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Homer’s World
How Does a Journey Change a person?
Examining the Homeric Epics
Homeric Epics
Composed in Greece around 750-725 BC
Iliad and Odyssey are greatest masterpieces of epic poetry
First told orally, maybe sung
Several gen. later, put in writing
Credited to Homer: blind poet
Three important elements:
Trojan War
Heroism of Odysseus
Interference of the gods
The Trojan War
Around 1200BC
Earliest accounts in Iliad and Odyssey
Background: began after Paris (Trojan Prince) kidnapped the beautiful
Helen from her husband, Menelaus, the King of Sparta
Menelaus recruited Kings and soldiers from all over Greece to avenge his
honor and recover his wife
Greeks held Troy under siege for 10 yrs.
Siege?
Heroic Story of Odysseus
Odysseus’ adventures as he heads home from Troy and events that
Take place in Ithaca just before and after his return.
1st excerpts: depict wonderings of Odysseus after he leaves Troy with 12
Ships/720 men
Opponents are:
Monsters who try to devour him
Women who try to keep him from Penelope
Final Excerpts: Odysseus homecoming and reunion with Penelope and
Telemachus (son)
Odysseus has: great strength and courage
His craftiness or guile (ingenious tricks to get himself out
Of difficult situations
X
Intervention of Gods &
Goddesses
Mythic elements/ conflicts among Gods and Goddesses on Mount
Olympus
Most Greeks believed God took an active interest in human affairs and
Behaved in human ways
Ex. Quarrels
Athena supports Odysseus and Greeks
Petty jealousies
Aphrodite supports Paris and Troy
Greek Mythology
Homer: The Epic Poet
p.1190
Bards? Singers who made
Up verses as they sang.
Oral HIstory
Our knowledge begins with Homer’s epics. Not religious document like a
Bible, Quran or Talmud. Only explanations of natural feature or
Natural occurrence or for entertainment.
Shadowy figure: not sure who he was
Lived between 700 and 900 BC
Island of Chios, eastern Aegean Sea
Blind
Modern scholars agree that Homeric poems are work of one or two
Exceptionally talented bards
Memorized by professional reciters
Performed at religious festivals in Greece
First works read by Greek school children
300BC many versions existed and scholars began to work to restore them
To the original form.
Models for the Ages
Living Tradition
Models for late writers such as:
Roman poet Virgil, Chaucer, Shakespeare
Helped shape classical Greek culture and develop later Western ideas
And values.
Still used to inspire today
James Joyce: Ulysses (latin form of Odysseus)
“O Brother, Where Art Thou?” film
“Troy” modern version of Homer’s Iliad.
People and Places
Troy, Sparta, Ithaca
Book I
Helios: sun god, raises cattle on Island of Thrinasha
Zeus: ruler of Greek gods and goddesses; father of Athena and Apollo
Telemachus: Odysseus son
Penelope: Odysseus’ wife
Book V
Hermes: god of invention, commerce, cunning; messenger of gods
Calypso: sea goddess who lives on island of Ogiya
Laertes: Odysseus’ father
The Epic
p.1194
Long narrative poem. Recounts adventures of epic hero.
Larger than life / great deeds require remarkable strength& cunning
Great journey /Gods interfere / wins / has ideals and values of culture
Elements
Epic Hero
Epic Plot
See above and previous notes
Long journey, complications/ usually begins in medias res
Strange creatures/monsters
large scale events
Divine intervention
treacherous weather
Epic Setting
Fantastic or exotic lands
More than one nation
Archetypes
Suitor?
Epic Themes/universal
Characters, situations, and images that are recognizable (monomyth)
Sea monster
buried treasure
epic hero
Wicked temptress
suitor’s contest
loyal servant
Courage
Life and death
homecoming
loyalty
fate of a nation beauty
Language of Homer
p.1196-
Epic simile: a lengthy comparison of two unlike things using like or as
Developed by Homer
Language cont’d
epithet
A brief descriptive phrase used to characterize a particular person or thing
Used to fill out a line with the right meter and number of syllables
Ex. Odysseus is known by various epithets: “son of Laertes” and
“raider of cities”
allusion
Reference to a famous person, place or thing to help the audience relate
To or picture something they already knew.
Ex. “This is the way the court of Zeus must be.” Allusion to Zeus, ruler of
The Gods.
Imagery
Descriptions to help you visualize through details
Use of Epic Simile
Alliteration, assonance,
Consonance, rhyme
Used to reinforce meaning
Ex. Of alliteration: “but never have I Seen one like Oydsseus for
“Steadiness and a Stout heart.”
Read Epic as poetry
Listen for sound devices mentioned above
Read as narrative
Note changing narrators
Visualize action
Track events and predict outcome
Keep track of Gods and goddesses, and Odysseus’ friends and foes
What do they do to help or harm him
Read as reflection of time
Character traits of Odysseus, based on his description, what traits are
Valued during this time.
How is belief that Gods/Goddesses took interest in affairs of humans
Evident?
Reading Strategies:
Keep track of events, visualize, notice figurative language, reread difficult
Passages, use side notes, read outloud
Book I: Goddess Intervenes
p. 1204
Invocation of muse
Invocation? Calls forth the muse
Muse: daughter of Zeus credited with divine inspiration.
Introduction of Odysseus and his epic struggle to return home, and what
Is happening at home
/See T chart for character
Traits and text ev.
Book 5: Calypso the Sweet
Nymph, p.1206
Who is she?
Epic simile lines 9-12
p.1208
p. 1209
Epic hero qualities lines 43-54
Epithet line 80