Epic Unit: The
Odyssey
Unit Introduction
You Should be Able to Answer…
What is a hero, why is one important, and
why is Odysseus considered one?
 Why is mythology important?
 What is an epic poem?
 In what context does The Odyssey occur?
 In what context was The Odyssey written?

What is a hero, why is it important, and why
is Odysseus considered one?
Hero – What, Who, Why
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Comes from greek heros for “one who is worthy”
A hero represents what a culture values above
all else
 Represents
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the ideal – what we should all strive to be
Who your heroes are tells who what is important
to you
Odysseus (from oddusumai for “to suffer pain”),
for his combination of strength and intellect and
willingness to endure trials, represents what
Ancient Greeks believed was most important
Epic Heroes
Why is Mythology Important?
Myths
Stories that use fantasy (supernatural
elements) to express ideas about life
 Deal with relationship between human
beings and the unknown or spiritual

Myth

Greeks believed in two aspects of the
mind:
 Mythos:
domain of artistic, intuitive mind
 Logos: Domain of logical, factual, practical
mind

Two blended seamlessly to the Greeks
What Is an Epic Poem?
Epic Poem: Definition

Long, narrative poem of adventures recounting
episodes important to the history of a nation or
race and relating to a central heroic figure
Epic: Characteristics
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Hero is a figure of imposing stature, great
importance, and historical or legendary
significance
Vast setting
Action consists of deeds of great bravery
Features supernatural forces and creatures
Style is elevated and objective
Epic Poem: Conventions

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Poem opens with an invocation of the Muse – prayer to
the Muse for inspiration
Begins In Medias Res (“in the middle”) – in mid-action
Catalogs warriors, ships, armies, etc.
Uses epic similes (long comparisons using “like” or “as”)
Uses epithets for description – hyphenated adjectives
(“rosy-fingered dawn,” “gray-eyed Athena”)
Uses Deus Ex Machina (“god from the machine”) –
supernatural forces that set things right
In what context does The Odyssey
occur?
Context of The Odyssey

Trojan War:

Recounted in The Iliad
 Also, as seen in “Troy”

Cause: King Menelaus’ wife, Helen, runs off (kidnapped?) with
Prince Paris of Troy
Menelaus’ brother, Agamemnon, organizes all Greeks to attack Troy (“a
thousand ships”)
 After 10 years and many deaths (including Achilles), Troy is sacked,
Helen returned to Menelaus, Greeks return home


Victory in Troy?

Agamemnon poisoned by unfaithful wife
 Odysseus wanders for another 10 years
The Trojan Horse
In what context was The Odyssey
written?
Background
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Credited to Homer, a rhapsode
Epics like “The Odyssey” were composed orally
and then recited by rhapsodes (“singers of
tales”) – they were memorized!
Rhapsodes improvised over basic storyline to a
particular rhythm or meter
Recounted epics during multiple sittings
The Odyssey and The Iliad were the distant
past for rhapsodes’ listeners (like the
Revolutionary War is for Americans)
Map of Odysseus Journey
Cicones
Underworld
Scheria
Circe
Thrinakia
Laistrygonians
Troy
Scylla and Charybdis
Cyclops
King Aiolos
Calypso
Lotus Eaters
Ithaca
Themes
 “Where
shall a man find sweetness to
surpass his own home and his parents?
In far lands he shall not, though he find a
house of gold.” (Part I)
 A soldier’s return to civilized life,
conquering the “hero’s heart.” (Part II)
What does all of this have to do
with The Odyssey?
 Odysseus,
the epic hero of The Odyssey,
is a cornerstone of our concept of
heroes/heroism
 The Odyssey is a classic example (and
among the best) of an epic poem
 Although not true in the sense of logos,
The Odyssey contains truth from mythos