THE ODYSSEYEpic Poetry and Mythology in

MYTHOLOGY 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.

HOMER (CIRCA 9OO BCE)

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.

He is thought to have been born in Asia Minor.

THE ILIAD 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.

THE ODYSSEY

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.

GREEK LITERATURE TERMS

Epic poem

A long narrative about the deeds of gods or

heroes filled

with courage

and strength, often set to

music.

Epic heroA person of great stature from history or a poem who possesses valued traits of a society like wisdom, strength, and loyalty.