HOMER’S ODYSSEYBACKGROUND NOTES

Epic Poetry, Epic Hero, Trojan War, The Iliad, Greek Culture and Mythology, The Odyssey

THE LIFE OF HOMER

Homer was the poet who wrote the two primary Greek epic poems known as The Iliad and The Odyssey.

He wrote these poems about 800BCE

However, the Trojan War took place 400 years earlier in 1200BCE.

Homer is believed to have been blind.

He memorized the entire poem and sang it for hours, as a kind of entertainment for people to hear and enjoy.

This type of poem-singer was called a Rhapsodoi (professional reciter) similar to minstrels of Medieval England.

Minstrels borrowed material from legends, epics, and myths already known by the people.

CLASSIC IMAGES OF HOMER

RHAPSODOI

The traveling storyteller or the royal storyteller

has a long history.

People have always wanted entertainment and these epic stories were some of the best entertainment of the day.

People have always enjoyed being told a good story by someone who really knows how to get attention.

Homer, if there even was a Homer, must have been one of these.

RHAPSODOI

Remember that none of these stories were

written down.

Each storyteller would have had to memorize the

entire work and told it in such a way as would be part

performance.

Very likely they did not memorize the story word for

word, but would know the basic story and improvised on

the spot, following a basic rhythm of the words.

Think of the rhapsodoi as the first rapper in history: he created his or her song for the immediate audience.

THE GREEKS: A BRIEF

INTRODUCTION

The word “Greek” did not exist then; the people from Greece were called Achaens,

Argives, or Danaans.

Greek households grouped together to form city-states.

Each city-state tried to win the favor of a particular god or goddess by

giving offerings.

Classical Greeks believed in hero worship involving a person who

displayed honor, bravery, hospitality, loyalty to home, intelligence,

and respect for the gods.

Greeks traveled mainly by sea because Greece was so mountainous.

They traded with countries who had alphabets and began to develop

their own about the time of Homer.

The stories of The Iliad and The Odyssey were passed down from generation to generation until it was written down about 850 BC.

THE BRONZE AGE

Greek life during the Bronze Age (1200 BCE)

It was an era ruled by tribal chiefs

At this time in history, the idea of “king” must be taken with a grain of salt.

The king of an area might simply by the person who owned the most goats. Treasure was really just anything that might have a use to the people taking it.

It was a violent life in hard times

Greece consisted of small city-states

Ithaca: Odysseus’ home was an island city-state

Athens (named after Athena) was a larger city-state

MAP OF MAJOR GREEK/ROMAN

CITY STATES

CLASSICAL GREEK VALUES/BELIEFS

1. It was wrong for any man to have hubris

(excessive pride or self-confidence)

2. The character of a man was very important

The critical quality in a man was courage

Loyalty to both home and family was the most

important

CLASSICAL GREEK VALUES/BELIEFS

3. Man was not master of his own destiny or fate

He was like a “pawn in a chess game.”

4. Man could not control his own fate, but he could

control how he reacted to the gods’ interfering or

meddling

How someone reacted was an important character

quality.

GREEK MYTHOLOGY

The Greeks respected and revered their religious prophets called oracles.

Polytheism: The belief in many gods

Ambrosia: the food of the gods

Nectar: the drink of the gods

Gods are immortal: they live forever

Greek gods shared the following characteristics:

They had many human qualities (anger, love, jealousy, etc…)

They were conniving and devious

They were quarrelsome

The Greeks believed that the gods lived in northern Greece on Mt.

Olympus.

They believed that the gods came down to earth disguised as wandering strangers

They treated all wandering travelers with their best hospitality. To treat a stranger badly was a risk at offending a god.

GREEK MYTHOLOGY

Myths

Stories that use fantasy to express

ideas about life that cannot be

expressed in realistic ways.

For the Greeks, myths were considered

religious because they were concerned

with the relationship between mortals

and gods.

MOUNT OLYMPUS

MAJOR GREEK GODS (OLYMPIANS)

Zeus

Chief Olympian – King of Gods

Chases women and tries to hide his infidelity from

his wife.

Also called Lord of the Sky, The Rain God, and The

Cloud Gatherer.

He assigned the gods their various roles and duties

Wields the thunderbolt as a weapon.

ZEUS

HERA

Hera

Wife to Zeus – Goddess of women and marriage

Known for her jealous and vengeful nature, most

notably against Zeus's lovers and offspring, but also

against mortals who crossed her.

Paris offended her by choosing Aphrodite as the

most beautiful goddess, earning Hera's hatred.

Her sacred animals are the peacock and cow.

HERA

POSEIDON

Poseidon

Brother to Zeus

Lord of the Sea

Also responsible for earthquakes

Notable for his hatred of Odysseus, who blinded

Poseidon’s son, the cyclops Polyphemus.

The enmity of Poseidon prevents Odysseus's return

home to Ithaca for many years.

POSEIDON

HADES

Hades

Brother to Zeus and Poseidon

Ruler of the Underworld and the dead

He and his brothers defeated the Titans and claimed total rule over the universe ruling the underworld, air, and sea.

Often portrayed as passive rather than evil; his role was often maintaining relative balance.

The five rivers of the Realm of Hades, and their symbolic meanings, are Acheron (the river of sorrow, or woe), Cocytus (lamentation), Phlegethon (fire), Lethe (oblivion), and Styx (hate).

HADES

He sits on an ebony throne with his three-headed

dog (Cerberus) by his side.

When the Greeks propitiated Hades, they banged

their hands on the ground to be sure he would hear

them.

Black animals, such as sheep, were sacrificed to him.

The blood from all sacrifices to Hades dripped into

a pit or cleft in the ground.

The person who offered the sacrifice had to avert his

face.

HADES

ATHENA

Athena

Daughter of Zeus ONLY –no mother.

She sprang from Zeus’ head

She created the olive

Described as a fierce battle goddess, protector of

civilized life

Goddess of war, civilization, wisdom, strength, strategy, crafts, justice and skill

Though Athena was a goddess of war strategy, she disliked fighting without a purpose and preferred using wisdom to settle predicaments. The goddess would only encourage fighting if it was for a reasonable cause or to solve conflict.

The Athenians built the Parthenon on the Acropolis of her namesake city, Athens, in her honor.

ATHENA

ATHENA

APOLLO

Apollo

Son of Zeus – has a twin sister named Artemis.

Patron God of Troy

Described as the beautiful god of music; plays a

golden lyre

Also seen as the Archer-god & a healer

Recognized as a god of light and the sun; truth and

prophecy; medicine, healing, and plague; music, poetry,

and the arts.

APOLLO

ARTEMIS

Artemis

Twin sister of Apollo, daughter of Zeus

Goddess of the hunt, wild animals, wilderness, childbirth, and young girls

She was known to relieve disease in women

Often depicted as a huntress carrying a bow and arrows

ARTEMIS

APHRODITE

Aphrodite

Daughter of Zeus

Goddess of Love and Beauty

Used her wiles to hypnotize men

Could have a deadly/destructive power over them.

In every image and each reference she is born as an adult - infinitely desirable.

In many myths, she is characterized as vain, ill-tempered and easily offended.

Extremely beautiful

Without her…no joy or loveliness anywhere

APHRODITE

HERMES

Hermes

Son of Zeus

Graceful and swift

Wore winged sandals - had wings on his hat, and carried a magic wand

Hermes often helped travelers have a safe and easy journey. Many Greeks would sacrifice to Hermes before any trip.

He was Zeus’ messenger and also guided the dead to the Underworld.

His symbols include the tortoise, winged sandals, the winged hat, and the caduceus (given to him by Apollo in exchange for the lyre).

HERMES

ARES

Ares

Son of Zeus

God of war, blood thirst and slaughter

Described as a “murderous curse” who was also a coward; a symbol of war

Ares had a quadriga – a chariot drawn by four gold-bridled fire-emitting immortal stallions

Recognized by his bronze armor; he brandished a spear in battle

Half-brother (and enemy( to Athena

While Athena’s stance is one of strategic and necessary warfare, Ares’ is one of unpredictable violence.

ARES

HEPHAESTUS

Hephaestus

God of the forge, crafts, and fire

He uses a volcano as his forge

Served as the blacksmith of the gods

Kind and peace loving

Rumored to be present at the birth of Athena, seen to be wielding the hammer with which he had split Zeus' head to free her.

The only god to be unattractive and crippled (has deformed feet.)

Ironically, he is married to the most beautiful of the goddesses, Aphrodite.

HEPHAESTUS

HESTIA

Hestia

Sister to Zeus, Poseidon and Hades

Goddess of the Hearth; the symbol of home

Meals began and ended with an offering to

her

Tends the sacred fire on Mount Olympus

Each city had a public hearth sacred to her

where the fire was never allowed to go out.

HESTIA

LESSER GODS OF EARTH

Aeolus

King of the Winds; lived on Earth on the island of Aeolia

Included as a character in The Odyssey

The Sirens

3 bird-like female creatures with enchanting voices;

Would sing & lure sailors to their death.

Included as characters in The Odyssey

THE MUSES

The Muses preside over the arts and sciences,

inspire all artists (especially poets), philosophers

and musicians.

Their name denotes “memory” or a “reminder” since

epic poets relied on their memories to retell the

stories.

The nine muses are the daughters of Zeus and of

Mnemosyne (the goddess of memory)

Apollo is considered the leader of the Muses.

THE MUSES

THE TROJAN WAR

12th~ 13thCentury B.C.

Fought between the Greeks and the people of

Troy in W. Asia Minor (present-day Turkey)

The events of this war were celebrated in

Homer’s The Iliad & The Odyssey

The Trojan prince, Paris, runs off with the

beautiful Helen, wife of King Menelaus of

Sparta (Helen was said to be the most

beautiful woman in the world.)

THE TROJAN WAR IN THE ILIAD

King Agamemnon, brother of Menelaus, led an

expedition to retrieve her, which led to the war that

spanned 10 years.

He recruits Odysseus, King of Ithaca, to help bring

back his wife

The Greeks fight the Trojans for nine years before

Odysseus comes up with the idea for the Trojan

horse in the 10th year.

This idea ends the war and they regain Helen.

EPIC POETRY

Epic Poem

A long narrative poem that tells of the adventures of

heroes across great spans of time and place.

Because an epic covers so much territory, it contains the ideas,

morals, themes and values of a culture from which it is created.

It is literally like a cultural bible.

Epic poems united all the Greek city-states into one being

and served as a form of nationalism / patriotism for

Greece

Rules for the epic poem were based on The Iliad & The

Odyssey.

EPIC POEM CHARACTERISTICS

A vast setting involving not only the known world, but also the underworld.

Action such as a quest or journey requiring superhuman ability and courage.

Evidence of supernatural forces / Intervention of the gods

A hero and his quest or journey

The fate of an entire people is often at stake

An invocation of the muses for inspiration in the recitation of the poem

Combat / Sacrifice or prayer to the gods for victory in battle

EPIC POEM CHARACTERISTICS

Deus Ex-Machina–“god from the machine”

A seemingly unsolvable problem is suddenly and abruptly fixed with the sudden and unexpected intervention of some new character, ability, or object.

Often, a god comes down at the end of the story to solve the conflict

Visit(s) to the Underworld

In many epics, the hero is a demigod (born to one human parent and one divine parent.)

EPIC POEM CHARACTERISTICS

The epic poem must begin in medias

res, or “in the middle of things”

The poet must write in a dignified

style that begins with an “invocation”

in which he asks a Muse for divine

inspiration.

THE EPIC HERO

A physically impressive hero of national or historical importance

He reaches a low point where he nearly gives up his quest or appears defeated.

He gains restitution: this often takes the form of the hero regaining his rightful place.

He encounters numerous mythical beings, magical and helpful animals, and human helpers and companions.

His travels take him to a supernatural world, often one that normal human beings are barred from entering.

He is tested, often to prove the worthiness of himself and his quest.

He receives help OR hindrance by divine beings along the way.

THE HERO’S JOURNEY

To become a hero, the initiate must

complete all of the steps of the

journey.

If the initiate fails to cross over the

abyss, heroic status is not reached.

HERO’S JOURNEY: PHASE ONE

PHASE ONE: SEPARATION FROM THE KNOWN:

Step #1:The Call

Invites us into the adventure

May be a sudden traumatic change

May be a vague sense of discontent.

Can take many forms:

Something is taken away

Something is lacking in life

There is a desire to restore honor

There is a need to restore rights for a people

HERO’S JOURNEY: PHASE ONE

Step #2: Threshold of Adventure

When called to adventure, we must cross the Threshold.

The Threshold is the “jumping off point”

This is the gateway to the unknown

Threshold Guardians

People, beings or situations that block passage

They have two functions:

1. Protect us from journeys we are unready for

2. Pointing the way / guidance

HERO’S JOURNEY: PHASE ONE

Step #2: Threshold of Adventure (continued…)

Helpers

At the threshold, we will encounter helpers.

Often they bring a talisman to help us through the

ordeal.

The most important of these helpers is the mentor,

who provides wisdom, not just help.

Helpers and guides appear throughout the journey

HERO’S JOURNEY: PHASE TWO

PHASE TWO: THE INITIATION

Step 3: The Challenges (Tests &Ordeals)

Once past the threshold, we begin the

journey into the unknown.

The journey can be outward into a physical

unknown.

The journey can be inward to a

psychological unknown.

HERO’S JOURNEY: PHASE TWO

Step 4: The Abyss (the UltimateTest)

This is the low point for the hero

Here the hero must do battle with his or her greatest internal or external fear

At this point, the hero is often alone

Here the hero must “slay the dragon,” which often takes the shape of something he dreads, or has repressed, or needs to resolve.

HERO’S JOURNEY: PHASE TWO

Step 5: Transformation

As the hero conquers the Abyss, his

transformation is complete.

Like the mythical Phoenix, a part of the

hero must die so that a new part can be

reborn.

Fear must die to make way for

courage, Ignorance for enlightenment,

dependency for independence

HERO’S JOURNEY: PHASE TWO

Step 6: The Revelation

Part of the Transformation is a

revelation, a sudden, dramatic

change in the way the hero thinks or

views life.

This change makes him truly a

different person.

HERO’S JOURNEY: PHASE TWO

Step 7: The Atonement

After the Transformation the hero

achieves Atonement, that is he is “at

one” with his new self.

The hero has incorporated the

changes caused by the Journey and

is “reborn”

HERO’S JOURNEY: PHASE THREE

Step 8: The Return

After Transformation and Atonement, the hero

faces the final stage of his journey:

The Return to everyday life.

Upon the return, the hero discovers his gifts –

Become richer and stronger

Become a great leader

Become spiritually enlightened.

HOMER’S ODYSSEY

This is the first archetype of the story of a long journey and the hero.

Archetype = an original model on which all others are based and/or copied.

Because the long journey can be seen as a metaphor for living one’s life, this story has been examined more closely.

The Odyssey contains the morals, themes and values of the Greek society about adventure, hardship, and life.

The Odyssey is about Odysseus’ ten-year journey back home after the war.

The Iliad and The Odyssey poems were lost during the Dark Ages (beginning in the 9th century),but were re-discovered in Constantinople (present-day Turkey) during the Renaissance (14th century).

ODYSSEY CHARACTERS

Odysseus is a very human hero.

More than his strength, which was great, Odysseus was known for his clever and agile mind.

Remember that it was he who thought of using the Trojan Horse to gain entrance to the impregnable walls of Troy.

Odysseus…

Feels the effects of life after the great war and is searching for:

Balance in his life.

His own identity.

His reputation does nothing for him against the unthinking monsters he faces in his journey home.

He does not have the respect he once had even from the citizens of Ithica, his home.

He has the love and loyalty of his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus.

He did not want to leave his wife and family to go to war in the first place.

ODYSSEY CHARACTERS

Telemachus, Odysseus’ son…

Is in danger of losing his inheritance

with his father’s absence as king of

Ithaca.

Needs father for guidance and help.

Is desperately in search of his father.

THE ODYSSEY AND ITS GODS

In The Odyssey, the gods can be an alter ego, another version of a character’s personality, or a reflection of the character’s best or worst qualities.

The god who is on Odysseus’ side will reflect his better or stronger qualities.

The god who opposes Odysseus will reflect the darker, more negative side of Odysseus’ personality.

Poseidon is the god who opposes Odysseus

Poseidon, the god of the sea, tempestuous, violent and cruel.

Odysseus is also quick to anger, violent and cruel at times.

Athena is a goddess who favors Odysseus

Athena is the goddess of wisdom

Athena is a war goddess who fights to protect the homeland.

LITERARY FEATURE: HOMERIC SIMILE

Homeric Simile

A Homeric or heroic simile is one that compares heroic events to everyday occurrences.

Examples:

"And the ship like a four-horse team careening down the plain, all breaking as one with the whiplash cracking smartly, leaping with hooves high to run the course in no time..."

"The heart inside him growled low with rage, as an itch mounting over her weak defenseless puppies growls, facing a stranger, bristling for a showdown--so he growled from his depths, hackles raised at their outrage."

LITERARY FEATURE: EPITHET

Epithets

A word or phrase used to

characterize someone or something

Examples:

“Raider of Cities” meaning Odysseus

“Lord of the Clouds” meaning Zeus

MAP OF ODYSSEUS’ WANDERINGS

PRESENT-DAY MAP OF ODYSSEUS’

WANDERINGS