Linear B)  Iron used for tools and implements; importance of Boeotia

21. Who Was Homer? Does It Matter?  Historical Personage?: “Homer was a man’s name, not the Greek equivalent of “Anonymous”, and that is the one certain fact about him” ~ M.I. Finley, World of Odysseus, 15  The Circularity of the Biographical Tradition (Lefkowitz); Homer=“he who weaves together”? (Vermeule)

22. Representation of Homer

23. Homeric Influences: Homeric Ethics and the Competitive Excellences of the Warrior  Akhilleus as Model: Individual over Community? Glorification of War?  Aristocratic Privilege (cf. Thersites at Iliad 2.211-77)  Status and the Gift (Briseis in Iliad 1): zero-sum competition  Homer’s Authority: Thucydides on Trojan War (1.9-11) Athenian/Megarian War, ca. 600 BCE (Plutarch, Solon, 10)