Odysseus…….a different kind of hero

• Western Civilization began about 3000 years ago
• Trojan War: 1 st believed a myth; then evidence found in
Turkey
• Trojan War: ~
1200BC
• Troy – led by Hector
• Achaaens – led by
Agamemnon,
Menelaus, Odysseus
• Homer, the author of
The Odyssey & Iliad, was believed to be blind and lived ~ 480-
430BC; little is known about him

• At time of Trojan War – Greece was in a
“Dark Ages” – economic struggles, no writing system, no art or culture of its own
• All communication was passed on orally
• But! They could sail, and adopted the cultures of other civilizations they visited, such as Egypt and the Far East
• The 1 st Olympic games was one result
• So was an alphabetic writing system
• Thus, Homer could finally tell the tale…

What Brought Odysseus to Troy?
• Helen is married to Menelaus
• Paris of Troy seduces her & takes her away
• Trojan War begins – Odysseus goes to support
Menelaus & Agamemnon
• Odysseus wins with “Trojan Horse”
• Menelaus takes Helen Home
• Agamemnon goes home – but is murdered by his wife, Clytemnestra, and her lover

• In retaliation of
Agamemnon’s murder, his children,
Orestes and
Electra, murder their mother,
Clytemnestra and her lover, Aegisthus
• Oh, what a tangled web we weave…….

Meanwhile, Odysseus is left to wander for 10 years ……..
ZEUS
CYCLOPS
POSEIDAN
• Poseidan is mad at Odysseus’s pridefulness and that he blinded his son, Cyclops
• So, he keeps wrecking ships, & killing off
Odysseus’ men, but can’t kill him because
Zeus won’t allow it (Athena is Daddy’s girl – and she likes Odysseus)

“The Face that Launched 1000Ships”

The Gods and their whims are forever tied to their human Greek counterparts

REMEMBER:
• Greeks understood mythology as a religion that they completely believed
• Out of respect, they worshipped various gods in the belief that the more they pleased them, the more favorable their lives would be
• Individual city states would adopt a certain god, hoping it would give their state an advantage over another
• So, Homer’s moral code
Odyssey was definitely a true reflection of Greek beliefs, way of life, and

Fate v. Free Will: The Eternal Struggle

The Structure of the Odyssey:
3 Stories in One
• One: What’s going on in Ithaca with wife
Penelope and son Telemachus while
Odysseus is gone
• Two: The story of Odysseus’s 10-year wanderings
• Three: These all come together when
Odysseus gets back to Ithaca and destroys his enemies

• Appreciation for & love of home
• Overcoming obstacles & temptations in life’s journey to reach a place of peace and joy
• The importance of using wisdom, manners, and following a religious code to have good fortune in life
• The dangers and misfortune that come to those with too much pride or ego

: Modern Lessons from
Ancient Times