Mythology and

the Odyssey

Recap of Mythology

The gods/goddesses of Mt. Olympus (Chart)

Mythology- Fact or Fiction?– Nonfiction: prose writing that presents and

explains ideas or tells about real people, places, ideas, or events.

What is Greek Mythology?Greek Mythology is a collection of myths and legends that

Greeks used to explain their world.

– Seasons changing

– Planets moving

Although we now view these stories as fiction, the Greeks believed them to be true.

Hence, the definition of a myth is:

– A fictional tale that explains the actions of gods or the causes of natural phenomena and usually involve supernatural elements.

Greeks and Their Beliefs Be a legend…be grandiose

Belief in many gods

The gods resembled the Greeks need to be grandiose.

Their gods were quarrelsome, unforgiving, jealous, vengeful, spiteful, sinful deities

Gods were physically strong, beautiful, and intelligent

The same applies to the heroes in the legends and myths

The World According to the Greeks

both good and evil comes from the gods

heroes and monsters came from the gods

Mythology has influenced all religions that came after it.

So, how did the Greeks learn about these myths?passed down orally

Myths believed to come from (inspired by) the muses – black haired nine

Each presided over a distinct realm– Thalia- comedy– Calliope- epic poetry

What is an Epic Poem?long narrative poem about a legendary hero

has a journey with many challenges

setting is in many different places

Gods/Other non-human beings are active in the lives of humans

What is an Epic Hero? Hero of great size (physically and socially)

Has super-human courage and strength

Faces supernatural forces

Has characteristics valued by his culture (loyalty,courage,etc.)

Has flaws

May encounter “women as temptresses”

Completes a final task alone

HomerPoet

thought to be blind, but describes events as a seeing person

Asked for inspiration from the muses to tell his stories

lived around 1200 B.C.E

Wrote the Illiad and the Odyssey - stories about the war between the Trojans and the Greeks which happened between 900 and 700 B.C.E.

the Illiad

Many question whether the Trojan War actually occurred, but archaeologists have found historical evidence of the war.

The city of Troy fell into the hands of the Greeks.

The story of this fall is retold in The Iliad.

Was it exactly as told in The Iliad?

– No. It was probably fought over commerce and trade between Greece and Asia Minor.

– But Homer’s version (The Iliad) is more exciting!

– Some of the characters may have been based on real personalities.

What’s a Trojan?

A person from Troy

One who shows qualities like those of the soldiers who defended ancient Troy: endurance, toughness, determined energy

Where’s Troy?Troy is across the

Aegean Sea from Greece.

Troy was also called Ilium, Ilion, and Ilios.

A well-walled city with broad streets and beautiful palaces…until the Trojan War.

When did the Trojan war occur?The beginning of the 12th century B.C.

1193 – 1184 B.C.

That’s over 3,200 years ago!– B.C. = Before Christ– A.D. = Anno Domini (The Year of Our Lord)

Who? How long did it last?

Greeks (Achaeans)– Achilles

• Greatest Greek Warrior

– King Agamemnon– Nestor– Odysseus– Patroclus– Menelaus

• Helen’s Husband

Trojans– Hector

• Greatest Trojan Warrior

– King Priam• Father of Hector

– Aeneas– Paris

• Helen’s Abductor

The war lasted at total of ten years!!

With whom did the gods side?

Greeks– Hera– Poseidon– Hermes– Athena

Trojans– Artemis– Ares– Apollo– Aphrodite

Zeus tries to remain neutral, but he shows empathy for Priam and Hector (Trojans).

How did it start according to myth?Eris, goddess of discord, was not invited to a wedding

banquet on Mt. Olympus.

Into the banquet hall, Eris tossed a golden apple inscribed “For the Fairest.”

Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite asked Zeus to decide who deserved the apple.

Zeus would not choose. (He’s no fool!)

Zeus says Paris is an excellent judge of beauty, and refers the goddesses to him.

Paris Paris, the prince of Troy, was the son of King Priam of Troy.

He was rather weak and cowardly.

Priam had sent him away from Troy because an oracle prophesied that he would be the ruin of the city.

When the goddesses appeared to him, they each offered him a bribe:– Athena would make him a great warrior.– Hera would make him ruler of Europe and Asia. (Power)– Aphrodite would give him the most beautiful woman in

the world.

Whom did he choose?Paris gave the apple to

Aphrodite.

She then took Paris to Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world.

Hera and Athena, however, vowed revenge.

HelenHelen was a daughter of Zeus.

She was the wife of Menelaus.

Menelaus, king of Sparta, was the brother of the Greek King, Agamemnon.

See the problem?

Paris takes Helen and

the Greeks RespondMenelaus asks all of Greece to help get his wife

back.

Greek armies set off across the sea to lay siege to Troy and leave it in ashes.

And so begins the Trojan War.

Helen is often referred to as “The Face that Launched a Thousand Ships.”

Odysseus and Achilles Join LateOdysseus didn’t want to fight for Helen.

– He thought her a faithless woman.– He did not want to leave his home (Ithaca).– He just had a baby boy (Telemechus).

Achilles was kept back by his mother.– Thetis was a sea nymph who knew he was fated to die

in Troy.– She had dipped him in the river Styx to try and give

him immortality. (She held him by the heel.)

Both of these great Greek warriors were later called (forced) into battle.

The Battle Rages

Due to the influence of various gods and goddesses, the war went back and forth for many years.

The Iliad means “a series of disastrous events.”

Agamemnon (brother of Menelaus)

Leader of all Greek forces during Trojan War

Sacrificed his daughter (Iphegenia) to Artemis in order to get favorable winds for the ships to sail to Troy

Offended Achilles by taking his “prize” (a girl named Briseis) after one battle

Achilles PoutsBecause Agamemnon offended him by

taking his woman, Achilles refused to fight.

Things went badly for the Greeks, and they begged him to return.

He allowed his friend Patroclus to fight in his place, wearing his armor.

Patroclus is killed by Hector (who thought it was Achilles).

Achilles Returns

Enraged over the death of Patroclus, Achilles returns to battle.

His mother procures for him some new armor (made by Hephaestus).

He kills Hector and desecrates the body.

Achilles Relents

King Priam sneaks into the Greek camp and begs Achilles to give him Hector’s body so that his son may have proper funeral rites.

Achilles allows Priam to take the body.

After Hector’s death, Achilles does not have long to live.

The Death of AchillesAchilles was unconquerable by mortal men,

but Apollo stepped in.

Apollo guided Paris’s arrow into the only weak spot Achilles had: his heel.

Achilles dies from the wound.

The remaining Greeks decide his divine armor should go to the bravest remaining warrior.

Odysseus Wins

Odysseus makes a speech explaining why he deserves it, and he is awarded the armor of Achilles.

He then devises the final plan to end the Trojan War.

The Trojan Horse

The Greeks pretend to retreat, leaving behind a large wooden horse.

The Trojans, in celebration, drag the horse inside their city as a war prize.

The Trojan Horse

Odysseus and many other Greek Odysseus and many other Greek warriors are hiding inside the warriors are hiding inside the

horse.horse.

The Fall of Troy

They wait until the Trojans are asleep, and then they come out and slaughter them.

After ten years, the Trojan War is ended.

The Greeks won / The Trojans lost.

Odysseus is the greatest hero remaining alive…but now he has to get home…

The Odyssey Begins…

The story of The Odyssey is about Odysseus’ journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War.

It’s quite a journey!

The OdysseyThe story of the journey of Odysseus

and his men trying to get home after the Trojan War.

Span of 10 years

an epic about humans on the journey of life overcoming temptations along the way.

Characters on the Journey

Sirens - group of females who lured sailors by their singing

Circe - goddess, enchantress,

who turns men into

swine

Scylla - monster with 6 heads with 3 rows of teeth, carries off a sailor in each mouth

CharactersCharybdis - 3 times a day pulls sailors

into her whirlpool

Zeus- leader of the

gods

Polyphemus- a cyclops and Poseidon’s son

Characters

Aeolus- god of the winds

Tiresias- blind prophet in the underworld

Calypso- nymph of the island Ogygia

Characters at Home

Family Tree

Anticlea Laertes

Odysseus Penelope

Telemachus

Let’s get started…First we have to know what is not included in our text… the Odyssey actually starts with Telemachus’ journey.

Now, what about our text…Odysseus actually recounts most of his journey in the Odyssey. Let’s see how this works…