Slide 1
Classic Epics
Greece, Homer and The Iliad
Slide 2
The Mycenaeans
1900 B.C. –

The Iliad's major characters are referred
to not as Greeks but as groups of
"Achaeans," "Argives," and "Danaans."

Originally from western Asia, these
Greek-speaking peoples invaded the
Mediterranean area around 1900 B.C.

Within 400 years of their arrival in
Greece, these peoples had founded the
highly developed civilization that provides
the background for Homer's tale.
Slide 3
The Mycenaeans
1900 B.C. –

The Mycenaean Culture named after the city of
Mycenae has been excavated by modern
archaeologists.

Mycenae is thought to be the model for the cities in
which Homer's Greek heroes lived.

The Mycenaeans were city-dwellers who were ruled
by kings and governed by well-organized
bureaucracies; the ruling classes were clearly
militaristic.

Around the year 1200 B.C., many of the great
Mycenaean palaces were violently destroyed, and the
entire Mycenaean culture dwindled.
Slide 4
The Trojan War
1150 ca.
The Legend of the Trojan War
The Iliad is set during the Trojan War, in the ninth year of the
legendary ten-year conflict. The war is among the most
important events in Greek mythology and was narrated
in many works of Greek Literature.
In myth, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy
by the Achaeans after Paris of Troy stole Helen from
her husband, Menelaus, the king of Sparta.
The Historical Troy. Although ancient people claimed to
have visited Troy and seen the graves of the heroes that
died during the war, the historical Troy was not
discovered until late 1800 ‘s in Turkey by Heinrich
Schliemann, a German businessman.
Slide 5
The Role of Destiny
Ancient Greek believed that on the day of every person's
birth, his or her fate was decided. According to
Greek tradition, one's destiny was determined by
three daughters of Zeus known as the three Fates.
These Fates were thought of as old women; one
spun the thread of life that carried the person's
lifelong destiny, a second measured its length, and
the third cut the thread and ended the life. In the
Iliad, Zeus himself is portrayed as the supreme
deity who ensures that the course of each person's
fate is completed.
Slide 6
Birth of Literature

Western literature begins with the Iliad. The Epic of
Gilgamesh, while at least 1,000 years older, is neither
as well-known nor as influential as Homer's work.

We still use expressions like "Achilles' heel," "Trojan
horse," or "the face that launched a thousand ships," all
with roots in the Iliad or the mythic cycle on which it is
based, nearly 3,000 years after the poem was written.

The Iliad is famous for its similes, epithets and
phrases.

In the ancient world, the poems of Homer are second
only to the Bible in popularity.
Slide 7
The Epic Standard
For more than 1,500 years, the Iliad and the
Odyssey set the standard by which epic poetry, if
not all poetry of any kind, was judged. The oral
Homeric style consisted of two-word stock
epithets, reiterations, and the hexameter line.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Slide 8
The invocation of the muse.
Telling a story with which readers or listeners are
already familiar; they know the characters, the
plot, and the outcome.
Conflict in the celestial realm. Divine beings fight
and scheme against one another
Use of epithets.
Public Education
The traveling rhapsodes composed consistent
epic poems from memory and
improvisation, and disseminated them,
via song and chant, during his travels and
at the Anathema Festival of athletics,
music, poetics, and sacrifice, celebrating
Athena's birthday.
Thus, the rhapsode had a educational and
cultural function and distributed literature
throughout Ancient Greece.
Slide 9
Humans and Gods

Ancient Greeks thought their Greek deities could
be human-shaped, half-human and half-animal, or
even take the form of a rock.

In the Iliad, all of the gods appear as human
beings with the power to change shape.

In the Iliad, all events, ranging from earthquakes
to plagues to unsuccessful efforts to throw a spear,
were the result of intervention by Gods in human
lives rather than luck or other factors.

If any misfortune befell a person, it was probably
because that person had not performed the proper
rituals to the appropriate gods.
Theoi Greek Mythology
Slide 10
Homer
8th Century B.C.



Author of two great epics, the Iliad and the
Odyssey.
Considered the world's first great writer
Enhanced the rich oral literature with literary
qualities such as meter, similes, scenes and a
clear plot.
Scholars speculate
 That Homer was a blind poet who may have
been born in several different places in Greece
 That Homer probably composed his works
between 700 and 800 B.C.
 That he recited the epics.
Rhapsodes kept his works alive until scribes wrote
them down.
Slide 11
The Iliad
The Iliad tells the story of the Achaeans and Trojans in war
and covers only a few weeks on a longer ten-year
war. Both the men who do battle and the women who
depend on them are affected. The Iliad suggests that
human beings must implicitly deal with both
destructive and creative impulses. Questions about
the nature of aggression and violence are left
unanswered, and questions about human suffering
and the waste generated by war are left unresolved.
Themes
 Greek concept of the brevity of life and the eternity of
fame.
 Human Flaws and Limitations
 Humanizing the divine
 War vs. Peace
Complete text translated by Alexandar Pope
Slide 12
The Hero’s Journey
Slide 13
The Hero Journey
Stage 1: Miraculous conception and birth initiation of hero-child.
Stage 2: Call to Adventure with a reward.
Stage 3: Mentor, Gods/ Goddess or Helper
Stage 4: Trials and Tests and Quests and Goddesses
Stage 5: Descent into the Underworld
Stage 6: Supreme Ordeal
Stage 7: Ascent or Flight: Visions, Crossing, Resurrection or Rebirth
Stage 8: Return of the Hero: Ascension, apotheosis, and atonement, and reward.
Monomyth and The Hero Cycle
Monomyth and the Hero Journey
Slide 14
Achilles
Miraculous conception and birth initiation of
hero-child.
Slide 15

Achilles was the son of the nymph, Thetis
and Peleus, the King of the Myrmidons

Considered the most handsome of the
heroes assembled against Troy

Considered the greatest warrior in the
Trojan war

Achilles was invulnerable in all of his body
except for his heel, since he died due to a
poisoned arrow shot into his heel

Achilles' heel has come to mean a
person's principal weakness.
The Shield of Achilles
Achilles hears the news of Patroclus' death,
and vows to revenge himself on Hector
for the injury. His mother asks the god
Hephaestus to forge new armor for her
son, since Hector now wears the armor
that he had brought with him to Troy.
Hephaestus makes a beautiful new suit of
armor, including a richly worked shield,
for Achilles.
Stage 7: Ascent or Flight: Visions,
Crossing, Resurrection or Rebirth
Slide 16
The Judgment of Paris
The goddess Eris (Discord) was not invited to the wedding of Peleus and Thetis (Achilles' parents), so she
threw a golden apple inscribed "for the fairest" into the banquet hall in revenge. All the goddesses
claimed it for themselves, but the choice came down to three—Aphrodite, Athena, and Hera.
Zeus wisely refuses to decide and sends them to Mount Ida, where Paris was tending his father's flocks.
Priam had sent the prince away from Troy because of a prophecy that Paris would one day prove the
undoing of the city. Each of the three goddesses offers Paris a bribe: Hera promises to make him lord
of Europe and Asia; Athena promises to make him a great military leader and let him rampage all over
Greece; and Aphrodite promises that he will have the most beautiful woman in the world for his wife.
Paris picks Aphrodite, which of course means that from then on both Hera and Athena are dead-set
against him, and Trojans in general.
Slide 17
Helen of Troy

The most beautiful woman in the world at the time is Helen, a daughter of Zeus and Leda, who is
married to Menelaus, the king of Sparta. Helen's adoptive father Tyndareus knew what he was in for
when the time came to choose a husband for his beautiful daughter, and made anyone who wanted
to marry her swear a solemn oath that they would all come to the assistance of Helen's eventual
husband, if anything happened to him as a result of the marriage.

Paris visits Menelaus in Sparta and carries Helen back to Troy, seemingly with her active
cooperation held that guests and hosts had very specific obligations to each other, not the least of
which was not to steal the other's property.
Slide 18
Call to Action
Call to Adventure with a reward.

Menelaus, in company with his brother Agamemnon and the
rest of Helen's original suitors, then invite others to join them
on the expedition, under Agamemnon's leadership.

The armada of some 1,200 ships eventually sails to Troy,
where the army fights without success to take the city, and
engages in skirmishes and plundering raids on nearby
regions. When the story opens, we find ourselves in the tenth
year of the war.
Heroic Code: In order to obtain Nostros, they must defeat
Troy
Slide 19
The Hero Honor Code
The main goal of a hero is to ….
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Win fame for your aristeia --excellence, courage, and prowess-- using all the resources given you
via your aristocratic birth, wealth, intelligence, military and athletic abilities.
Pursuit of honor or prestige, kleos or glory, and arete or martial virtue in order to secure
immortality as a great warrior, even if it means early death.
Guard your honor and the honor of your companions.
Fulfill your aidōs or obligation to community.
Accept your moira or fate as you strive for success.
Slide 20
Heroic Values
Nostos or νόστος
 The homecoming. A hero’s reward is a happy,
profitable homecoming after years of battle.
Kleos or κλέος
 Glory or fame is only earned in heroic battle.
Kleos aphthiton or κλέος ἄφθιτον.
 Fame imperishable. Choosing to die in battle
versus returning to a glorious homecoming.
Time or тιμή.
 Respect or honor awarded on your station in
life or cultural, political or martial
accomplishments.
Wrath or μῆνιν.
 Rage that drives a hero when his vanity or
honor is wounded.
Kripa or κήρα
 Heroes accept that fate is determined; gods or
men cannot contest it.
Slide 21
Aristeia
Goal: Win fame for your aristeia --excellence, courage, and
prowess-- using all the resources given you via your
aristocratic birth, wealth, intelligence, military and athletic
abilities.

Book 5: The Aristeia of Diomedes: Diomedes, aided by
Athena, kills and wounds Trojans as he crosses the
battlefield. the dozen. He wounds Aphrodite when she
tries to rescue her son Aeneas, and Ares, the god of war,
when he tries to rally the Trojan forces against Diomedes.

Book 11: The Aristeia of Agamemnon: The next
fighting day, Agamemnon gets his day of glory, but is
wounded along with others.

Book 16: The Aristeia of Patroclus . When Patroclus
and the Myrmidons enter the battle, the Trojans fall back
and Patroclus has his aristeia, killing many Trojans
including Sarpedon, a son of Zeus himself.

Book 17: The Aristeia of Menelaus: Hector strips
Achilles' armor from Patroclus' body. The Achaeans, led
by Menelaus, stop him from taking the body.
Slide 22
Kleos Aphthiton
Goal: Obtain Fame imperishable. Choosing to die in battle
versus returning to a glorious homecoming; Thus,
your fame is eternal

Book 16: Patroclus Fights and Dies: Patroclus borrow
his Achilles' armor and lead out his troops against the
Trojans. Achilles warns him, however, not to pursue Hector
or to get too close to the city itself. Regardless, Patroclus
pursues Hector and the Trojans to the walls of Troy. There
he is confronted by Apollo, who stuns and disarms him.
The Trojan Euphorbus wounds Patroclus, and Hector
finishes him off.

Book 24: The Death of Hector: Hector and Achilles run
around the city walls. After the third circuit of the city,
Apollo withdraws his protection from Hector. Athena,
taking the form of one of Hector's brothers, tricks him into
fighting Achilles, who of course kills him. Throughout the
epic, it is known that Achilles is the greatest warrior. Still
enraged, Achilles straps Hector's body behind his chariot
and drags it back to the camp, as Hector's family watches
in horror from the walls of Troy.
Slide 23
Kleos
Goal: Obtain honor with glory or fame earned in
heroic battle

The Duel between Paris and Menelaus: During a
truce, Menelaus and Paris meet in single combat. The
winner is to take Helen and all her treasures home
with him. Solemn oaths are sworn by both sides to
abide by the outcome of the duel. Helen watches the
fight with King Priam from the walls of Troy, and
points out the chief leaders of the opposing forces.
Just as Menelaus is on the point of killing Paris, the
goddess Aphrodite sweeps him safely out of the battle
and back to his bedroom in Troy.
Fame Denied

Book 7: The Greeks Build a Wall: Back at the battle,
Hector challenges an Achaeans to a duel. Ajax is
chosen, but the outcome is indecisive. As night falls, a
truce is arranged to allow the dead on both sides to be
collected and buried. During this truce, the Achaeans
fortify their camp.
Fame Denied
Slide 24
Wrath
Rage that drives a hero when his vanity or honor is wounded.

Book 1: The Wrath of Achilles: Agamemnon has offended Chryses, the priest of Apollo, by refusing
to ransom back his daughter. Apollo sends a plague on the Achaeans in retribution. At a gathering of
the whole army, Agamemnon agrees to give the girl back but demands another woman as
compensation, and takes Briseis, Achilles' concubine. Achilles is enraged at this slight, and pulls his
whole army out of the war. In addition, he prays to his mother, the goddess Thetis, to beg Zeus to
avenge his dishonor by supporting the Trojans against the Achaean forces. Zeus agrees, though not
without angering his wife, Hera.
•
Book 18: The Shield of Achilles: Achilles hears the news of Patroclus' death, and vows to revenge
himself on Hector for the injury. His mother points out that if he kills Hector, his own death will follow
shortly, but Achilles insists he will have revenge. After he kills Hector, Achilles straps Hector's body
behind his chariot and drags it back to the camp, as Hector's family watches in horror from the walls of
Troy.
Slide 25
Time
Goal: Respect or honor awarded on your station
in life or cultural, political or martial
accomplishments

Book 9: The Embassy to Achilles:
Agamemnon sends an embassy to Achilles and
offers to give Briseis back, with interest, and a
promise of much more booty to come when Troy
is finally conquered. Since Agamemnon has not
apologized, Achilles refuses to consider the offer
and instead vows to sail home with his army the
next morning.

Book 24: Hector's Body is Recovered and
Buried: On the orders of Zeus and with the
protection of Hermes, Priam makes his way to
Achilles' camp at night to ransom back the body
of his son. Achilles is moved to pity the old man
and makes him comfortable after agreeing to
accept the ransom he offers for Hector's body.
Achilles guarantees the Trojans a suitable
amount of time to prepare for and conduct
Hector's funeral.
Slide 26
Epic Hero Checklist
An epic hero can be a
 A demigod, the offspring of a mortal and a deity.
 A historical characters that display courage or self sacrifice
when faced with danger or adversity.
 A recurring characters in the legends of their native culture.
 A warrior of some sort who performs extraordinary tasks that
most find difficult.
An



epic hero will
Will sacrifice for the greater good.
Embody cultural and religious beliefs of the people.
Illustrates traits, performs deeds, and exemplifies certain
morals that are valued by the society from which the epic
originates.
Participates in a cyclical journey or quest where he…
 Faces adversaries that try to defeat him in his journey,
 Gathers allies along his journey,
 Returns home significantly transformed by his journey.
Slide 27
Pulling it All Together
The Iliad set the standards for an epic
 The invocation of the muse
 Telling a story with which readers are familiar
 Conflict in the celestial realm.
 Literary Elements added to Oral Literature
The Iliad is focused on the Greek theme of
 The hero in battle
 Illustrates the heroic code
 Comments on the eternity of fame
As






hero, Achilles demonstrates
Human Flaws and Limitations
How warriors honored their greatest warrior
Kleos or Glory or fame earned in heroic battle
Kleos aphthiton or Fame imperishable
Time or Respect or honor awarded on your station in life
Wrath or Rage that drives a hero when his vanity or honor
is wounded.