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The Odyssey
By Homer
Homer
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Legendary Greek poet,
author of the Iliad and
Odyssey
The authorship of The
Odyssey is typically
attributed to Homer,
although the topic has
been debated for
centuries. Interestingly,
there are some who even
believe that the author of
The Odyssey might have
been a woman!
The Iliad
Homer’s other
important work, The
Iliad, is about the
great Greek warrior
Achilles and is set
during the Trojan War.
The war was fought
between the Greeks
and Trojans in the
city of Troy. The war
lasted for ten years.
The Trojan War
The Trojan War was
waged, according to
legend, because of
sexual jealousy: The
world’s most beautiful
woman, Helen,
abandoned her
husband, Menelaus,
the Greek king of
Sparta, and ran off
with Paris, prince of
Troy.
“The face that launched a thousand ships…”
To avenge the insults
suffered by King
Menelaus of Sparta,
the Greek kings
banded together. In
a fleet of a thousand
ships, they sailed
across the Aegean
Sea an laid siege to
the walled city of
Troy and to reclaim
Helen from Paris and
the city of Troy.
The Setting of The Trojan War
Because the city of Troy was built on a hill and
surrounded by a huge brick wall, the Greeks
were unable to penetrate the city.
Odysseus – Hero of The Odyssey
Odysseus was one
of the Greek kings
who went to Troy
to fight in this long
battle. A reluctant
warrior, Odysseus
tried to avoid going
to battle, especially
to fight for an
unfaithful woman.
A Ten Year War….
Once in Troy, Odysseus
performed will as a
commander & soldier.
But the great war had
lasted or ten years; the
Greeks had been
fighting outside the
walls of Troy, unable to
penetrate the city.
Odysseus came up with
a plan. It was he who
thought of the famous
wooden horse trick that
would lead to the
downfall of Troy.
The Wooden-Horse Trick
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Odysseus’s plan was
to build an enormous
wooden horse and
hide a few Greek
soldiers in the hollow
belly.
After the horse was
built, the Greeks
pushed it up to the
gates of Troy and
retreated.
“Beware Greeks bearing gifts.”
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Believing they had won the
war and that this gift was
an offering, the Trojans
brought the horse into the
city.
That night, as the Trojans
celebrated victory, the
Greeks hidden inside the
hollow belly came out,
opened the gats of Troy,
and began the battle that
was to win the war.
The Odyssey begins…..
Ten years after the end of the Trojan War.
Nearly 20 years have passed since
Odysseus left his home, his wife, and his
young son. The events of The Odyssey
include Odysseus’s version of the past 10
years as he has been trying to reach his
home, Ithaca, as well as the events that
occur after he reaches his homeland.
Important Places
 Troy:
the setting of the Trojan War
 Ithaca: Odysseus’ homeland, the Greek
region that Odysseus ruled
 Phaeacia: island kindom ruled by King
Alcinous
 Aeaea: home of Circe, the enchantress
 Thrinacia: island where the sun god keeps his
cattle
 Acheaea: another word for “Greece” and the
home of the Achaeans (Greeks)
Important Characters
Penelope: Odysseus’ faithful wife
 Telemachus: Odysseus’ son
 Argos: Odysseus’ faithful dog
 Suitors: the men who hope to marry Penelope
 Antinous: most arrogant and cruel of the suitors
 Eumaeus: a swineherd and one of Odysseus’s
loyal servants
 Eurylochus: a member of Odysses’s loyal crew
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On his voyage home, Odysseus meets….
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Calypso: a beautiful nymph goddess who keeps him on her
island for 7 years
Charybdis: a female monster who sucks in water three
times a day to form a whirlpool
Scylla: a female monster with 6 heads
Circe: an enchantress who turns Odysseus’s men into
swine
Lotus Eaters: people who feed Odysseus’ men to make
them forget about Ithaca
Cyclopes: a race of brutish one-eyed giants who live as
shepherds
Polyphemus: a Cyclops and son of Poseidon
Sirens: sea nymphs with voices so beautiful that men
steer their ships into the dangerous rocks to their deaths
The Gods & Goddesses
Zeus: ruler of all gods & humans
 Athena: daughter of Zeus and goddess of
wisdom; she favored the Greeks during
the Trojan War (also called Pallas Athena)
 Poseidon: god of sea and thunder; called
the “Earth Shaker” because he is believed
to cause earthquakes; an enemy of
Odysseus
 Helios: god of the sun
 Aeolus: keeper of the winds
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The Odyssey is an epic, a
long narrative poem
about a national or
legendary hero
Characteristics of an Epic:
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A long narrative poem
The speaker is a narrator, telling a story
The theme or subject of the tale is important.
The setting is HUGE; it may be a sea, a region, the
world, or a universe.
The main character is a hero.
The action includes extraordinary or super-human
deeds. Typically, the epic hero has a goal and has
embarked upon a long journey, which tests his wits,
strength, or bravery.
Gods or supernatural beings are part of the action.
The purpose of the epic is not only to entertain, but to
teach & inspire the reader with examples of how
people can strive and succeed against great odds.
The epic you are
about to read, The
Odyssey, is a
celebration of the
human spirit and of
ordinary life. It is for
the timeless appeal to
our common
humanity that The
Odyssey is still read
an enjoyed nearly
three thousand years
after its creation.
Navigating the Greek Language…
In English, two vowels put together make
one sound (and syllable)
ex:
each (the “ea” makes a long e sound)
toast (the “oa” makes a long o sound)
As a rule in the Greek language, each vowel
creates its own syllable.
ex:
Calliope (4 syllables)
Menelaus (4 syllables)
Exception: Occasionally, a letter combination will occasionally
create a diphthong in Greek (ex: the “ae” combination is
pronounced like a long “a”)
ex:
Poulos (2 syllables – the letters “o” & “u” create a diphthong.)
How many syllables????
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Aphrodite
Zeus
Athene
Menelaus
Laocoon
Circe
Aeolus (the “ae” creates a diphthong)
Zaharopoulos (the “ou” creates a diphthong)
Aeaea (the “ae” creates a diphthong)