The OdysseyThe Odyssey

By HomerBy Homer

EpicEpic

Long, narrative poems that tell of the adventures of heroes who in some way embody the values of their civilizations

Impressive hero Involves physical world and sometimes the land

of the dead as well Quest or journey taken in search of something of

value

Long, narrative poems that tell of the adventures of heroes who in some way embody the values of their civilizations

Impressive hero Involves physical world and sometimes the land

of the dead as well Quest or journey taken in search of something of

value

The IliadThe Iliad

The prequel to The Odyssey Story of the Trojan War of 1200 BC

Odysseus was a war hero of this war He devised the plan of the Trojan

Horse that led to the fall of Troy The Gods favored Troy, so they

cursed him for this idea and cursed his voyage back home from the Trojan War (story of The Odyssey)

The prequel to The Odyssey Story of the Trojan War of 1200 BC

Odysseus was a war hero of this war He devised the plan of the Trojan

Horse that led to the fall of Troy The Gods favored Troy, so they

cursed him for this idea and cursed his voyage back home from the Trojan War (story of The Odyssey)

Terms for the OdysseyTerms for the Odyssey Myths: Stories that use fantasy to express

ideas about life that cannot be expressed easily in realistic terms

Alter Ego: A reflection of a hero’s best or worst qualities

Rhapsodes: “Singers of tales” were the historians and entertainers as well as the myth-makers of their time

Homeric or heroic similes: Extended comparisons that compare heroic or epic events to simple and easily understandable everyday events - events the audience would recognize instantly

Myths: Stories that use fantasy to express ideas about life that cannot be expressed easily in realistic terms

Alter Ego: A reflection of a hero’s best or worst qualities

Rhapsodes: “Singers of tales” were the historians and entertainers as well as the myth-makers of their time

Homeric or heroic similes: Extended comparisons that compare heroic or epic events to simple and easily understandable everyday events - events the audience would recognize instantly

The Plot and VirtuesThe Plot and Virtues

PLOT

Plot 1- Ten years have passed since the fall of Troy and Odysseus is unable to get home because of the gods

Plot 2 - Suitors try to convince his wife he is dead and try to marry her

Plot 3- Odysseus returns home and must seek revenge on the suitors

VIRTUES

-love of home

-loyalty

-hospitality

-courage

-bravery

This is a story of all people who look for peace and a place to belong but who must overcome a series of external and internal obstacles to reach that contentment.

Characters and Places of The Odyssey

Characters and Places of The Odyssey

Aeaea - Home of Circe, the witch-goddess Alcinous - King of Phaeacia Calypso - Beautiful goddess-nymph who keeps

Odysseus on her island for seven years Charybdis - Female monster who sucks in water

three times a day to form a deadly whirlpool Cicones - People living on the southwestern

coast of Thrace, who battled Odysseus and his men on their journey home

Circe - Witch-goddess who turns Odysseus’s men into swine

Aeaea - Home of Circe, the witch-goddess Alcinous - King of Phaeacia Calypso - Beautiful goddess-nymph who keeps

Odysseus on her island for seven years Charybdis - Female monster who sucks in water

three times a day to form a deadly whirlpool Cicones - People living on the southwestern

coast of Thrace, who battled Odysseus and his men on their journey home

Circe - Witch-goddess who turns Odysseus’s men into swine

Characters, cont’dCharacters, cont’d Cyclops - Polyphemus Erebus - Dark area of the underworld where the dead reside Eurylochus - One of Odysseus’s loyal crew Lotus Eaters - People who feed Odysseus’s men with the lotus

plants Phaeacia - Island kingdom ruled by Alcinous Polyphemus - The Cyclops; he is the son of the sea god

Poseidon Scylla - Female monster with six serpent heads, each with a

triple row of fangs Sirens - Sea nymphs whose beautiful and mysterious music

lures sailors to steer ships towards sharp rocks Teiresias - Famous blind prophet from city of Thebes Thrinakia - Island where the sun god Helios keeps his cattle

Cyclops - Polyphemus Erebus - Dark area of the underworld where the dead reside Eurylochus - One of Odysseus’s loyal crew Lotus Eaters - People who feed Odysseus’s men with the lotus

plants Phaeacia - Island kingdom ruled by Alcinous Polyphemus - The Cyclops; he is the son of the sea god

Poseidon Scylla - Female monster with six serpent heads, each with a

triple row of fangs Sirens - Sea nymphs whose beautiful and mysterious music

lures sailors to steer ships towards sharp rocks Teiresias - Famous blind prophet from city of Thebes Thrinakia - Island where the sun god Helios keeps his cattle

Characters, cont’dCharacters, cont’d

Ithaca - Odysseus’s homeland Antinous - One of Penelope’s leading suitors; arrogant

and mean Eumaeus - Swineherd, one of Odysseus’s loyal servants Eurycleia - Odysseus’s old nurse Eurymachus - Suitor of Penelope Eurynome - Penelope’s housekeeper Penelope - Odysseus’s faithful wife Philoetus - Cowherd, one of Odysseus’s loyal servants Telemachus - Odysseus’s son

Ithaca - Odysseus’s homeland Antinous - One of Penelope’s leading suitors; arrogant

and mean Eumaeus - Swineherd, one of Odysseus’s loyal servants Eurycleia - Odysseus’s old nurse Eurymachus - Suitor of Penelope Eurynome - Penelope’s housekeeper Penelope - Odysseus’s faithful wife Philoetus - Cowherd, one of Odysseus’s loyal servants Telemachus - Odysseus’s son

Gods and Goddesses Gods and Goddesses

Athena - Favorite daughter of Zeus; the great goddess of wisdom and the arts of war/peace; she favored the Greeks and helped Odysseus

Helios - Sun god Hermes - Messenger god Poseidon - The god of the sea; brother

of Zeus; enemy of Odysseus Zeus - Most powerful god

Athena - Favorite daughter of Zeus; the great goddess of wisdom and the arts of war/peace; she favored the Greeks and helped Odysseus

Helios - Sun god Hermes - Messenger god Poseidon - The god of the sea; brother

of Zeus; enemy of Odysseus Zeus - Most powerful god