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Introduction:
Black Ships Before Troy:
The Story of the Iliad
An adaptation of an ancient classic...
● Black Ships Before Troy is a modern,
kid-friendly adaptation of an epic written in
Ancient Greece by the poet Homer.
● The original story is called The Iliad. It is
one of the most famous pieces of literature
in the world.
The Iliad: An Epic Tale
● The Iliad is considered
an epic story.
● Epic stories have the following
characteristics:
Source for Characteristics of the Epic: https://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/documents/Epic.pdf
Characteristics of the Epic: Heros
● The heros in an epic story are of great
importance to their society and/or the
world.
● They are great warriors,
kings, or demigods
Characteristics of the Epic: Setting
● The setting is vast.
● It covers multiple countries, the world, or
even the universe.
Characteristics of the Epic: Action
● The action of the story involves deeds of
great valor that require superhuman
courage.
Characteristics of the Epic: Supernatural
Forces
● Supernatural forces, such as gods and
goddesses, play important roles in the
action of the story.
What is the story about?
● Black Ships Before Troy: The
Story of the Iliad is about the
Trojan War.
● The Trojan war is a mythical war between
Troy and Greece.
● It all begins because of a woman named
Helen.
Did it really happen?
● The Trojan War, as it is told in the book, did NOT really
happen.
● The story is part of Greek Mythology.
● There is archaeological evidence that Troy did exist and
that it experienced a dramatic downfall.
● However, there is no evidence to show that the events
that take place in the story actually occurred.
Source: http://pages.ucsd.edu/~dkjordan/arch/iliad/IliadGuide04.html
questions?
Going back to the book cover...
Armies: Troy v. Greece
Woman: Helen--she is in the middle because
the war began because of her
Ships moving: In the story, armies come from
all over the ancient world to fight with the side
they agree with.
Red: Blood and death during war