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When The Odyssey was written….
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People were curious about the past (just like
today).
However, unlike today people stored historical
information in their minds, rather than in books,
tapes, or video.
Of the few historical storytellers from ancient
Greece whose names we still know today, one of
the greatest was a man known simply as Homer
(there will be much more about him later in this
slideshow).
Homer and
his Times
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Although the precise
dates are uncertain most
experts believe that
Homer composed and
recited his poems
(including The Odyssey
and The Iliad ) over
2,700 years ago.
At this time Greece was
emerging from an age of
illiteracy and political
confusion, and was
nostalgic for the
Mycenaean era 500 years
earlier.
Homer and his Times
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Because Homer’s audience was curious and
fascinated by the Mycenaean era many of his
tales take place in this time period.
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Including The Odyssey and The Iliad
Historical Setting of The Odyssey
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The Trojan War was
over. The clever
Greek, Odysseus had
tricked the enemy
into bringing a
colossal wooden
horse within the walls
of Troy.
Historical Setting of The Odyssey
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The Greeks had been
laying siege to Troy
for nine long years,
but suddenly it looked
like their whole army
had departed, leaving
the horse behind.
Historical Setting of The Odyssey
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That night, while the
Trojans slept,
Odysseus and his
men emerged from
the horse's belly.
Opening the city
gates, they admitted
their comrades, who
had snuck back in the
dark.
Historical Setting
of The Odyssey
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Troy was sacked and the
Trojans utterly
vanquished. Now it was
time for Odysseus and his
fellow warriors to return
to their kingdoms across
the sea.
Here begins the tale of
the Odyssey, as sung by
the blind minstrel Homer.
A closer look at Homer (the Poet)
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Homer
Even though Homer is
one of the most famous
figures in literature, very
little is known about his
life.
There is no record of
who he was, when or
where he was born, or
how long he lived.
Homer
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Scholars even debate about whether Homer
created both The Iliad and The Odyssey.
Because the story was passed down orally for
generations, some scholars believe the epic
poems were created by many different people.
Others believe Homer told the stories as a
wandering minstrel. Still others argue that
Homer was actually a woman.
Homer
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Most scholars agree, however, that Homer was blind.
And scholars also agree that Homer’s works were shared
orally.
In other words, these stories were never written down.
Look through your textbook and notice how long The
Odyssey is. Can you imagine memorizing this entire
poem??
Homer
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So when you read The
Odyssey, remember this
story was recited out
loud.
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Imagine ancient people
sitting around a fire,
listening as an amazing
storyteller recounted
tales of the Cyclops or
the Sirens.
A Guide to Greek Mythology
Myths
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Myths are stories created in an attempt to
explain the universe.
Ancient people needed to explain
phenomena that modern scientists have
clarified for us, so they had stories about
gods and goddesses to tell why the
seasons change, why the sun rises and
how stars were placed in the sky.
Myths explain…
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Nature – where does Earth come from?
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Heavens: sun, moon, stars, etc.
Seasons: climate, rain, fertility
Geography: oceans, mountains, forests
Myths explain…
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Man – Where does man come from?
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His
His
His
His
life: birth, growth, reproduction, death
victories: glories in battle
defeats: misfortunes
end: rewards and punishments
Myths explain…
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Gods – where do the gods come from?
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Where the gods come from
Number of gods: how many, their regions
Role of gods: their powers and weaknesses
Mythology References
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Advertising
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Atlas cement: strong
Midas mufflers: save
money
Mercury cars: speed
Ajax cleaner: strong
Venus pencils:
beautiful
Apollo pianos: musical
Mythology References
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Language
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Janitor: Janos
Martial: Mars
Museum: Muses
Volcano: Vulcan
Hypnotism: Hypnos
Thursday: Thors day
March : Mars
Where the gods come from
Where the gods come from
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Out of Chaos (confusion) emerge two
beings
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Gaea: Mother Earth
Uranus: Heavens
Gaea and Uranus have kids
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12 Titans
Monsters
Gaea and Uranus’ Children
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Some of the 12 Titans
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Cronus: youngest and
strongest, Zeus’ father
Hyperion: sun
Mnemosyne: memory
Oceanus: ruled the sea
Rhea: great mother, Zeus’
mother
Tethys: ruled the sea
Thea: moon
Themis: law and justice,
pictured
Gaea and Uranus’ Children
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Monsters
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Hecatonchires:
hundred hands
Three Cyclopes:
one-eyed
The Plot…
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Uranus hates all of his
children, particularly the
monsters who he sends
to the underworld,
Tartarus
Gaea asks the Titans to
rescue the monsters, but
only Cronus agrees to
help
Cronus overthrows his
father, Uranus, and
becomes the ruler of the
earth, pictured
Cronus and Rhea get Married
(yes…they were brother and sister)
Cronus (now ruler of the earth) and
Rhea get married and have 6
children
Hades
Poseidon
Hera
Zeus
Demeter
Hestia
More Plot…
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Cronus now fears that his
children will destroy him,
so he swallows all of
them but Zeus, who
escapes with Rhea’s help
When Zeus grows up, he
and his mother, Rhea,
wage war on Cronus.
More Plot…
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A long battle follows
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Cronus vomits up his
children, pictured
The monsters help
Zeus and give him
weapons
Cronus, who is
assisted by some of
the Titans, is defeated.
After Zeus defeats Cronus…
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Zeus divides the world with his brothers
and sisters
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Hades: in charge of the underworld
Poseidon: in charge of oceans, horses and
earthquakes
Zeus: in charge of gods and men from Mt.
Olympus
Hestia: goddess of hearth and home
Demeter: goddess of agriculture
Zeus and his siblings reigned from
Mt. Olympus
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Between Macedonia and
Thesaly
10,000 feet in altitude
Top is always covered
with snow
Who’s Who Among Greek Gods
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Council on Mt. Olympus
The Muses
Fates
Fates
Monsters
Nymphs
Minor Gods
Council of 13 gods on Mt. Olympus
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Aphrodite: love
Apollo: light & truth
Ares: war
Artemis: hunt
Athena: wisdom
Demeter: harvest
Hades: underworld
Hephaestus: armor
Hera: family, queen of the gods
Hermes: messenger
Hestia: hearth
Poseidon: ocean
Zeus: thunder & lightning, king of
the gods
The Muses
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Daughters of Mnemosyne and
Zeus
Each preside over a different
art or science
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Clio – history
Euterpe – lyric poetry, music
Thalia – comedy
Melpomene – tragedy
Terpsichore – dancing, chorus
Polyhymnia – religious poetry
Erato – love poetry
Urania – astronomy
Calliope – epic poetry
Furies
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Also known as the
Erinyes
Winged and have hair of
writhing serpents
Created from Uranus’
blood
Three horrible sisters who
torment evildoers and
punish them for their sins
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Tisiphone
Megaera
Alecto
Fates
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Also known as Moirae
Control everything,
even Zeus
Clotho – spins web of
life (birth)
Lachesis – gives each
man his fate
Atropus – cuts the
fatal web (death)
Monsters
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Cerberus: vile, threeheaded dog that guards
the gates of Hades
Charybdis: swallows the
sea
Cyclopes: fearsome oneeyed giants, Polyphemus
is the most famous
Scylla: eats sailors,
pictured
Nymphs
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Some minor nature deities
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Land
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Water
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Dryads – live in trees as long
as the tree lives
Oreads – live in mountains
and grottoes
Naiads – Found mostly in
fresh water. The Sirens, who
lure sailors to ruin by their
singing, are Naiads
Oceanids – Found mostly in
salt water. Calypso is a
famous one
Wood
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Lampades – found in the
underworld
Minor Gods
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Dike: goddess of justice
Nemesis: spirit of just
anger and punishment
Nike: goddess of victory,
pictured
Phosphor: morning star
Hesperus: evening star
Aeolus: king of four winds
3 Charities: graces
3 Horae: seasons
Zeus has children with many goddesses and
mortals. They play important roles in Greek myths.
Divine
Mortal
Ananke
Demeter
Dione
Hera
Eos
Leto
Maia
Metis
Mnemosyne
Selene
Themis
Aegina
Alcmene
Antiope
Callisto
Carme
Danae
Elara
Electra
Europa
Eurynome
Himalia
Iodame
Io
Lamia
Laodamia
Leda
Maera
Niobe
Olympias
Plouto
Podarge
Pyrrha
Semele
Taygete
Thalia
Deities in “The Odyssey”
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Achilles
Aeneas
Aphrodite
Apollo
Ares
Athena
Hades
Helen
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Hera
Hermes
Iris
Poseidon
Sarpedon
Thetis
Zeus
Achilles Αχιλλεύς
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The most famous Greek
in the Trojan War
Selfless, courageous, and
devoted to the gods—he
is the finest Greek warrior
His mother has made him
invulnerable everywhere
except his heel
Aeneas Αινείας
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The only great Trojan
warrior who survives the
war, protected by his
mother, Aphrodite
He flees Troy, carrying his
father on his back and
leading his child by the
hand
His values are more
Roman than Greek, as he
is first and foremost a
warrior
Aphrodite Aφροδίτη
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Sweet and delicate
goddess of Love, Beauty
and Romance
Often shows formidable
power and is a principal
cause of the Trojan War
In a strange twist, lovely
Aphrodite is married to
the ugly and crippled
Hephaestus
Apollo Aπόλλων
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A son of Zeus and Leto
Artemis’s twin, he is the
god of Light and Truth,
the master of Poetry and
Music, and the god of
Archery
His Oracle at Delphi is
revered for her powers of
prophecy and truth
Ares Άρης
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A vicious god
Hated by both his father,
Zeus, and mother, Hera.
The god of War, he is
always bloody and
ruthless
We see in his vain
bullying that he is also a
coward
Athena Αθηνά
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Emerges from Zeus’s
head fully-grown and
armed
Associated with war,
cleverness, and wit
Favors Odysseus
Goddess of Wisdom,
Reason and Purity
She is chaste like Artemis
and Hestia.
Hades Άδης
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The brother of Zeus
and Poseidon
Rules the underworld,
the realm of the
dead, with his wife,
Persephone.
Helen Ἑλένη
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Greek demi-god daughter
of Zeus and Leda
Wife of Menelaus
Lover of Paris.
Her kidnapping causes
the Trojan war.
Hated by Greeks and
Trojans alike
Hera Ήρα
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Zeus’s wife and sister
Powerful goddess known
mostly for her jealousy
Often vicious and spiteful,
and it is usually Zeus’s
infidelity that incites her
Many unfortunate mortals
endure hardships by
provoking Hera’s wrath
Hermes Ερμής
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Son of Zeus and the Titan
Atlas’s daughter Maia
The messenger of the
gods, he is fast and
cunning
A master thief
The god of Commerce
and the Market
The guide who leads the
dead from Earth to Hades
Iris Ίρις
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Messenger goddess
Responsible for
delivering Zeus'
commands to men
and gods
Most of Zeus' decrees
and interventions are
carried out by her
Poseidon Ποσειδων
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The god of the sea
Zeus’s brother and
second only to him in
power
Holds a decade-long
grudge against Odysseus
The often cruel and
unpredictable violence of
the seas is assumed to be
a result of his anger
Sarpedon Σαρπηδών
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Trojan, demi-god
Son of Zeus, cousin of
Glaucus
Co-leader of Lycian allies
Single-handedly holds the
breach in the Greek wall
Zeus is disappointed
when he dies
Thetis Θέτις
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Queen of the sea-nymphs
Daughter Nereus and
Doris
Mother of Achilles, who
dipped him in the River
Styx by his ankles to
make him invincible
Grand-daughter of Tethys
Zeus Ζεύς
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King of the gods
God of thunder and lightning
Brother of Poseidon and Hades
Husband of Hera
Destroyed his father, Ruler of
the titans (Cronos), with a
sickle
Loves women and has various
relationships throughout Greek
mythology, an idea which was
not as frowned upon then as it
is today
Meanwhile, Four Ages of Man
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Golden Age
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Under Cronus
Garden of Eden existence
No work
 Men happy and good
 No fighting
 No poverty
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Meanwhile, Four Ages of Man
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Silver Age
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Under Zeus
Beginning of the Fall
Seasons created, making work necessary
 Hunger and cold
 Shelters needed
 Men courageous, but not overbearing
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Meanwhile, Four Ages of Man
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Bronze Age
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Men learn to use arms
Men go to war
Iron Age
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Period of crime and dishonor
Gifts of gods abused
Man sinks into degradation