HOMER’S ODYSSEY
Definitions
Background
Important Characters
EPIC –
a
long story told in elevated
language (usually poetry)
relates
the great deeds of a
larger-than-life hero who
embodies the values of a
particular society
EPIC POETRY




Most epics include elements of
myth, legend, folk tale, and
history.
They also include elements of
supernatural forces at work.
The tone of the epic is serious
and it uses grand language.
Often the hero’s quest takes
place in a vast setting, often
including heaven, hell, or the
land of the dead.
EPIC POETRY
 Homer’s
Iliad and Odyssey
are the best-known epics in
Western civilization.
 Another well-known epic is
Virgil’s Aeneid which is
based on events that
happen during and
after the Trojan War
(just like the Iliad and
the Odyssey).
EPIC HERO
 Definition
of epic hero
- a larger-than-life
hero who embodies
the values of a
particular society.
 An epic hero is
superhuman;
physically impressive.
 He is braver, stronger,
smarter, and more
clever than an
ordinary person is.
EPIC HERO
The epic hero is on a quest for
something of great value to him
or his people.
 The villains who try to keep the
hero from his quest are usually
uglier, more evil, and more
cunning than anyone we know in
ordinary life.
 The epic hero is often of mixed
divine and human birth and so
possesses human weaknesses.

EPIC HERO
The
gods of the
divine world
interfere with the
human world.
At the end of the
quest, the hero is
glorified.
HOMERIC SIMILE
 Compares
heroic or epic events to simple,
everyday events
 Uses

like or as
"Fear fell upon Hector as he beheld him, and he dared not
stay longer where he was but fled in dismay from before
the gates, while Achilles darted after him at
his utmost speed. As a mountain falcon,
swiftest of all birds, swoops down upon some
cowering dove- the dove flies before him but
the falcon with a shrill scream follows close
after, resolved to have her- even so did
Achilles make straight for Hector with all
his might, while Hector fled under the Trojan wall as
fast as his limbs could take him." - The Iliad
GODS AND GODDESSES
(THE IMMORTALS)
 Aphrodite
–
Goddess of
Love
 Ares – God of
War
GODS AND GODDESSES
(THE IMMORTALS)

Calypso – nymph goddess who keeps Odysseus
for years while he is trying to return home to his
faithful wife, Penelope
GODS AND GODDESSES
(THE IMMORTALS)
Cheiron – The Centaur, full of great
wisdom who tutors Greek Heroes
 Demeter/Ceres – Goddess of the
Harvest
 Eris – twin sister of Ares, goddess of
discord

Eris helped to cause
the Trojan War by
tossing her apple of
discord into the guests
at the wedding of
Peleus and Thetis.
Three of these guests
then competed to win
the golden apple.
GODS AND GODDESSES
(THE IMMORTALS)
Gorgon – Snake-headed Medusa
 Hades – God of the Underworld
 Heracles – the ultimate hero
(Hercules)

GODS AND GODDESSES
(THE IMMORTALS)
Hestia – goddess of
the hearth
 The Muses – the nine
sisters who inspire all
artists, especially
poets, philosophers,
and musicians. The
Muses were the
daughters of Zeus

GODS AND GODDESSES
(THE IMMORTALS)
 Apollo
– god of youthful masculinity and
poetry, music, prophecy, medicine, and archery
GODS AND GODDESSES
(THE IMMORTALS)
 Athena
– favorite daughter
of Zeus ; the great goddess
of wisdom and the arts of
war and peace. She
favored the Greeks during
the Trojan War. She is
often called Pallas Athena
GODS AND GODDESSES
(THE IMMORTALS)

Cronus – Titan (giant
god) who ruled the
universe until Zeus
overthrew him
GODS AND GODDESSES
(THE IMMORTALS)

Helios – sun god. Helios keeps
his golden cattle on the island
of Thrinakia
GODS AND GODDESSES
(THE IMMORTALS)
Hephaestus – god of metalworking
 Hermes – messenger god

GODS AND GODDESSES
(THE IMMORTALS)

Poseidon – god of the sea;
brother of Zeus. Called earthshaker because he is believed
to cause earthquakes.
Poseidon is an enemy of
Odysseus.
GODS AND
GODDESSES (THE
IMMORTALS)

Zeus – the most powerful
god, whose home is on
Olympus
THE BAD GIRLS

Scylla – female monster
with six serpent heads,
each head having a triple
row of fangs (thought to
be a dangerous rock in the
Strait of Messina)
THE BAD GIRLS

Charybdis – female monster
who sucks in water three
times a day to form a deadly
whirlpool (thought to be a
real whirlpool in the Strait of
Messina)
THE BAD GIRLS

Circe – witch
goddess who turns
Odysseus’ men into
swine (pigs)
THE BAD GIRLS

Sirens – sea nymphs
whose beautiful and
mysterious music lures
sailors to steer their
ships toward the rocks
THE BAD GUYS

Cyclops – aka Polyphemus – blinded
by Odysseus; the son of the sea god
Poseidon. Cyclopes are a race of
brutish one-eyed giants who live
solitary lives as shepherds,
supposedly on the island of Sicily
PLACES IN THE ODYSSEY

Aeaea – home of witch-goddess Circe
PLACES IN THE ODYSSEY

Erebus- dark
area of the
underworld
where the
dead reside
PLACES IN THE ODYSSEY

Phaeacia – island kingdom
ruled by King Alcinous. The
Phaeacians are shipbuilders
and traders
PLACES IN THE ODYSSEY

Thrinakia –
island where the
sun god Helios
keeps his cattle
MORTALS IN THE ODYSSEY
Alcinous – king of
Phaeacia. Odysseus tells
the story of his
adventures to Alcinous’
court
 Cicones – people living
on the southwestern
coast of Thrace, who
battled Odysseus and
his men on their journey
home
 Eurylochus – one of
Odysseus’ loyal crew

MORTALS IN THE ODYSSEY
Lotus Eaters – people
who feed Odysseus’
men lotus plants to
make them forget
returning to Ithaca
 Teiresias – famous
blind prophet from the
city of Thebes.
Odysseus meets him in
the Land of the Dead

MORTALS IN THE ODYSSEY (IN ITHACA)
Antinous – one of Penelope’s leading suitors; an
arrogant and mean young noble from Ithaca
 Eurymachus – suitor of Penelope

MORTALS IN THE ODYSSEY (IN ITHACA)
Eumaeus – a swineherd (pig farmer), one of Odysseus’
loyal servants
 Eurycleia – Odysseus’ old nurse and Penelope’s servant
 Eurynome – Penelope’s housekeeper
 Philoeteus – cowherd; one of Odysseus’ loyal servants

MORTALS IN THE ODYSSEY (IN ITHACA)
Penelope – Odysseus’ faithful wife
 Telemachus – Odysseus’ son
