1. Homer’s The Odyssey

2. An Ancient blind poet— Which is amazing!
Who is Homer?
An Ancient blind poet— Which is amazing!
The man is credited for who composing the Iliad and the Odyssey between 900 and 700 B.C.

3. Editors, not Homer himself, organized the epics in 24 books.
Homer did not compose each epic all at once: he told them in a series of short episodes that could be recited in an evening
Amazing given that the original Greek version was over 12,000 lines
Editors, not Homer himself, organized the epics in 24 books.

4. What exactly is an Epic?

5. The Epic… A long narrative poem that tells the adventures of a hero
Used to teach virtues of a civilization or people—or even the basis of their creation!

6. Characteristics of an Epic
A physically impressive hero (usually famous)
A quest or journey
A vast setting involving much of the known physical world
Descent of the hero into the underworld
Supernatural Forces
Glorification of the hero at the end

7. Famous Epics from Around the World
Iliad and Odyssey Greece
Gilgamesh Sumeria
Aeneid Rome
Song of Roland France
Divine Comedy Italy
Mahabharata, Ramayana India
Sundiata Mali

8. The Homeric Simile An embellishment using like or as
The typical Homeric simile makes a comparison to some kind of event, in the form "like a ____ when it ______.
Ex. But the man skilled in all ways of contending satisfied by the great bow's look and heft, like a musician, like a harper, when with quiet hand upon his instrument he draws between his thumb and forefinger a sweet new string upon a peg so effortlessly Odysseus in one motion strung the bow. Then slid his right hand down the word and plucked it, so the taut gut vibrating hummed and sang a swallow's note.

9. Heroes During Homer’s Time
Heroes were a special class of people, in between gods and ordinary human beings.
Some are actually part God
A hero must exhibit both brains and brawn.

10. The Iliad
Setting: 10th year of the Trojan War Greeks vs. Trojans during the final siege of the walls of Troy.
Theme: War, Arete, Hubris
Important Characters:
Helen, the “face that launched a thousand ships.”
Menelaus, Helen’s Greek Husband
Paris, the prince of Troy
Climax: Trojan Horse (Odysseus’s idea)

11. The Odyssey Setting: 10 years after the end of the Trojan War
Theme: The Long Journey Home, Temptation
A Hero In trouble:
Odysseus, a Greek soldier trying to find his way home to Ithaca
People of Ithaca have forgotten about him
His war-hero status is not important anymore— too much time has passed
His son (Telemachus) and wife (Penelope) trying to fend off suitors—Also Heroes

12. The Role of the Gods
The Gods are physical manifestations who interact with people
Oftentimes they are manifestations of human traits or physical earthly phenomenon
Athena—Goddess of Wisdom
Poseiden—God of the sea and earthquakes
Gods and Goddesses can either favor and help our heroes or they feel that they need to punish our hero

13. “In Medias Res” Means: “In the middle of a sequence of events”
The Odyssey does not begin at the beginning; it starts with Telemachus at 20 years old trying to figure out what to do about his missing dad.