The Homeric Epics and Greek Mythology

1. The Homeric Epics and Greek Mythology Western Civilization Ms. Tully

2. Origins of Greek Mythology • Names and concepts of gods brought to Greece by Mycenaeans • Homer’s epics, The Iliad and The Odyssey and Hesiod’s Theogeny, are NOT reliable historical documents • Offer Greeks an ideal past – legendary Heroic Age • Polytheistic pantheon of gods located on top of Mt. Olympus

3. Popular Greek Gods • Aphrodite • Apollo • Ares • Artemis • Athena • Demeter • Dionysus • Eros • Hades • Hephaestus • Hera • Hermes • Hestia • Pan • Persephone • Poseidon • Zeus

4. Hesiod’s Theogeny • Influenced by Mesopotamian myths • Traces descent of Zeus – moral and gendered origin story • Zeus defeats Gaia, earth goddess – establishes male-dominated system with him at head • Attributes all human problems to the first woman, Pandora • Pandora opened a box that let out all the evils of the world

5. Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey • Homer credited as the creator of these epic poems • Translated orally for 400 years • Not recorded until ca. 750 B.C.E. • Set at end of Bronze Age/beginning of Dark Age • Stories have been updated and interpreted for hundreds of different audiences • Gods often intervene in human affairs – depicted as having human characteristics • Popular themes: Honor, Fate, Flawed characters

6. The tale of the Great War: The Iliad • Tells the story of Achaeans (Mycenaeans) vs. Trojans • Paris, son of Priam (King of Troy) steals Helen, the wife of Menelaus and most beautiful woman in the world • Menelaus deprived of honor and wife • Agamemnon, brother of Menelaus, brought army of Achaeans to Troy • Included the famous vicious warrior, Achilles • Focus on conflict between Agamemnon and Achilles

7. Major turning point – Hector (son of Priam, greatest Trojan warrior) kills Patroklos (Achille’s BFF) – hence, the revenge/rage of Achilles • Kills Hector, drags his body around the city of Troy • King Priam must beg Achilles for Hector’s body

8. The Trojan Horse • Achaeans feign a retreat, but really hide in horse • Trojans bring in the horse, Achaeans jump out and destroy Troy • Many Achaeans have a long difficult journey home, some do not make it

9. Are we there yet? The Odyssey • The story of Odysseus’ journey home (one of the Achaean kings) • Great adventure story – encounter many classic monsters • Cyclops, Sirens, sea monsters

10. Odysseus’ obedient wife, Penelope, waits at home for his return • Fends off suitors who want Odysseus’ kingdom • Model woman/wife • Odysseus returns home after 20+ years, kills off all the suitors

11. The Historicity of Homer • Oral poet of about 750 B.C., working within a long tradition of oral poetry • First Greek poet within this tradition to survive in writing • Exceptional in length and quality • Sophisticated narrative techniques

12. 8th century B.C. poet writing about the Mycenean Age, about 1200 B.C. • Mycenean age = 1600-1200 • Fall of Troy = about 1220 • Destruction of Mycene = about 1150 • Dark Ages 1200-800 • By 1870, most of Western Europe agreed there was no Troy and no Trojan war

13. Heinrich Schielmann – 20 years of excavations at Hissarlik (1871) • Believed to be the location of Troy • Discovered “Priam’s Treasure” (??) • Excavated Mycene and other sites – Mask of Agamemnon? • Now – some correlation between topography described in Homer’s poems & Schielmann’s excavations – but there is no way to know for sure…

14. Greek Religion • No sacred books, no ethical code of conduct, no ecclesiastical authority • Temples built to honor gods – not the same as a church/synagogue • Festivals, personal offerings • Altar for sacrifices (animals) • Priests/priestesses cared for temples, led rituals • Each city-state had a patron deity with a local cult • Religion was local and domestic – native rights unique to villages

15. Pan-Hellenic Festivals • Olympia – Zeus (every four years…sound familiar?) or Delphi – Apollo • Attracted visitors from all over Greece • Unifying factors in Greek life