Download Mythology

Mythology
and
The Odyssey
by Homer
Mythology
 Mythology
did not start with the
Greeks—it has existed since the
beginning of time.
 Mythology
serves 3 basic functions in
ALL societies. It represents:
Our effort to explain our existence
Our effort to explain our world
Our attempt at seeking justice
Myth
A myth is:
A story that uses fantasy to
express ideas about life
which cannot be expressed
easily in realistic terms.
Polytheism
 Polytheism
is the worship of many
gods. (Poly= many) (Theos= god)
 The gods of ancient peoples came to
represent moral attributes
 They were also connected with
specific aspects of the life that these
societies experienced.
Mythology Today



The ancient myths are still a part of our culture
today.
Myths are alluded to in literature, sports, media,
and everyday life.
For example, we see references to mythological
gods:
Circe: god of agriculture (cereal)
Hermes (Mercury): messenger god (quick and
prompt) Emblem for FTD florists
Atlas: Greek hero known for his strength (Atlas tires
are strong!)
Olympus: mountain home of the gods (cameras=best,
highest quality)
Greek Mythology
War of the Titans
Division of the World
(Straws were drawn)

Zeus = Heaven

Poseidon = Sea

Hades = Underworld
The Greek gods
Physical appearance
Resemble mortals but stronger and larger
Live like nobles (need food and drink but
do not labor)
Dress like humans and sleep at night

The gods generally uphold
virtuous behavior
The gods up Close
Powers
They can change form at will
They transform mortals
They can control mortals’ minds

Limitations
They cannot interfere with fate
They may be interfered with by other gods

Gods’ expectations of
mortals
Keep oaths--honesty
Do not harbor pride, or hubris
Properly bury the dead--respect others
Show hospitality to strangers
Gods and Goddesses
To Know
goddesses
gods
 Hera: Queen of the
 Zeus: King of gods;
gods; Zeus’ wife and
home is Olympus; not
sister; she seeks
the most moral; symbol
revenge on Zeus’
is lightning bolt.
mortal infidelities.
 Poseidon: god of sea
 Athena: favorite
& earthquakes; carries
daughter of Zeus;
a Trident; he’s very
goddess of
important since
wisdom/war; she
Odysseus is traveling
favors the Greeks
home from Troy by sea.
during the Trojan
 Polyphemus: a oneWar.
eyed giant (Cyclops);
Poseidon’s son.
Heroes
In Greek
mythology,
heroes occupy a
special position
in life: they are
below the gods
but above other
mortals.
The stories of these
heroes were
popular then—and
are still read
now—because we
can sympathize
with their
experience of
feeling lost in a
world of difficult
choices.
The Odyssey
 Odyssey
= a voyage or long journey
marked by wanderings, adventures, and
hardships
 Hero in The Odyssey = Odysseus
(Ulysses)
 Named after the hero, Odysseus
 The Odyssey covers his 10-year journey
home to Ithaca after the war
 His journey is difficult because some
gods had wanted the Trojans to win (they
thought the Greek victory was unfair, so
they were angry with Odysseus)
3 Plots in The Odyssey
 Events
that happen to Odysseus’ wife
and son as they await his journey home
to Ithaca
 Odysseus’
wanderings during his 10year journey home after the Trojan War
 Odysseus’
return home and joint effort
with his son, Telemachus, to defeat
their enemies
Causes of the Trojan WAr
 It
started as a beauty contest; the
prize was a beautiful golden apple
 The contestants were: Hera,
Athena, and Aphrodite
Zeus declined to judge, so Paris of
Troy became the judge
 Paris was asked, “Who is the most
beautiful goddess?”

A Momentous decision
 The
three goddesses each promised Paris
gifts in exchange for winning
 Hera promised power, a happy
home, and a good life
 Athena promised wisdom and
respect
 Aphrodite promised the love of the
most beautiful woman in the world

Who do you think wins?………...
 APHRODITE,
OF COURSE!!!
Many Consequences
And the most beautiful woman is…
Helen of Troy!
 Many men have fought over Helen
(daughter of Zeus and Leda) because of of
of her beauty.
 Long ago, Odysseus promised that when
she chose a husband, no one would harm
him or else Odysseus would kill the
aggressor.
 Helen married King Menelaus of Sparta,
Greece.

The Plot Thickens



Paris wants to marry Helen and reminds
Aphrodite of her promise.
Aphrodite uses her power to get Helen
to leave her husband, elope with Paris,
and return with him to Troy.
Menelaus calls on Odysseus to keep his
promise. Odysseus really doesn’t want to
go because he’s happy in Ithaca;
however, he follows through with his
word – keeping the oath of honor.
Last Effort
But first Odysseus makes one last bid for
freedom: when the draft board comes to
call him to the war, Odysseus pretends to
be insane by dressing like a peasant and
plowing the field. The draft board is too
smart for him, though: they throw his
infant son in front of the plow. Odysseus of
course refuses to run over his son, so his
disguise evaporates, and he knows he has
to honor his oath and go to war.
The Great War



The Greeks assemble an army—the war lasts 10
years, and the Greeks cannot get inside the walls
of Troy.
Odysseus eventually creates the Trojan Horse.
 It is a giant wooden horse that is hollow
inside.
The Greek army packs up and takes off, leaving
the Trojan horse outside the gates.
The Great Trick

The Trojans pull the horse into their
city, thinking it is a gift or an
offering to the gods.
 Greek soldiers are hiding inside
the horse’s stomach.
 At night, the Greeks sneak out
and take the city by surprise,
opening the gates to let in the
rest of the Greek army, which
had only been hiding out of
sight of the city.
problems…
Odysseus doesn’t give credit to the
gods—this shows pride, or
HUBRIS
 Poseidon, who supported Troy, is
angry with Odysseus for winning
and for his hubris.
 Poseidon warns Odysseus it will
be a LONG journey home.

This is where
The Odyssey
begins
Behind the Odyssey
The Odyssey was
written by a
man named
Homer.
According to
the Greek
tradition,
Homer was a
blind minstrel
from the island
of Chios.
Epic
An epic is a long narrative poem
telling about the adventures of a
hero who embodies the values of his
particular civilization.
An epic teaches the virtues and value
systems of the society that
produced the epic.
The Rhapsodes
A minstrel like Homer would
also be called a rhapsode.
Rhapsodes were wandering
singers of tales—they were
the historians, entertainers
and myth-makers of their
cultures. There was no TV or
internet, and the Greeks
didn’t have a common
religious text like a Bible or
other book.
Minstrels
So the rhapsodes, or
minstrels, were very
important in ancient
societies, because they
were the source of
news and fun: they
went from community
to community to report
the news and to
entertain people.
Minstrels tied
communities
together.
Epic Style
When a minstrel told an epic,
he would often use
formulas: expressions that
are repeated.
The audience could recognize
the formulas; a formula
helped the listener to
remember—and helped the
minstrel to remember the
story himself!
The Homeric Simile
The Homeric simile is a special kind
of simile often used in Homer’s
writing. It is also called an epic
simile.
It is an extended comparison of
heroic or epic events to simple,
everyday events that are easily
recognizable.