By Homer
Background
 The Odyssey is a sequel (the second book in a series).
 It is the second of Homer’s two great epic poems.
 Part one is called The Iliad.
The Iliad
 The Iliad is the story of the Trojan War which might
actually have taken place around 1250 B.C.
 This poem is a tale of myth and magic, not history.
 The gods and goddesses of ancient Greece are
important characters.
 They take sides in the war and help the human
characters.
 According to the myth, the war started this way: Paris
was a prince in the city of Troy.
 Three goddesses asked him to judge who among them
was the most beautiful.
 Aphrodite, the goddess of love, offered Paris a reward
if he chose her.
 She said he could have Helen, the most beautiful
woman in the world.
 One problem: Helen was married to Menelaus, the
king of Sparta, a city in Greece.
 When Paris visited Sparta, Aphrodite made Helen fall
in love with him.
 Helen ran away with Paris.
 Menelaus and his brother, Agamemnon, led a Greek
army against Troy to bring her back.
 The war that followed is called the Trojan War after the
name Troy.
 The Iliad takes place during the last months of the
Trojan War.
 Its hero is Achilles, a mighty Greek warrior.
 The Iliad ends with the funeral of Hector, a Trojan hero
who is killed by Achilles.
 The story tells of many heroes on both sides.
 One of the Greek heroes is named Odysseus.
The Odyssey
 The Odyssey is named for Odysseus.
 Odysseus is the king of Ithaca, an island off the coast
of Greece.
 According to the myth, Odysseus did not want to fight
at Troy.
 He did not want to leave his wife, Penelope, and his
baby son, Telemachus.
 Odysseus had to be tricked into joining the Greek
army.
 Once he was involved in the fighting, however, he
proved to be brave and clever.
 In fact, Odysseus thought of the trick that finally won
the war for the Greeks.
 The Odyssey is mostly about Odysseus’ adventures
after the Trojan War.
 In one adventure he makes an enemy of Poseidon, the
Sea God.
 Poseidon punishes him by making him wander the
seas, never allowing him to reach home.
Invocation to the Muse
 An INVOCATION is a call for help or support.
 In ancient times, poets or artists would call upon a
MUSE to help them write or create.
 A MUSE is a person or thing that inspires you to
create.
 Ancient poets, such as Homer, would start their poems
with an invocation to the Muse, or a call to help them
create a great poem.
Epic Poem or Story
 An Epic Poem or story is a larger-than-life story that
contains many adventures or a long journey.
Characteristics of an epic
 The setting is vast, covering great nations, the world,
or the universe.
 The action consists of deeds of great valor or requiring
superhuman courage.
 Supernatural forces—gods, angels, demons — interest
themselves in the action.
Characteristics of the Epic Hero
 EPIC HERO - a larger-than-life hero who embodies the
values of a particular society.
Characteristics:
 1. An epic hero is superhuman. He is braver, stronger,
smarter, and cleverer than an ordinary person is.
 2. The epic hero is on a quest for something of great
value to him or his people.
 3. The villains that try to keep the hero from his quest
are usually uglier, more evil, and more cunning than
anyone we know in ordinary life.
 4. The epic hero is often of mixed divine and human
birth and so possesses human weaknesses.
 5. The divine world (the gods) interferes with the
human world.
Terms used to talk about Epics
 Poet opens by stating the theme, invokes the Muse,
and opens the narrative in medias res, giving
necessary exposition later.
 Poet includes catalogs of warriors, ships, armies, etc.
 Extended formal speeches by the main characters.
 Poet makes frequent use of the epic simile.
 Epic simile: an elaborate comparison, involved and
ornate. Also called the extended or Homeric simile.
The Greek Virtues
 All Greeks were challenged to live by the virtues set by
their culture. Breaking one of the Greek virtues meant
angering the gods. The virtues were:
 Loyalty
 Hospitality
 Respect for the gods and goddesses
 Respect for all forms of life
 Courage
Themes
 Respect for the Gods
Respect for the gods is shown through the numerous descriptions of sacrifices
and offerings. Disrespect for the gods inevitably leads to disaster; the gods do
not forget disrespect and are not easily appeased. (Poseidon, Athena, Helios.)
 The Importance of Lineage
Almost every time we meet someone significant, the narration pauses and we
learn of the lineage.
Many "things" we see also have a lineage or history that we are given - note
Odysseus scar and his bow.
 Fate
Fate is preordained by a power beyond that of even the gods.
Paradoxically, it does not seem "random." A character's fate is tied up with his
"character."
Epithet
 A phrase that describes a person and connects to their
name. Often seen in Homer’s epic poems.
 Epithets describe physical traits, lineage, or
personality traits.
 Example:
Odysseus, son of Laertes
 Sparkling-eyed Athena (Homer 7)
List the epithets for the following characters:
 Odysseus (page 7)
 Calypso (page 7)
 Poseidon (page 7)
 Athena (page 17)
 Menaelus (page 18)

Create your own Epithet
 Create your own epithet on a piece of paper.
 Write your name and create three epithets for yourself
according to the following criteria
 A physical trait
 A personality trait
 Lineage

Illustrate each of the epithets in a way that symbolizes the
phrase within the epithet.
Rubric for Grading the Epithet
Project:
 Epithet depicts physical trait
15
 Physical traits are illustrated in a symbolic way
10
 Epithet depicts personality trait
15
 Personality traits are illustrated symbolically
10
 Epithet depicts lineage
15
 Physical traits are illustrated in a symbolic way
10
 Name is creatively written on the paper
10
85 total