1. Epic Poetry and Mythology in

2.  Many types of mythology from around the world.  Roman, Greek, Egyptian, Norse, Mayan, etc.  Stories are word of mouth about larger than life heroes and their adventures.

3.  He wrote The Iliad and The Odyssey.  Believed to have been blind.  Composed his poetry orally or aloud.  Homer may not be the real author. Scholars even question his existence.

4.  He is thought to have been born in Asia Minor.

5.  First of two epic poems  Covers the history of the Trojan War from around 1200 BCE.  War supposedly started from Helen’s abduction. She was already the wife of a Greek king, but a Trojan prince fell in love with her.  Combines fact and fiction.  A hero of the war, Odysseus makes the witty plan of the Trojan horse to end the war with a Greek victory.

6.  Passed down by word of mouth by poet-musicians who traveled from town to town earning their living by telling great stories.  The performances could last for days.  Odysseus, the main character, embarks on a ten- year long journey to find his way home to Ithaca.

7. Epic poem A long narrative about the deeds of gods or heroes filled with courage music. and strength, often set to music. Epic hero A person of great stature from history or a poem who possesses valued traits of a society like wisdom, strength, and loyalty.