1. Introduction to the Odyssey
English I
Mrs. Groomer

2. Homer: The Epic Poet A blind poet Accredited with the story telling of
The Iliad
The Odyssey
Scholar debated his actual existence

3. The Iliad & The Odyssey Common Elements The Trojan War
Heroism of Odysseus
Interference of the gods

4. The Trojan War Occurred around 1200 BC
Paris, a Trojan prince, kidnapped the beautiful Helen from her husband, Menelaus, King of Sparta
The Greeks fought Troy for ten years

5. The Heroism of Odysseus
Odysseus has the Greeks build a giant wooden horse which is left at the gates of Troy as a peace offering
The Trojans take the horse into the gates of the city
At night, while the Trojans are asleep, hundred of Greek soldiers come out of the horse to defeat the Trojans

6. The Odyssey
After the war, Odysseus and his men load their ships and make way for home.
Along the way, they encounter numerous obstacles and adventures.
Meanwhile, Penelope (Odysseus’ wife) is at home on Ithaca raising their son, Telemachus and trying to elude marriage to one of the many suitors.

7. The Intervention of Gods
Athena
Goddess of War and Wisdom
Supported the Greeks in the Trojan War
Guardian Goddess of Odysseus
Poseidon
Curses Odysseus to be lost at sea and return to bad things at home.
Apollo
Threatened to take the sun out of the sky
Zeus
Sent a bolt of lightening to destroy Odysseus’ crew and ship as revenge for Apollo after they ate Apollo’s cattle.

8. More Gods & Goddesses Hermes
Brings a message to Calypso from Zeus to release Odysseus
Calypso
Holds Odysseus captive on her island for seven years
Aeolus
Guardian of the wind – gives Odysseus a bag of wind
Circe
Goddess of Aeaea – turns Odysseus’ men into pigs

9. Other Mythological Characters
Sirens
Creatures whose songs lure sailors to their death
Scylla
Six-headed sea monster who devours sailors
Charybdis
A dangerous personified whirlpool that sucks in ships
Polyphemus
Cyclops; son of Poseidon

10. Odysseus’ Journey

11. Terms to Know Epic Poem Epic Hero Epic Simile Epithet Allusion
A long narrative poem usually about an heroic journey or adventure
Epic Hero
A larger-than-life figure who undergoes a great journey and possesses remarkable strength and cunning
Epic Simile
A simile that goes on for several lines
Epithet
A brief descriptive phrase used to characterize a particular person or thing (son of Laertes; raider of cities)
Allusion
A reference to a famous person, place, or event