Title: An introduction to
1An introduction to The Odyssey
2TIMELINE 1600 - 1100 BCE Heroic
Age Flourishing of the Greek
Empire -------------------------------------------
-------------------------------- 1193 BCE City
of Troy is destroyed -----------------------------
---------------------------------------------- 110
0 750 BCE Dark Age ----------------------------
----------------------------------------------- 75
0 500 BCE Renaissance of Greek
Empire Time of Homer and Hesiod --------------
--------------------------------------------------
----------- 500 400 BCE Rise and Fall of
Athens Golden Age of Greece
Persian and Peloponnesian
Wars ---------------------------------------------
------------------------------ 400 300
BCE Macedonian Invasion End of Greek Empire
3Overview of the Age of Heroes
- The Greek Empire dates back to around 1600 BCE.
- From 1600-1100 BCE, the empire flourished.
- However, it went into a dark age that lasted
until around 750 BCE. -
4The Age of Heroes
- The city of Troy (see map) was destroyed around
1193 BCE, likely by Greeks seeking trade routes
through the Dardanelles. - The Iliad and The Odyssey, Homers immortal epic
poems, are about the Trojan War. - The epics are part of the historical credo of
ancient Greece because they tell of a time when
the Greek city-states were unified and powerful
politically.
5The Age of Heroes
- In The Odyssey, Greeks are referred to as
- Achaeans
- Argives
- Danaans
- Myceneans
- These names represent the different cities or
island states of the Greek empire. - Troy is referred to as Ilium, one of the names of
this ancient city.
6The Ideals of the Heroic Age
- The Heroic Age is a semi-mythical time in the
Greek civilization from 1400 to 1100 BCE. - While Homer did not live during the Heroic Age,
he wrote about it extensively. - According to Greek traditions, humans during this
time lived in closer contact with the gods. - This was the time of the Trojan War (1193 BCE)
- Democratic ideals flourished under the mythical
king of Athens, Theseus.
7The Ideals of the Heroic Age
- In ancient Greece, men were judged by arete, not
by birth and could achieve a higher social status
by thoughts and deeds. - Three major sins in Greece were
- Blasphemy against or disrespect towards the gods
- Treachery or betrayal of a host or guest
- Shedding or spilling the blood of relatives
8The Author
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10The Author
- Nearly 3,000 years after they were composed, The
Iliad and The Odyssey remain two of the most
widely read stories ever told, but next to
nothing is known about their author. - What is known is that he was an accomplished
Greek bard that was blind and probably lived in
the late 8th and early 7th centuries BCE. - His work was inspired by a long tradition of
unwritten, oral poetry.
11What is an Epic Poem?
- An epic poem is a long poem that deals with the
origins of a people or nation or religious
beliefs. - Epic poems are presented in a structured format.
The Iliad and The Odyssey are composed in
dactylic hexameter. - Gods or supernatural beings play a role in epic
poetry. - In epic poetry, mortals or heroes fight against
great odds and ultimately triumph, although for
humans, death is always lurking in the distance. - Epic poetry usually contains an detailed scenes
of violence and gore. - The setting of an epic poem is global.
12What is an Epic Poem?
- Epic poems are narrated in objective, third
person point of view. - In an epic poem, the story or narrative starts in
medias res, or, in the middle of things, with an
invocation to the gods or Muses. - Epic poems pose an epic question that addresses a
crucial theme of human life.
13What is a myth?
- A myth is a traditional story whose author is
unknown. It has its roots in the folk-beliefs of
cultures and uses the supernatural to attempt to
explain nature, man and the gods. - Myths teach us that we are responsible for our
own fate. - These stories are passed down by word-of-mouth,
also called oral tradition.
14Why do we read myths?
- Myths explore and challenge ideas of the human
condition - Myths provide a glimpse into other cultures and
their values - In our culture today, do we experience heroism,
love, jealousy, war, tragedy, and triumph? - Think about the news and current eventscan you
think of something that involved one of the above
named elements?
15What do all epics and myths have in common?
- A HERO!
- A man, often of divine ancestry, who is endowed
with great courage and strength, celebrated for
his bold exploits and favored by the gods, with a
noble purpose (will risk and sacrifice own life) - A tragic hero suffers as a result of a tragic
flaw a vice as a result of internal conflict
16The Gods Goddesses
17The Titans
- The Titans, also known as the elder gods, ruled
the earth before the Olympians overthrew them. - The ruler of the Titans was Cronus who was
de-throned by his son Zeus. - Most of the Titans fought with Cronus against
Zeus and were punished by being banished to
Tartarus. - During their rule the Titans were associated with
the various planets.
18The Olympians
- The Olympians are a group of twelve gods who
ruled after the overthrow of the Titans. - All the Olympians are related in some way. They
are named after their dwelling place Mount
Olympus.
19Ahhhto be Immortal
- Each story has gods, goddesses, and monsters.
- The gods are immortal. Immortals are beings who
can not die. - These gods are much like real people they forgot
stuff, they became jealous, they can be kind or
ruthless.
20ZEUS
- King of the gods
- God of the sky
- weapon thunderbolt
- god of justice and
- punisher of evil-doers
21Aphrodite
- goddess of love most beautiful of all goddesses
- Sometimes worshipped as a war goddess and the
goddess of sailors - She was the essential cause of the Trojan War.
During the war and after she sided with the
Trojans, not the Greeks. She and Poseidon kept
Odysseus from going home.
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23Hera
- Zeus wife
- Supreme goddess
24Ares The Bad Boy
- Zeus Heras son
- god of war
- tall, vain, cruel
25Hades
- god of the underworld
- Zeus brother
- unpitying and horrible
26Apollo
- god of music, light and archery
- drives the sun like a chariot across the sky
27Hermes
- V.I.G. Very Important God
- Messenger for the gods
- Most clever of all gods
- In The Odyssey, Hermes saves Odysseus from the
island of Calypso. - In several stories, it is Hermes job to deliver
weapons and saving items to heroes.
28Poseidon
- a.k.a. Neptune God of the sea, earthquakes and
horses - Although he is one of the supreme gods of Mount
Olympus, he spends most of his time in his watery
domain - Zeus and Hades brother the three divided up
creation Zeus is the ruler of the sky, Poseidon
is the ruler of all water and Hades is the ruler
of the underworld
29Poseidon contd.
- In The Odyssey, Poseidon wanted to punish
Odysseus for blinding how son. He could not kill
Odysseus because he was favored by the other
gods, so Poseidon doomed Odysseus to wander the
seas unable to get home.
30Athena
- V.I.G. Very Important Goddess
- goddess of wisdom, war and the arts
- Zeus favorite daughter sprang full grown in
armor from his forehead (no mother) allowed to
use Zeus weapons, including his thunderbolt - Athena LOVES Odysseus he is her favorite mortal
remember summer reading
31Artemis
- Apollos twin
- goddess of the hunt
32Hephaestus Dionysus
- youngest of The Olympians
- god of wine
33Iris Perseus
- half-human/half-god, son of Zeus
- slays Medusa
34Mothers
- DEMETER
- Persephones mother goddess of the harvest
- Persephone is the queen of the underworld Zeus
daughter
- GAEA
- goddess of the earth and all living things
- Mother
- Earth
35Important Monsters
- Cyclops
- one-eyed monster associated with metal working
and weapon building - represents chaos and evil
- father Neptune
- one of the major reasons Odysseus cant get home
- Sirens
- type of nymph beautiful half-woman, half-bird
- lure sailors to their death with their song that
makes people forget everything and die from
hunger - seductive, sensual, mesmerizing but deadly
- Where have you seen
- a siren before???
36The Odyssey and The Iliad
- These two epic poems tell the tales around the
Trojan War. - The Trojan War is believed to have taken place in
ancient Troy, around 1200 BCE. - The ruins of this ancient city in Asia Minor
(Turkey) were discovered in the early part of the
20th century. - The Iliad is the tale of the war itself, and The
Odyssey is the story of one Greek hero, Odysseus,
as he tries to sail back home to Ithaca.
37Possible Routes of Odysseus' Travels
38The Trojan War
- It all begins with a beauty contest
- On the side of Trojans Aphrodite, Ares, Artemis,
Apollo, Zeus - On the side of Greeks Athena, Hera, Poseidon
39The Trojan War
You will learn all about the war and events
leading up to Odysseus journey in The Odyssey
from The Iliad PowerPoint presentation you will
view for homework.
40The Epic
41The Odyssey
- The epic is divided into two parts
- Part One The Voyage Home (Books 1-12)
- 1-4 Epic question Voyage of Telemachus
- 5-8 Odysseus in Ogygia
- 9-12 Court of Phaeacia. Odysseus narrates the
story of his voyage from Troy to Ogygia
42The Odyssey
- Part Two Odysseus Regains His Kingdom (Books
13-24) - 13-16 Touching reunion scenes with Eumaeus and
Telemachus, who arrive home just after Odysseus - 17-20 Penelope learns of his arrival and is put
into a sleep. His Nurse recognizes him. His dog
barks at him. - 20-24 Retribution and Reconciliation
43The Odyssey
- At the beginning of The Odyssey, it is almost 20
years after Odysseus left home to go fight the
Trojans, a task he did not want. - He is stuck on the island of Ogygia, with the
beautiful enchantress and sea goddess, Calypso,
who promises him immortality if he stays with
her.
44The Odyssey
- The poem starts with an argument between Athena
and Zeus, and the epic question is proposed - Why is it that Odysseus chooses a human life of
mortality and suffering? - The gods are so moved by the depth of his human
love for Penelope, they decide to let him go home
to Ithaca.
45The Odyssey
- In the meantime, Odysseus son Telemachus is now
grown, and suitors for his mothers hand are a
huge and dangerous nuisance. - He heads out on his own voyage to Sparta, to see
if Menelaus and the notorious Helen can tell him
news of his father. (Books 1-4) - The poem uses this double narrative very
effectively to create suspense and dramatic
tension.
46Literary Views of Odysseus
- The epic journey is a genre that has lasted
through Western literature. - The untested young hero, often of uncertain
parentage, goes forth to seek truth, fights
against superhuman odds, and often travels to the
realm of death itself. - He achieves glory and rewards, suffers great
losses, and learns a key lesson of human life
the inescapable fact of mortality.
47Its all Greek to me!
- Think about allusions to Greek mythology that you
recognize in our society. Any of these come to
mind? - Achilles heel
- Herculean task
- Apollo 13 mission
- Honda Odyssey
- Starbucks logo
- Olympics Olympians
- Disney movies ? whos King Tritan from The Little
Mermaid? - Pandora
- Nike
- Tennessee Titans
- Trident gum
- Can you think of some more???