Introduction & Background for Odyssey

Myth Traditional stories Rooted in a particular culture (All cultures have them!) Usually explain a belief, ritual, or mysterious phenomenon Often originally religious based – because they explain the relationship between humans beings and the unknown or spiritual realm

Epic A long, narrative poem that tells the adventures of a hero who embodies the values of their civilization. An epic often chronicles a long journey. The hero, while a person who follows the beliefs & customs of the culture, goes on a long journey, & is always a flawed character with weaknesses of his own!

Heroes

Homer Blind minstrel & bard (bard = storyteller) Traveled around telling epic stories Mostly known as the one who compiled 2 main stories: Iliad: story of the great war at Troy between the Greeks and the Trojans Odyssey: Odyssues’s ten year journey trying to get back home to his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus.

Theme The theme sets the tone for the story. In Odyssey – the theme is all about the journey to get back home, to wife & son – and all the adventures, trials, & failures Odysseus must experience, in order to grow and truly value home The important message becomes the value of home!

Greek Gods ZEUS

Poseidon

Athena Goddess of Wisdom

Hermes Messenger god

Greeks & Guests Greeks – good treatment of a guest is critical. Guests are considered important. It is traditional to welcome guests and treat them very well To this day, the Greeks are open and very welcoming to visitors and guests. Greek architecture is designed to show that they are open and welcoming of guests.

Typical Greek Architecture Welcomes Guests

Leda & the Swan Leda – married & beautiful Zeus – desires Leda – who is always protected

Leda & the Swan Leda – married to King Tyndareus, King of Sparta Eurotas River Son of Cronos (Zeus) Birth of 1st set of twins from the egg (Helen & Polydeuces) Birth of 2nd set of twins (Clytaimestra & Castor)

Birth of Helen

Helen’s Youth Great beauty from birth on Word of her beauty spread through Greece Kidnapped by Theseus when 12 Put in the care of his mother due to her age and his Rescued by her brothers, Polydeuces and Castor King Tyndareus now alarmed at what the future could hold as her beauty grew Helen’s beauty brought great grief to the kingdom. How does he contain the suitors, keep conflicts down, and peace in his kingdom and among the suitors?

King’s Dilemma How does he choose a husband and avoid fighting?? All Suitors must promise loyalty & support to Helen’s husband, whoever that is. They make an oath that will last a lifetime! Odysseus – King of Ithaca – is one of the suitors who must swear loyalty to Menelaus

Suitors Odysseus Diomedes Antilochos Ajax and Teucros Patroclos Menelaos brother of Agamemnon, king of Mycenai (who was already married to Cytaimestra, Helen’s sister)

Outcome Tyndareus required all sign the oath and swear to honor his choice for Helen. Tyndareus chose Menelaos and after the wedding installed his new son-in-law as king of Sparta in his own stead.

Resolution of Tyndareus’s dilemma regarding suitors Required each suitor to swear to the below oath: Regardless of whom Tyndareus’s daughter takes for husband, him will I defend. Should ever anyone lay hands upon her and spirit her away, I vow here- by to march against that man with all my forces and lay his city, be it Greek or foreign, in utter ruin” (Richardson, 206).

Far across the Aigean Sea in the city of Troy…. Queen Hecabe, wife of Priam, King of Troy is also with child. It is close to the time of Leda and the Swan Troy is thriving and wealthy. Hecabe has a dream/vision in which that which is in womb is not a child, but fierce fire that destroys Troy. Hecabe shares her dream with King Priam.

Priam seeks the advice of a seer, who states that “the child will bring down the city!”. The seer advices Priam to kill the child before he is born. King Priam cannot bring himself to have his son killed so upon his birth the child is taken away and given to a herdsman, with the instructions that he is to leave the child on the hillside.

Five days later, the child is well and alive, believes the gods have spared the child for a reason. The herdsman takes the child and raises him as “Paris”. Paris grows to be tall and handsome, but lives as a herdsman.

Wedding of Thetis & Peleus

Golden Apple of Discord Zeus commands that Paris decide which goddess is the most beautiful of all Hera promised him all of Asia will be his kingdom. Athena promised to make him the wisest of all men. Aphrodite promised him the most beautiful woman in the world. Which will he choose?

The Golden Apple The Judgment of Paris Marriage of King Peleus/sea nymph, Thetis Goddess of Discord – Eris – Not invited to the wedding Laughter, celebration, merriment, music, toasts, etc. Twelve Olympians present Throws Golden Apple “To the Fairest of all” Aphrodite, Hera, & Pallas Athena most powerful/seek the apple

Zeus refuses to make the judgment – as do the other gods Weeks, months, and years pass – no decision After twenty years – Zeus has enough Mount Ida near Troy – find Paris with sheep “Let him (Paris) judge who the apple will be. Since I love you all equally, I must defer the decision to him. For my part I wish you all could win (p 208).

Ithaca

Trojan Horse

Map of Odysseus’s Journey

Polyphemus & Cyclops

from Odyssey.. Scylla & Charybdis

Sirens & Penelope