1.Homers Mini Bio:-Believed to have been blind-Lived in the 700s B.C.on the island ofChios in theMediterranean,where other poetsor rhapsodists resided(http://www.pbs.org/empires/thegreeks/background/3a_p1.html)

2. Homers Tales:Homer wrote two of the most important literaryworks, The Iliad and The Odyssey.His stories were first recorded soon after theGreeks invented their alphabet around 700 B.C.Because he used a basic story pattern, hisstories were easily memorized and told forentertainment. 3. The Iliad: the story of how a beautiful woman, Helen, is takenfrom her husband, the king of Troy, which starts the Trojan War 4. The Odyssey: the journey of Odysseus, King of Ithaca,as he tries to get home to his family following the Trojan War 5. Setting of The Iliad:Time: Around 1200 B.C.Place: The Iliad tells the story of the fall of Ilium,the ancient Greek city commonly referred to asTroy. The epic covers the last six weeks of theten-year war between the Greeks and theTrojans. 6. Character Relationships in The Iliad:Trojans:Priam, King of Troy and Queen Hecuba-daughters: Polyxena, Cassandra-sons: Hector, Paris 7. Character Relationships in The Iliad:Greeks:Menelaus, King of Sparta, and wife HelenAgamemnon, King of Mycenae: (brother ofMenelaus); and wife Clytemnestra-daughter Iphigenia (niece of Helen)Achilles: soldier; mother is the goddess Thetiswho married a mortalPatroclus: solider and best friend of AchillesAjax: soldierOdysseus, King of Ithaca 8. Character Relationships in The Iliad:Gods and Goddesses:Zeus: king of the godsHera: queen of the godsAphrodite: goddess of love and beautyApollo: god of sun, music, and poetryAthena: goddess of wisdom, peace, and warPoseidon: god of the sea 9. Guiding Question:In Scene 1, the narrator refers to The Iliad as astory of the tragic consequence of a single act.What is that single actthat starts the Trojan War?