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Greek mythology (Classics 101a)
Lecture Outline: The Homeric Epics and the Composition Question
I.
Homer
-nothing certain is known of his life
-according to tradition he was from Ionia, possibly from Chios or Smyrna
-legend has it that he was blind
II.
The “Homeric Question”
-most ancient and modern scholars up to the 18th century assumed that
Homer wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey
-Josephus, an ancient historian, is a notable early exception
-in the 18th century, Robert Wood posed the idea regarding oral
composition again; F.A. Wolf suggested that Homer composed
shorter poems which were later put together into the form that we
now have them
-Wolf’s suggestion led scholars to try to separate out the original parts
of the poem from later additions
= Analyst School
-Other scholars analyzed the actual language of the epics, noting that
the Greek of the epics is a combination of Aeolic forms
(early) and Ionic forms (late), with some Attic forms present
as well.
-Historical clues in the text are also problematic since there are artifacts
from different time periods.
Examples:
-both bronze and iron are used
-two marriage systems operate
texts are a mixture of different periods of time as well as dialects
-Unitarian Approach focused on the epic as a whole, on its merits, its
design, etc.
III.
Milman Parry and Albert Lord
-in the 1930s, the work of Milman Parry and Albert Lord convincingly
demonstrated the oral nature of the Homeric poems.
-they showed that epithets and formulaic lines and passages
are the building blocks of the oral poet
-Epithet: noun-adjective group that fits into a particular position of the
metrical line.
Examples:
swift-footed Achilles
ox-eyed Hera
rosy-fingered Dawn
much-suffering Odysseus
the epics are improvisational poetry in many respects, as the oral poet never
delivers the same version twice
IV.
The Iliad
-background to Trojan War
-judgment of Paris
-Helen and Paris
-violation of Xenia
V.
Achilles
-son of Thetis, a goddess, and Peleus a mortal. She tries to make her son
immortal but fails.
-fated to die an early but glorious death at Troy. In addition, Troy will not
be able to be taken without him
-Thetis tries to circumvent this fate, to no avail.
Greek mythology (Classics 101)
Lecture Outline: The Iliad (Books 1-8)
I.
Book One
-opens with invocation to the Muses for inspiration
-first word, menis (wrath) identifies main topic of the epic: the wrath of
Achilles and its affect upon him and upon the Greeks
Chief events in Book One:
Chryses, priest of Apollo, tries to give ransom money for the return of his
daughter Chryseis; Agamemnon refuses to return girl
Chryses prays to Apollo to send plague upon the Greeks
Calchas’ explanation of plague
Quarrel between Agamemnon and Achilles
Withdrawal of Achilles of battle
Chryseis put on board ship to be returned to her father
Agamemnon sends men to take Briseis from Achilles
Achilles prays to his mother Thetis
Chryseis is returned to her father
Thetis asks Zeus to punish the Greeks for their treatment of Achilles; Zeus
agrees.
II.
Book Two
Chief events in Book Two:
Agamemnon’s False Dream
Agamemnon’s test of the troops
Thersites episode
Catalogue of the ships
III.
Book Three
Chief events in Book Three:
Paris and Menelaus agree to duel
“Helen on the wall” (Teichoscopia)
Actual duel between Paris and Menelaus
IV.
Book Four
Chief events in Book Four:
Truce is broken by the Trojan Pandarus (at Athena’s urging)
Menelaus is wounded and healed
Agamemnon urges troops on
Battle scenes
V.
Book Five
Chief events in Book Five:
Aristeia of Diomedes:
Diomedes is wounded by Pandarus
Athena aids Diomedes
Diomedes fights Aeneas and Pandarus
Diomedes kills Pandarus
Aphrodite rescues Aeneas
Diomedes wounds Aphrodite
Diomedes goes after Aeneas (now protected by Apollo)
Athena and Diomedes fight against Ares
Diomedes wounds Ares
VI.
Book Six
Chief events in Book Six :
Hector returns to Troy to ask women to pray to Athena
Glaucus and Diomedes scene
Hector in Troy:
Hector with Paris and Helen
Hector with Andromache and Astyanax
full picture of Hector
VII.
Book Seven
Chief events in Book Seven :
Ajax and Hector fight to a draw
Antenor suggests that Trojans give Helen and her possessions back to the
Greeks; Paris says he will give the possessions back but not Helen.
Both sides bury their dead
VIII
Book Eight
Chief events in Book Eight :
A battle book in which the Trojans have the advantage
Zeus forbids the gods to participate in the battle
Zeus supports the Trojans in battle, to Athena’s and Hera’s dismay
Athena and Hera try to go into battle
Zeus foretells the fate of Patroclus and Achilles’ return to battle
.
Greek mythology (Classics 101)
Lecture Outline: The Iliad (Books 9-12)
I.
Book Nine
Key Events in Book Nine:
Assembly:
Diomedes criticizes Agamemnon for his defeatist attitude
Meeting with “elders”:
Nestor points out Agamemnon’s responsibility
Agamemnon acknowledges his role
Embassy to Achilles:
Phoenix
Odysseus
Ajax
Refusal of Achilles to accept Agamemnon’s gifts (why?)
II.
Book Ten
Key Events in Book Ten:
Diomedes and Odysseus apprehend the Trojan spy Dolon
Diomedes and Odysseus raid the camp of the Thracian Rhesus and slaughter
troops
Description of boar’s tusk helmet
III.
Book Eleven
Key Events in Book Eleven:
Battle scenes with Agamemnon at the forefront
Agamemnon is wounded
Battle scenes with Diomedes and Odysseus; Diomedes is wounded, Odysseus
is hemmed in
Achilles sends Patroclus to ask Nestor who has been wounded
Nestor’s plan
IV.
Book Twelve
Key Events in Book Twelve:
A battle book:
Battle at the wall built around Greek ships
Trojans dominate
Glaucus and Sarpedon fight in forefront
Wall is breached
Greek mythology (Classics 101)
Lecture Outline: The Iliad (Books 13-16)
I.
Book Thirteen
Key Events in Book Thirteen:
Poseidon urges the Greeks on in battle (assuming the persona of Calchas)
various battle scenes at the ships
II.
Book Fourteen
Key Events in Book Fourteen:
Nestor meets with the wounded Greek leaders (Agamemnon, Diomedes and
Odysseus)
seduction of Zeus by Hera
Greeks rout Trojans
III.
Book Fifteen
Key Events in Book Fifteen:
Zeus awakens and sees that Poseidon is helping the Greeks and the Trojans
are being defeated; Zeus reverses the situation
Zeus foretells the deaths of Patroclus and Hector and the defeat of Troy.
Zeus continues to aid the Trojans (for the time being) to honor Thetis’ request.
Iris tells Poseidon to stop helping the Greeks.
IV.
Book Sixteen
Key Events in Book Sixteen:
Patroclus pleads with Achilles to send him out in battle, wearing his armor
Achilles agrees (note his words of warning)
The Greek ships are set on fire
Arming of Patroclus
Patroclus and the Myrmidons enter battle
Battle between Sarpedon and Patroclus
Patroclus kills Sarpedon (note: even Zeus cannot prevent Sarpedon’s fate)
Trojans fight for Sarpedon’s body, but withdraw
Greeks strip Sarpedon’s armor
Patroclus presses on, unmindful of Achilles’ warning
Hector (+ Apollo and Euphorbus) kills Patroclus
Greek mythology (Classics 101)
Lecture Outline: The Iliad (Books 17-24)
I.
Key Events in Book 17:
Fight over the corpse of Patroclus
Hector strips Patroclus of Achilles’ armor and puts it on
Description of Achilles’ horses and their grief
II.
Key events in Book 18:
Achilles learns of Patroclus’ death and recognizes his part in his destruction
Thetis goes to Hephaistos to get new armor for Achilles
Fight over Patroclus’ body continues; body is retrieved
Description of Achilles’ new armor (ekphrasis)
III.
Key Events in Book 19:
Thetis delivers armor to Achilles and tells Achilles to call an assembly and
renounce his anger against Agamemnon
Agamemnon and Achilles are reconciled
Briseis and gifts are given to Achilles
Greek elders beg Achilles to eat
Achilles laments over the body of Patroclus
Athena gives Achilles ambrosia and nectar to keep him from weakening
Achilles arms himself and returns to battle
Achilles’ horse Xanthus foretells Achilles’ death
IV.
Key Events in Book 20:
Zeus calls an assembly of the gods and tells the gods to help whichever side they
want
The gods join the battle and even fight one another
Achilles fights Aeneas
Hector and Achilles square off but Apollo saves Hector
Continuing battle scenes with Achilles
V.
Key Events in Book 21:
Achilles’ rampage continues
Achilles divides Trojan army in half:
he chases half toward the city
he forces the other half toward the river Xanthus, which becomes filled
with the dead
Achilles captures 12 Trojan youths whom he will later sacrifice on
Patroclus’ pyre
Achilles kills Lycaon, son of Priam, as he supplicates him
River Xanthus rises against Achilles
Gods fight one another
All Trojans who can retreat within the walls of the city
VI.
Key Events in Book 22:
Hector remains outside the walls of Troy despite Priam’s and Hecuba’s pleas
Hector is chased by Achilles around the walls of Troy
Athena (as Deiphobus) tells Hector to face Achilles
Hector addresses Achilles before they engage in battle and asks that they each
respect the body of the defeated one
Battle between Hector and Achilles; Hector is slain
Hector’s body is mutilated
Hecuba and Priam learn of Hector’s death and lament from the walls of Troy
Andromache learns of Hector’s death
VII.
Key Events in Book 23:
Burial of Patroclus
Funeral games in honor of Patroclus
VIII.
Key Events in Book 24:
Achilles continues to defile Hector’s body by dragging it around Patroclus’ tomb.
The gods decide the desecration of Hector’s body must stop. Thetis informs
Achilles that he must accept Priam’s ransom; Iris tells Priam that he should go to
Achilles with gifts to ransom his son’s body.
Hermes leads Priam to Achilles
Priam entreats Achilles to return Hector’s body and he offers the ransom
The two men grieve together
Achilles leaves the hut to get Hector’s body
Achilles and Priam share a meal
Achilles agrees to an 11-day truce so that the Trojans may bury Hector
Priam sleeps outside Achilles’ hut but leaves early in the morning, at Hermes’
prompting
Priam returns to Troy with Hector’s body
Laments of Priam, Hecuba, Andromache and Helen over the body of Hector
Funeral of Hector