An introduction to

The Odyssey

TIMELINE1600 - 1100 BCE Heroic Age

Flourishing of the Greek Empire---------------------------------------------------------------------------1193 BCE City of Troy is destroyed---------------------------------------------------------------------------1100 – 750 BCE Dark Age---------------------------------------------------------------------------750 – 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

Overview 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.

The 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, Homer’s 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.

The 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.

The 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.

The 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:

1. Blasphemy against or disrespect towards the gods2. Treachery or betrayal of a host or guest 3. Shedding or spilling the blood of relatives

The Author

Homer

The 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.

What 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.

• 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.

What is an Epic Poem?

What 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.

Why 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 events…

can you think of something that involved one of the above named elements?

What 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

The Gods & Goddesses

The 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.

The 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.

Ahhh…to 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.

ZEUS

• King of the gods• God of the sky • weapon = thunderbolt• god of justice and

punisher of evil-doers

Aphrodite

• 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.

Hera

• Zeus’ wife

• Supreme goddess

Ares – “The Bad Boy”

• Zeus & Hera’s son

• god of war

• tall, vain, cruel

Hades

• god of the underworld

• Zeus’ brother

• unpitying and horrible

Apollo

• god of music, light and archery

• drives the sun like a chariot across the sky

Hermes

• 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.

Poseidon• 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

Poseidon 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.

Athena• 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…

Artemis

• Apollo’s twin

• goddess of the hunt

Hephaestus Dionysus

• god of fire • youngest of The Olympians

• god of wine

Iris Perseus

• goddess of the rainbow

• half-human/half-god, son of Zeus

• slays Medusa

Mothers

DEMETER• Persephone’s 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

Important Monsters

Cyclops• one-eyed monster

associated with metal working and weapon building

• represents chaos and evil• father = Neptune• one of the major reasons

Odysseus can’t 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 deadlyWhere have you seen

a siren before???

The 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.

Possible Routes of Odysseus' Travels

The 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

The 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.

The Epic

The OdysseyThe 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

The 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

• 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.

The 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.

The Odyssey

• In the meantime, Odysseus’ son Telemachus is now grown, and suitors for his mother’s 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.

The Odyssey

• 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.

Literary Views of Odysseus

It’s 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 who’s King Tritan from The Little Mermaid?– Pandora– Nike– Tennessee Titans– Trident gum

Can you think of some more???