Text 3: Homer and the Great

Greek Legends

Topic 5: Ancient GreeceLesson 1: Early Greece

Homer and the Great Greek Legends

Not long after their victory over Troy the Mycenaeans themselves came under attack from sea raiders and also from another Greek-speaking people, the Dorians, invaded from the north

As Mycenaean power faded, their people abandoned the cities and trade declined

Homer and the Great Greek Legends

People forgot many skills, including the art of writing

From the end of the Mycenaean civilization in about 1100 B.C.E. until about 800 B.C.E.

Greek civilization seemed to step backward

Homer and the Great Greek Legends

Over time, the newcomers absorbed stories and traditions from the Mycenaeans into their own heritage

In this way, they built on the legacy of earlier civilizations to forge a new, Greek civilization

Two Epic Poems

Historians know little about this period when the Dorians arrived in Greece, but we get hints about life at the time from two great epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey

These epics may have been the work of many people, but they are credited to the poet Homer, who probably lived about 750 B.C.E.

Two Epic Poems

According to tradition, Homer was a blind poet who wandered from village to village, singing of heroic deeds

Like the great Indian epics, Homer’s tales were passed on orally for generations before they were finally written down

The Iliad

The epic tale told in the Iliad is our chief source of information about the Trojan War, although it includes many fantastic stories about gods, goddesses, and even a talking horse

At the start of the poem, Achilles, the mightiest Greek warrior, has withdrawn from battle because he has been unfairly treated and insulted by his commander

The Iliad

The war soon turns against the Greeks, but Achilles stubbornly refuses to listen to pleas that he rejoin the fighting

Only after his best friend is killed does Achilles return to battle to strike down many Trojans

The Iliad's first word and major theme is anger, especially the anger of Achilles

The Iliad

The singer-storyteller calls on the goddess of memory to tell the story of how anger caused great losses and misery for Greeks and Trojans alike

The Odyssey

The Odyssey tells of the many struggles of the Greek hero Odysseus on his return home to his faithful wife, Penelope, after the fall of Troy

On his long voyage, Odysseus encounters a sea monster, a race of one-eyed giants, and a beautiful sorceress who turns men into swine

The Odyssey

In the Odyssey, the first word is man, and the story show the many sides of the man Odysseus

He is a determined resourceful hero who must overcome great odds to make it home

The Odyssey features the story of the Trojan Horse, which allowed the Greeks to win their victory over Troy

The Odyssey

The Iliad and Odyssey reveal much about the values and culture of the ancient Greeks

The heroes display honor, courage, and eloquence

Legacy of Homer’s Epics

Tales from the Iliad and Odyssey have been told and retold for almost 3,000 years

The Greeks thought of Homer as their greatest poet, a cultural hero

His epics have been admired throughout later Western civilization, and their stories have inspired Western writers and artists to the present

Legacy of Homer’s Epics

The epics portray a wide range of characters, some brave and courageous, others cowardly and weak

Almost every kind of character written about since then was first captured in Homer’s epics, including the faithful dog Argus, who waited patiently for the return of his master, Odysseus

Legacy of Homer’s Epics

Homer’s epics reflected the Greek world view, which later had much influence on the Western world

The gods played a role, but they had the same weaknesses as humans

The key figures were individual humans who displayed reason, intelligence, courage, honor and restraint

A Legacy for the Future

After the Dorian invasions, Greece passed several centuries in obscurity

The people lived in small isolated villages and had few contacts with the outside world

Over time they made the stories about Crete and Mycenae a part of their heritage

A Legacy for the Future

They built upon the legacy of those and other civilizations to forge a new Greek civilization

When it emerged, this Greek civilization would not only dominate the region; it would ultimately extend the influence of Greek culture over most of the Western world