1. Greek Epics 6.55 Describe the myths and stories of classical Greece. Guiding Question: Why were epics and fables important to the ancient Greeks?

2. Greek Literature Epic – a long poem that records the deeds of a legendary or real hero Greek poems and epics are some of the oldest literature in Western civilizations. The first Greek stories were epics.

3. Iliad and Odyssey Two great epics of ancient Greece were the Iliad and the Odyssey. The poet Homer composed them during the 700s B.C. Homer based these epics on stories about a war between Greece and the city of Troy. Homer

4. Iliad A prince of Troy fell in love with Helen, the wife of a Greek king. The prince kidnapped Helen. The kidnapping angered the Greeks, and they attacked Troy in revenge.

5. Iliad The Greeks were unable to break through the thick walls surrounding the city of Troy. What did they do?

6. Iliad In order to get into the city, the Greeks tricked the Trojans. The Greeks constructed a huge, hollow, wooden horse. Why? This is a reconstruction of the large, wooden horse in Troy.

7. Iliad The finest Greek soldiers hid inside the horse. All the other Greek soldiers boarded ships and sailed away.

8. Iliad The Trojans thought they had won the war and that the horse was a victory prize from the Greeks. The Trojans rolled the giant horse into the city.

9. Iliad That night, the Greeks quietly crawled out of the horse and opened the city gates. The rest of the Greek army, who had sailed back to Troy after dark, entered the city gates.

10. Iliad The Greeks then captured the city and rescued Helen and took her home!

11. Odyssey The Odyssey is an epic that tells the story of Odysseus, a Greek hero of the Trojan War. It describes his long trip home after the fall of Troy.

12. Odyssey Odysseus faced storms, monsters, and witches along the way. He finally returned to his wife.

13. Odyssey According to the poem, it takes Odysseus 10 years to accomplish his arrival in Greece. Today, people use the word odyssey – a word taken from Odysseus’ name – to describe a long, exciting journey.

14. Iliad and Odyssey Greeks believed the Iliad and the Odyssey were more than stories. They believed that the epics were real history. These poems gave the Greeks an ideal past with a cast of heroes.

15. Homer’s Writing Homer’s stories taught courage and honor. They also taught that it was important to be loyal to your friends and to value relationship between husband and wife. The stories showed heroes striving to be the best they could be. Heroes fought to protect their own honor and their family’s honor. Homer’s heroes became role models for Greek boys.