Download The Odyssey

The
Odyssey
A presentation designed to put
you in a perpetual state of awe
and interest
[clap]
Brilliantly crafted by Susan Halberg
and Angela Kemp
Prior Knowledge
The History
Ancient Greece

What did the Greeks
value?
• Democracy
(government)
• Art and architecture
• Theater
• The Gods and
Goddesses
• Sports (First Olympics)
• Science and Technology
Ancient Greece: Modern
Influences
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Government: written
code of laws, trial by
jury, and democracy
Culture: language,
myths, and philosophy

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Arts: Plays, poetry,
sculpture, pottery, and
classical architecture
Science and
Technology:
astronomy, geometry,
and modern
inventions (lever,
pulley, pump)
Background Information
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The Illiad and The Odyssey were in Greece
around 750-725 B.C.
Considered greatest epic masterpieces
Delivered orally
Three important elements of the plot:
• The Trojan War
• Odysseus’ heroism
• The interference of
the gods
The Trojan War
13th-12th Century B.C.

The Trojans
were people
from ancient
Troy (Turkey)
The Trojan
War
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~1200 B.C, first recorded in
The Odyssey
Huge reference in classical
literature
The legend: Paris, a Trojan
prince, kidnapped Helena
from her husband,
Menelaus, the king of
Sparta.
Menelaus recruited kings
and soldiers to avenge his
honor and recover his wife.
Greeks held Troy under
siege for 10 yrs.
The Trojan Horse
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The Greeks wanted to
sneak into the gates of
Ancient Troy, so they
built a giant wooden
horse and told the
Trojans it was a gift
from the Achaeans
(Greeks).
The Greek soldiers hid
inside and conquered
Troy to win the war!
Gods and Goddesses
Introduction to Mythology
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The Greek myths were an ancient religion.
The Greeks used stories of the gods and
goddesses to make sense of human nature
and the world around them.
Introduction
to
Mythology
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The myths provided
inspiration for a
wealth of literature.
Since the ancient
Greeks began telling
these stories in a preliterate era (before
they had writing), the
stories were passed
down orally from
generation to
generation.
The Intervention of the
Gods and Goddesses
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The gods live on Mount
Olympus
The Greeks believed their gods
interacted like humans and
behaved in human ways.
We refer to the action of the
gods as divine intervention
Greek mythology was
considered to be religion,
science, and literature.
Mere Mortals
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The heroes, unlike the Gods, were not
immortal, and most died on perilous
journeys
Many died fighting against the Titans and
Greek monsters
Our Friend Odysseus
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The hero of The Odyssey goes on one of those
dangerous and long journeys, coming across
many obstacles and fighting for his life
numerous times before being able to return
home after 10 years!
He comes home to suitors trying to take over
his house.
HOMER
Facts about Homer the
Author

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Nothing certain; many
theories
He was a blind
minstrel wandering
from place to place
reciting poems
Many believe the
books were not
written by single
person
Facts about Homer
Major Works
Both brilliant retellings of myths and legends
The Iliad
Hero: Achilles
War: Trojan
Each is filled
with Greek myths
and stories of other
heros.
The Odyssey
Hero: Odysseus
War: Trojan
Homer’s Life and Times
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8th and 7th Century B.C.
Greece
Oral tradition of storytelling
The “Iron Age”
• Archeologists have determined
this to be about the time when
iron tools were invented
The Odyssey
The epic poem
Epic?
Epic: adjective
Etymology: Latin epicus, from Greek epikos,
from epos word, speech, poem more at
voice Date: 1589
: extending beyond the usual or ordinary
especially in size or scope <his genius was
epic — Times Literary Supplement> b : heroic
Epic Poem:
•a long narrative poem
describing a hero's deeds
•a narrative poem is one that
tells a story
Epic and Yucky.
The Odyssey
Od·ys·sey
noun
Etymology: the Odyssey, epic poem attributed to Homer recounting the
long wanderings of Odysseus
1 : a long wandering or voyage usually marked by
many changes of fortune
2 : an intellectual or spiritual wandering or quest
Setting
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During the Bronze Age of Ancient Greece
From Troy, all around the islands, back
home to Ithaca
The Heroism of Odysseus
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The Odyssey is about Odysseus’ adventures
in Ithaca on his way home from Troy.
He departed from Troy with a fleet of 12
ships carrying 720 men.
He encounters various monsters who
attempt to keep him from his wife, Penelope
and his son, Telemachus.
He uses many tricks to get out of these
difficult situations.
God/Goddess Review
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Time to review the diety.
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/listof-greek-gods-and-goddesses.html