The Odyssey An Introduction

Who was Homer? No one knows for sure who Homer was Greek storyteller credited with putting together the Iliad and the Odyssey. Iliad: story of the 10 year Trojan War caused by Paris and Helen Odyssey: story of Odysseus’ long and wayward return from the Trojan War

Rhapsodes None of these stories were written down. Each storyteller would have had to memorize the entire work and told it in such a way that it would be part performance. They did not memorize the story word for word but knew the basic story and improvised on the spot, following a basic rhythm of the words. There is a great deal of repetition in the stories, which makes it a bit simpler to tell. Homer was a model for a class of storytellers called rhapsodes Known as “singers of tales,” they were the historians and entertainers as well as myth-makers 

Epics and Values Epics: a long narrative poem that tells of the adventures of heroes across great spans of time and place. The epic contains the ideas, morals, themes and values of a culture from which it is created. Iliad: An archetype of the war epic. Contains the morals and values of the Greek society in war. Odyssey: An archetype of the adventure epic. Seen as a metaphor for living one’s life Contains the morals, themes and values of the Greek society about adventure, hardship, and life.

Characteristics of an Epic Involves an epic question The opening lines of the poem that state the theme A physically impressive hero of national or historical importance A vast setting involving not only of the known world but also the underworld Action such as a quest or journey requiring superhuman ability and courage Evidence of supernatural forces

Myths Stories that use fantasy to express ideas about life that cannot be expressed in realistic terms Considered religious because they are concerned with the relationship between human beings and the unknown or spiritual realm (gods/goddesses).

The Muses The Muses preside over the arts and sciences, inspire all artists, especially poets, philosophers, and musicians. Their name denotes “memory” or “a reminder,” since in the poets relied on their memories when telling these stories The nine Muses are the daughters of the Zeus and of Mnemosyne (ni-mos-a-nē), the goddess of memory

The Nine Muses Calliope (ka-lī-ō-pē) Clio (kl-ī-ō) the muse of epic poetry Clio (kl-ī-ō) the muse of history Euterpe (yoo-tur-pē) the muse of music Melpomene (mel-pom-e-nē) the muse of tragedy Terpsichore (turp-sic-u-rē) the muse of dancing Erato (er-e-tō) the muse of love poetry Polyhymnia (pol-ē-him-nē-a) the muse of sacred poetry Urania (yoo-rā-nē-a) the muse of astronomy Thalia (the-lī-a) the muse of comedy

Literary Terms for The Odyssey Epic Poem: a long narrative poem about the deeds of a hero; epics are based on historical fact (a blend of legend and truth); gods and goddesses often play a part in epics, either guiding the hero or thwarting his actions Epic Hero: The protagonist in an epic poem; often performs superhuman tasks; also portrays the goals and values of the society. Epic Simile: a long simile (taking up several lines) in an epic poem. Epic Metaphor: a long metaphor (taking up several lines) in an epic poem