The Odyssey

1. The Odyssey

2. Homer, the Poet • Credited with writing the two most famous epics of all time: the Illiad and the Odyssey. • Stories passed down orally during the Homeric Age. • Poetic form & rhyme– easy for story-teller to remember.

3. Who Was Homer?: • True identity is unknown • Likely a bard or rhapsode • A combination of many men? • Lived around 850 B.C. • Blind: Many people believed romantically that performers were blind. • homeros = blind • Lived in Greece

4. Some Believe He Did • The Greek alphabet originated in early 8th or late 9th century BC. • Homer could have been one of the first authors to use the Greek alphabet to write down oral epic poetry. • Some Believe He Did Not • Because the Greek alphabet did not originate until early 8th or late 9th century BC, it is unlikely Homer would have written down oral epic poetry. • Homer likely had a literate scribe write down his oral epic poetry. Did Homer Write the Odyssey?

5. Homer passed his stories on via traveling story-tellers called “rhapsodes” • Sometimes stories were turned into plays • Greek theater performed outside • No actresses, only actors • No scenery • Actors wore masks and high platform shoes– they moved very slowly Greek Story-Telling

6. Singing or reciting, a poet kept the audience enthralled with epic similes, epithets and allusions. • An epithet is a brief descriptive phrase used to characterize a particular person or thing. Examples: “son of Laertes” and “raider of cities” • Allusion – a reference to a famous person, place, event or literary work. The Language of Homer

7. Epic Simile Example from The Odyssey His rage Held hard in leash, submitted to his mind, While he himself rocked, rolling from side to side, As a cook turns a sausage, big with blood And fat, at a scorching blaze, without a pause, To broil it quick: so he rolled left and right, . . Odysseus is being compared to a sausage roasted over a fire. Homer often develops the simile (a comparison between two unlike things) at great length, so that it goes on for several lines. This is known as an epic simile. The Language of Homer

8. Greek Theater

9. The Illiad tells about a 10 year war fought on the plains beyond the walls of Troy, Greece • War fought between the people of Troy and an alliance of early Greek kings Homer’s Two Epics

10. The Illiad • The war began when Helen, the wife of Greek king Menelaus and the most beautiful woman in the world, ran off with Paris, the prince of Troy.

11. The Illiad • The 10-year battle ended when Odysseus, king of Ithaca (a Greek island), broke into the walls of Troy with the Trojan horse “gift.” • Troy was burnt to the ground & many were killed

12. The Trojan War • Was there ever a Trojan War? • There probably was a Trojan War but was much different from Homer’s depiction of it in The Iliad • Archaeological evidence shows the War may have taken place around 1220 BC and that the city Homer calls Troy was likely destroyed by fire • The Odyssey was likely composed 500 years after the War

13. Before The Odyssey • Laertes, King of Ithaca and a great fighter in his youth, marries Anticlea. • They purchase a slave woman, Eurycleia • Laertes and Anticlea have a son. • He is named Odysseus by his grandfather Autoclycis, and looked after by Eurycleia

14. Odysseus becomes the wise and gentle king of Ithaca and marries Penelope, daughter of Spartan King Icarius. • He builds their bedroom and constructs a bed around the base of an olive-tree. • Odysseus does not want to join the Trojan War, but he does so just after his son Telemachus is born. Before The Odyssey

15. Odysseus and his wife Penelope had one son, Telemachus, who was a toddler when Odysseus was summoned to join the kings • Odysseus really didn’t want to go to war so when the other kings came for him, he pretended to be insane and not recognize his visitors. He continued to plow his fields. Before The Odyssey

16. Before The Odyssey • Because Odysseus ignored the other kings, King Menelaus and Agamenon threw Telemachus in front of the plow. • Odysseus revealed his sanity when he turned the plow to avoid running over his son.

17. Before The Odyssey • As he leaves, Odysseus tells Penelope that if he does not return, she is to remarry when Telemachus comes of age. • He leaves Mentor or Laertes in charge of the palace in Ithaca.

18. Odysseus originated the idea of the Trojan horse • His army built a large wooden horse and hid Odysseus & members of his army inside. • The Greeks offered it to the Trojans as a sign of their surrender and the Trojans accepted the gift and brought it inside the walls of their city. • In the night, Odysseus and his men crept out, unlocked the gates of the city, and the battle began. Odysseus & the Trojan Horse

19. The Greek kings parted ways and went home after their victory • The Odyssey is the story of Odysseus’ 10-year journey to return home to his family. • He must use his heroic strength and guile to outsmart monsters, gods, and women and goddesses who try to seduce him The Odyssey

20. Odysseus’ Voyage

21. Because Odysseus is gone, his home is over-run with over 100 suitors (men who want to marry his wife). • Penelope, his wife, and Telemachus, his 21-year-old son, do not have the power to eject the suitors from their home • Telemachus, the heir to Odysseus, is constantly in danger. • Due to his young age and lack of power, he cannot seek help from other Greeks; he cannot eject the suitors from his home The Odyssey Background

22. Odysseus, the king of the island Ithaca maintains control over Ithaca—even though he is away for 20 years—because of his skills which lead to his control. • The city of Ithaca was based on power • Odysseus is a great warrior, an excellent sailor, the best carpenter, the best hunter, the finest marksman, and the leading expert on caring for farm animals. He is also extremely intelligent. The Setting of Ithaca

23. Ithaca has no coined money; wealth is measured by livestock, household furnishings, servants, slaves, and treasure. • Slavery is encouraged in Ithaca; having slaves is a symbol of power and wealth • Piracy, war, raids on foreign cities, and the capture of women are all accepted means of increasing wealth • The first thing Odysseus does after leaving Troy is to sack Ismarus, take their goods and steal their women. The Setting of Ithaca

24. The Odyssey Background • In Ithaca, if Telemachus tried to assume his father’s throne, he would likely be overthrown and killed • If Penelope does not soon choose a suitor, a civil war may begin on Ithaca.

25. The Odyssey Background • If Penelope does choose a suitor, Telemachus’s life is in danger unless he is willing to give up his claim to the throne • Penelope may have to choose a suitor to save her family’s life and Ithaca

26. (will be revealed in detail in The Odyssey in flash-back) • For 3 years Odysseus is blown around the Mediterranean, experiencing adventures with the Cicones, the Lotus Eaters, the CylopsPolyphemus; Aeolus, the wind-god, giant cannibals; the witch Circe; the underworld; the Sirens; more monsters; • Eventually he is swept ashore to the island of Calypso where he spends 7 years. (It is at this point where we first meet Odysseus.) Odysseus’s Journey Home

27. The Gods in The Odyssey • To the ancient Greeks, the gods were real, controlled everything, & interacted with human affairs.

28. Odysseus & the Gods • Homer used both Athena and Poseidon as alter-egos for Odysseus: good vs. evil • Odysseus is known for his cleverness but can also be stubborn and arrogant.

29. Domestic Life in Ancient Greece • Poets and poetry were an important part of ancient Greek life for entertainment & instruction. • Gave gifts to guests upon arrival and departure. • Strangers were always welcome.

30. Hospitality as a serious and important obligation in Greek culture: always be polite to your guests; however, this expectation prevents Telemachus and Penelope from removing the suitors from their home Themes in The Odyssey

31. The danger of hubris: hubris is excessive pride that leads to destruction. Odysseus is often guilty of hubris and Athena must rescue him • The importance of moderation: Giving in to excess or temptation, whether food, drink, or other pleasures, will cause a person harm. The Sirens’ song leads to destruction and the suitors’ desires lead to their destruction. Themes in The Odyssey

32. Themes in The Odyssey • The expected roles for women and men in Greek society: Men are almost always superior to women, except in Sparta where women have more rights. • The role of fate: Characters receive hints as to their fate; however, some choose to ignore the foreshadowing

33. The similarities between Greek gods and mortals: The gods have many of the same negative traits as humans and often cause destruction. • Gods may choose to save one person and many others will die as a result. • The gods are given credit for all that is good, they are sometimes blamed for bringing destruction to mortals. Themes in The Odyssey

34. Themes in The Odyssey • Loyalty: Penelope is expected to wait for Odysseus, gone for more than 20 years. • Telemachus must stand for his father, who he does not even remember, against the suitors. • However, there are characters who do not remain loyal to Odysseus and their fate is not good.

35. Themes in The Odyssey • Perseverance: work to survive in any situation • Vengeance: It is acceptable to hurt or kill those who are disloyal. The end of the epic shows what happens to those who defy Odysseus

36. Themes in The Odyssey • Appearance vs. Reality: Athena takes on many different characters’ identities and even animals’ when helping Telemachus or Odysseus. • Athena can even change others’ appearances for reasons such as checking on someone’s loyalty or making a good impression on a king.

37. Themes in The Odyssey • Spiritual Growth: Telemachus and Odysseus both experience struggles which cause them to mature spiritually by the end of the epic.