The Trojan War was the greatest conflict in the Greek mythology, a war that was to influences people in literature and arts for centuries. The war was fought between the Greeks and Trojans with their allies, upon a Phrygian city of Troy (Ilium), on Asia Minor (modern Turkey). The war lasted for ten years and it has been traditionally dated from 1194 to 1184 BCTroy

ATHENA GODDESS OF WISDOM COURGE ATION HERA GODDESS OF WOMEN & MARRIAGE GODDESS OF LOVE, PLEASURE & PROCREATION

PELEUS THETIS

ERIS THE GODDESS OF STRIFE AND DISCHORD

APHRODITE PROMISES PARIS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN IN THE WORLD… “THE FACE THAT LAUNCHED A THOUSAND SHIPS”

BUT THERE IS A COMPLICATION …

MENELAUS

BEWARE OF GREEKS BEARING GIFTS

? WILL ODYSEUS RETURN HOME? WILL PENELOPE KNOW WHO HE IS? WHAT CAN ODYSSEUS EXPECT WHEN HE GETS HOME?

Homer was A Greek poet, to whom are attributed the great epics, the Iliad, the story of the siege of Troy, and the Odyssey, the tale of Ulysses's wanderings. The place of his birth is doubtful, probably a Greek colony on the coast of Asia Minor, and his date, once put as far back as 1200 BC, from the style of the poems attributed to him is now thought to be much later. Arguments have long raged over whether his works are in fact by the same hand, or have their origins in the lays of Homer and his followers (Homeridae), and there seems little doubt that the works were originally based on current ballads which were much modified and extended. Of the true Homer, nothing is positively known. The so-called Homeric hymns are certainly of a later age.

Elements of Epic:  long  narrative for serious subject  central figure is quasi-divine  actions of central figure determine the fate of a nation

Literary Epics Also Include:  hero of great national/cosmic importance  setting is huge, and may involve a good deal of travel  action involves battle and superhuman deeds  supernatural beings take an interest, and sometimes even a part  generally performed ceremonially; certainly written in a style apart from the ordinary

Literary Epic Conventions:  begins with an argument/invokes a muse/asks the “epic question” to which the narrative is the answer  begins “in media res”  contains catalogues of the main characters who often give speeches about their characters