Homer’s The Odyssey
BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON:
• Ancient Greek Mythology
• Gods and Goddesses
• What is an EPIC?
• Homer
• The Iliad and The Odyssey
What is MYTHOLOGY?
 Mythology is the study of myths, or stories that symbolize basic
truths about life.
 Myths are usually passed down orally through many generations.
 Usually myths involve extraordinary or supernatural beings and
events. They have been one of the biggest sources of inspiration
for literature, drama, and art throughout the world.
 There are as many kinds of myths as there are situations affecting
mankind. Most deal with cosmological events or with moments
of crisis in the human life cycle. Others try to make sense of
important historical events or explain the existence of
extraordinary beings.
 What are some myths that you’re familiar with?
GREEK & ROMAN MYTHOLOGY:
GODS & GODDESSES
GOD/GODDESS
GREEK NAME
ROMAN NAME

Sky God, Ruler
Zeus
Jupiter (Jove)

Queen
Hera
Juno

Sun, Light
Apollo
Apollo

Moon
Artemis
Diana

War, Storms, Thunder
Ares
Mars

Sea, Rivers, Oceans, Rain
Poseidon
Neptune

Agriculture, Fertility
Demeter/Persephone
Ceres/Proserpine

Fertility, Wine, Drama
Dionysus
Bacchus

Love
Aphrodite/Eros
Venus/Cupid

Underworld, Dead
Hades
Pluto

Wisdom, Knowledge
Athena (female) & Apollo (male)
Minerva

Crafts, Invention
Hephaestus/Athena
Vulcan/Minerva

Messenger
Hermes
Mercury

All Greek/Roman gods and goddesses lived on MOUNT OLYMPUS!

There are many, many mythological references in The Odyssey.
Gods/Goddesses in The Odyssey
ZEUS
 Zeus is the king of gods. He lived on Mount Olympus with his
wife, Hera. He was the most powerful god and ruled both
Heaven and Earth.
 He controlled the sun and the moon, as well as the seasons.
 Zeus is known for his “erotic escapades,” so he had children who
were gods (from Hera) and heroes/mortals (from nymphs and
other women).
 When angered, he hurled thunderbolts down to Earth.
 His symbols are a thunderbolt, an eagle, a bull, and an oak tree.
Gods/Goddesses in The Odyssey
POSEIDON
 Poseidon was the ruler of the sea (and earthquakes), second in
power only to his brother Zeus. He unleashed the fury of the sea
on those who angered him. His palace was at the bottom of the
sea, but he went to Mount Olympus whenever he wished.
 Like Zeus, he had many children, one of whom (Polyphemus)
plays a major role in The Odyssey.
 His symbol of power was a trident, a three-pronged spear. Other
symbols are a fish, a dolphin, and a bull.
 He is often depicted riding a chariot over a smooth sea.
Gods/Goddesses in The Odyssey
ATHENA
 Athena was the goddess of warfare (and civilization, wisdom,
strength, strategy, crafts, justice and skill). However, she fought
only when she had to, and preferred wisdom and peace over war.
She only fought for a reasonable cause or to defend the forces of
good.
 She was Zeus’ favorite son/daughter, and is said to have sprang
fully-grown from the head of Zeus holding a spear.
 Because she was so wise, Athena appears in Greek mythology as
the patron and helper of many heroes, including Odysseus.
 The Greeks built the Parthenon in Athens in her honor.
 Her symbols include an owl, an olive tree, armor, and a spear.
Gods/Goddesses in The Odyssey
HADES
 Hades was the ruler of the Underworld. He was the god of the
dead and wealth.
 He was the older brother of Zeus and Poseidon. The three
brothers claimed rule over the cosmos: the Underworld, the sea,
and the air. All three ruled land together.
 The gate to the Underworld was guarded by Cerberus, the threeheaded dog. Before entering the Underworld, the dead were
ferried across the River Styx.
 His symbols are Cerberus and the Cap of Invisibility.
Gods/Goddesses in The Odyssey
HERMES
 Hermes was the messenger for all gods on Olympus, particularly
his father, Zeus.
 He wore wings on his helmet and sandals. He could fly freely
between the mortal and immortal world, and was responsible for
watching over travellers and leading the dead to the Underworld.
 Hermes was believed to have invented many types of racing and
the sports of wrestling and boxing, and therefore was a patron of
athletes.
 His symbols include the tortoise, the rooster, winged sandals, a
winged hat, and the caduceus (wand decorated with snakes).
What is an EPIC?
 Epics are often of national significance, so they define the history and
social values of a nation. The most common kind of epic – the oral epic
– was first spoken and then recorded onto paper.
 All epics have several features in common:
 A central figure who is heroic or super human (Odysseus in The Odyssey;
Achilles in The Iliad)
 Long, arduous, perilous journeys
 Various mistakes and misadventures
 Strong supernatural or otherworldly elements (gods, goddesses, etc.)
 Long passages of narrative dialogue
 Vivid descriptions
 Departure from the task at hand
 Larger-than-life scenarios
 Portray the goals and values of a society (in this case, ancient Greece)
The Elements of an EPIC
 EPIC HERO – The central figure of an epic, a figure of high social
status and great strength. His importance is national, even universal.
The epic hero embodies the traits that are the most valued by the
society the epic comes from. The epic hero is called an archetype, a
figure who represents the most admirable traits a human can possess.
 EPIC SIMILE – A long, complex comparison using “like” or “as.”
 HOMERIC EPITHET – Homer often joins adjectives to make
compound adjectives. They are used repeatedly to characterize or
describe someone or something. Example: “God-like Odysseus”
 INVOCATION – An appeal for help or inspiration from a
god/goddess or muse. An invocation appears in ALL epics, and it
comes at the very BEGINNING. Early on, the poet asks the epic
question; the rest of the story answers this question. Where is the
invocation in The Odyssey?
HOMER
(No, not Homer Simpson…)
 Most famous of ALL Greek epic poets; lived in 9th century B.C.
 A blind, nomadic, wandering poet
 Possibly born in Iona, which is on the west coast of present-day
Turkey
 His best-known works are The Iliad and The Odyssey, which
both deal with the defining moment of Greek culture – the
TROJAN WAR.
 His epics made up the basis of education in ancient Greece; also
influenced Roman and Christian values and educational ideals.
 His two epics are the highest cultural achievement of the Greek
people; they define Greek culture and set the Greek ideals in
stone.
Homer’s Major Works:
THE ILIAD
The Iliad is the story of a brief event in the ninth year of the Trojan War (which
lasted ten years); the great hero ACHILLES is offended when the leader of the
Greeks, Agamemnon, takes a slave girl Achilles has been awarded. Achilles
withdraws from the battle and prays to his mother (Thetis, a goddess) to turn the tide
of the battle against the Greeks. The gods grant Achilles his prayer, and he does not
return to battle until his best friend/cousin is killed by the great Trojan hero, Hector.
Achilles throws himself into the battle, fights Hector, and kills him. In a final gesture
of contempt, he drags Hector’s lifeless body around the walls of Troy. The main
theme of the epic is “Achilles’ choice.” Achilles has been offered a choice: either he
can be a great and famous hero in war and die young (he eventually does die in Troy
when he is struck by a poisoned arrow in the heel), or he can live a long, happy life
without any lasting fame at all. Although Achilles initially chooses not to die young,
the death of his friend forces him to make the choice to be famous for all time, but
tragically dead at a young age.
Homer’s Major Works:
THE ODYSSEY
The Odyssey is the story of the homecoming of another Greek hero at Troy, Odysseus.
Unlike Achilles, Odysseus is not famous for his strength and bravery, but for his ability to
deceive and trick others (it is supposedly Odysseus’ idea to take Troy by offering the enemies
a great wooden horse full of Greek soldiers). After the war, Odysseus is in such a rush to get
home to Ithaca (where his wife and child await) that he fails to make a proper sacrifice to the
gods. His homecoming is delayed for ten years because of the anger of the gods; finally, ten
years after the end of the war, he is allowed to return home.
For most of the ten years he has been living on an island with the goddess Calypso, who
is madly in love with him. Odysseus, like Achilles, is offered a choice: he may either live on
the island with Calypso and be immortal like the gods, or he may return to his wife and his
country and be a mortal like the rest of us. He chooses to return, and much of the rest of the
work is a long exposition on what it means to be “mortal.” The main theme of The Odyssey
is the nature of mortal life, and why any human being would (if offered the chance to become
a god) still choose to be mortal. Much of the epic deals with the aura surrounding death, the
nature of human civilization, and human savagery.
The SETTING of The Odyssey
TIME: After the Trojan War – 13th or 12th century B.C.
PLACE: Mediterranean Sea
The Beginning…
(In Media Res = In the middle of the action)
 We start out The Odyssey with Telemachus (Odysseus's son) looking for
Odysseus. Telemachus was just a newborn when his father left to fight in the
Trojan War. We know that the war lasted 10 years, and that Odysseus was
detained by the gods for 10 years, so Telemachus is now 20 years old. So where
is Odysseus? Lost? Dead? Alive?
 To make matters worse for Telemachus, nobody but his mom (Penelope) and he
believes that Odysseus is still alive. All the losers in Ithaca (Odysseus's home) want
Penelope to marry one of them so that there can be a king again. Telemachus
leaves to go find his dad, without any help from other men in Ithaca.
 Meanwhile, Odysseus washes ashore in a strange place. He is taken to the king of
that land. Odysseus then begins to tell the king his story of where he has been the
last ten years...
What’s Next?
 Next class, you will have an open-note quiz about ALL of today’s
background information, as well as the Trojan War reading assignment.
 We will also be starting to watch excerpts from the movie Troy, which
tells the story of Achilles during the Trojan War.