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An Introduction
The Odyssey
 Myth: a traditional story, usually concerning some
superhuman being or unlikely event once believed to be
true
 Narrative poem: a poem that tells a story and has
characters, setting, plot, and point of view which
combine to develop a theme
 Epic: a long narrative poem about the adventures of a
hero whose actions address the ideals or values of a
nation
 Epic hero: a larger-than-life figure who embodies the
ideals of a nation or race
The Odyssey in a Nutshell
•Odysseus, an epic hero, spends ten years
fighting in The Trojan War. The Greeks,
thanks to Odysseus, win the war; however,
due to some bad choices and bad luck, it
takes our hero another ten years to get back
home to his wife, Penelope, and his son,
Telemachus.
•The Odyssey is essentially a travel tale about
a hero’s struggle to get home, but it also deals
with Telemachus’ struggle to become a man.
The Odyssey and Greek Mythology
Odysseus’ antagonist among the
gods is Poseidon. This presents a
particularly difficult situation
because Odysseus is traveling by
water. Needless to say, Poseidon
makes things difficult for our hero!
Because of his intelligence and his
ingenious schemes, as well as his skill
in battle, Odysseus is Athena’s
favorite! It was because of her
interference that he went to war, but
it was also her help that brings him
home safely.
Odysseus and the Cyclops
•Polyphemus, a Cyclops, is
another character Odysseus
must face in the Odyssey. This
“wheel-eyed” giant is
Poseidon’s son, so it should be
clear after we read the
encounter why Poseidon is so
angry with Odysseus.
•This story offers another
opportunity to show Odysseus’
brain-power, but it also reveals
how his curiosity can be costly.
 Zeus
 Domain: ruler of the gods
 Also known as: the Supreme
Ruler, Lord of the Sky, the RainGod, the Cloud-Gatherer
 Characteristics: not omniscient,
known as a womanizer
 Symbol: thunderbolt
 Hera
 Domain: protector of marriage and
women (ironic!)
 Also known as: Here, Zeus’ wife
 Characteristics: jealous, held
grudges, punished those whom she
thought had done her wrong
 Symbols: pomegranate and
peacock feather
 Poseidon
 Domain: god of the sea,
earthquakes, and horses
 Also known as: the Earth-Shaker,
Zeus’ brother and second in
command
 Characteristics: quarrelsome,
greedy
 Symbols: trident, fish, dolphin,
horse, and bull
 Hades
 Domain: god of the underworld
 Also known as: ruler of the dead,
Zeus’ brother
 Characteristics: greedy, greatly
concerned with increasing his
subjects, unpitying, terrifying,
stern, just
 Symbols: Cerberus the 3-headed
dog, Cypress tree
 Athena
 Domain: goddess of wisdom,
peace, strategic warfare,
handicrafts, and reason
 Also known as: Athene, Zeus’
favorite daughter
 Characteristics: fights bravely but
only to protect her home, Athens
is named for her
 Symbol: owl
 Apollo
 Domain: god of light/sun,
truth/prophecy, medicine/healing,
music/poetry
 Also known as: Zeus’ son, Artemis’
twin
 Characteristics: wonderful musician,
taught man to heal, drove the sun
across the sky each day to create
sunrise and sunset
 Symbols: lyre, bow and arrow
 Artemis
 Domain: goddess of the hunt,
childbirth, forests and hills, and
the moon
 Also known as: lady of the wild
things, huntsman-in-chief to the
gods, Zeus’ daughter, Apollo’s
twin
 Characteristics: chaste, did not
want to be confined by marriage
 Symbol: bow and arrows
 Aphrodite
 Domain: goddess of love and beauty
 Also known as: the laughter-loving
goddess, some myths have her as
Zeus’ daughter, others say she was
born of sea foam, married to
Hephaestus
 Characteristics: physically beautiful,
somewhat conceited, fond of
involving herself in the affairs of
mortals
 Symbols: scepter, myrtle, dove
 Hermes
 Domain: messenger of the gods,
god of commerce and thieves
 Also known as: the patron of
boundaries and travelers, orators
and poets, Zeus’ son
 Characteristics: swift, helpful
 Symbols: the tortoise, rooster,
winged sandals and helmet
 Ares
 Domain: god of war
(unpredictable violence)
and bloodshed
 Also known as: son of Zeus
and Hera
 Characteristics: hateful,
distrusted, murderous, a
coward
 Symbols: vulture, wolf,
burning torch, bronze armor
and spear
 Hephaestus
 Domain: god of technology,
blacksmiths, craftsmen,
artisans and volcanoes
 Also known as: Aphrodite’s
husband, Hera’s son
 Characteristics: considered
ugly, although well-liked
 Symbols: hammer, anvil, tongs
 Hestia
 Domain: goddess of the hearth
(domesticity and family) and the
home
 Also known as: Zeus’ sister
 Characteristics: modest and mild,
charitable, disliked quarrels
 Symbols: hearth
 The Muses
 Domain: not goddesses, but spirits who inspire the creation
of literature and the arts
 Also known as: Zeus’ 9 daughters
 Characteristics: considered the source of knowledge,
carefree, often invoked by poets, bless humans to aid in
healing and comforting
 Symbols: each muse had her own symbol, ranging from a
pen to a globe to the dramatic masks
It’s all Greek to Me!
“Why is this important?”
• For one thing, we see signs from
the Greeks all the time. Can you
think of any?
• Western literature and culture are
chock-full of Greek goodness.
Any ideas?
• It will make you think, and that is
very important!