The OdysseyThe Odyssey

ByBy

HomerHomer

No Not This Homer!!No Not This Homer!!

The Famous Greek Poet The Famous Greek Poet HomerHomer

The Homeric ProblemThe Homeric Problem

• Who is HOMER?Who is HOMER?• One man?One man?• Many men?Many men?• The Iliad and The The Iliad and The

Odyssey are too Odyssey are too different – NO way different – NO way the two epics were the two epics were written by the written by the same personsame person

The Trojan WarThe Trojan War

• 10 Year war in Troy10 Year war in Troy

• Odysseus travels to Odysseus travels to Troy to rescue HelenTroy to rescue Helen

• The Greeks are The Greeks are successful in winning successful in winning the war when they the war when they trick the Trojans with trick the Trojans with the infamous Trojan the infamous Trojan HorseHorse

The Trojan HorseThe Trojan Horse

• The Greeks gave The Greeks gave the Trojans a “gift”the Trojans a “gift”

• Greek soldiers hid Greek soldiers hid inside the wooden inside the wooden horse and while the horse and while the Trojans slept, the Trojans slept, the soldiers opened the soldiers opened the city gates and city gates and ambushed Troyambushed Troy

Calypso’s IslandCalypso’s Island

• Calypso – goddess Calypso – goddess of the seaof the sea

• Madly in love with Madly in love with OdysseusOdysseus

• Holds Odysseus Holds Odysseus captive (under a captive (under a spell) on her island spell) on her island for 7 yearsfor 7 years

Phaeacia Ruled by AlcinousPhaeacia Ruled by Alcinous

• Alcinous offers to Alcinous offers to give Odysseus a give Odysseus a ship to sail back to ship to sail back to Ithaca in exchange Ithaca in exchange for Odysseus’ story for Odysseus’ story of adventureof adventure

The Island of IsmarusThe Island of Ismarus

• Odysseus’ crew kill Odysseus’ crew kill the men and enslave the men and enslave the womenthe women

• The crew celebrates The crew celebrates and is attacked and is attacked (while they are (while they are intoxicated) by the intoxicated) by the Ismarus armyIsmarus army

• Odysseus loses a Odysseus loses a large number of menlarge number of men

The Lotus-Eaters IslandThe Lotus-Eaters Island

• Odysseus sends 3 Odysseus sends 3 men onto the island men onto the island to see if the natives to see if the natives are friendlyare friendly

• The 3 men eat the The 3 men eat the lotus flower and lose lotus flower and lose their will to go hometheir will to go home

• The 3 men are tied The 3 men are tied to their benchesto their benches

The CyclopsThe Cyclops

• Odysseus takes 12 Odysseus takes 12 of his best fighters of his best fighters onto the island with onto the island with himhim

• The men become The men become trapped in the trapped in the Cyclops’ caveCyclops’ cave

• The Cyclops begins The Cyclops begins eating the men two eating the men two at a timeat a time

Polyphemus guards the Polyphemus guards the doordoor

• Odysseus and his Odysseus and his men poke out men poke out Polyphemus’ eyePolyphemus’ eye

• The men tie The men tie themselves to his themselves to his sheep and escapesheep and escape

• From the ship, From the ship, Odysseus teases Odysseus teases the Cyclopsthe Cyclops

Aeolia Ruled by AeolusAeolia Ruled by Aeolus

• Aeolus, the god of wind, gives Odysseus a giftAeolus, the god of wind, gives Odysseus a gift

• The gift is a bag containing all of the winds, except for The gift is a bag containing all of the winds, except for the West Wind that would blow them home to Ithacathe West Wind that would blow them home to Ithaca

• The men open the bag and are blown back to AeoliaThe men open the bag and are blown back to Aeolia

Laestrygonians (Cannibals)Laestrygonians (Cannibals)

• The Laestrygonians The Laestrygonians destroy all of destroy all of Odysseus’ ships, Odysseus’ ships, except the ship except the ship Odysseus is onOdysseus is on

• The Laestrygonians The Laestrygonians eat all of Odysseus’ eat all of Odysseus’ men, except the men, except the men on Odysseus’ men on Odysseus’ shipship

Aeaea – Circe’s IslandAeaea – Circe’s Island

• Circe – sorceressCirce – sorceress

• In love with OdysseusIn love with Odysseus

• Turns Odysseus’ men Turns Odysseus’ men into swineinto swine

• Holds Odysseus Holds Odysseus captive (under a spell) captive (under a spell) on her island for 1 on her island for 1 yearyear

• Helps Odysseus get to Helps Odysseus get to The Land of the DeadThe Land of the Dead

The Land of the Dead - The Land of the Dead - HadesHades

• Odysseus must go to Odysseus must go to The Land of the The Land of the Dead to find Tiresias Dead to find Tiresias the blind prophetthe blind prophet

• Odysseus sees Odysseus sees Elpenor and AnticleaElpenor and Anticlea

• Advice from Tiresias: Advice from Tiresias: DO NOT eat Helios’ DO NOT eat Helios’ cattle - why?cattle - why?

The Sirens and The Sirens and the Wandering Rocksthe Wandering Rocks

• Lure sailors to their Lure sailors to their destruction with destruction with their songstheir songs

• Odysseus listens to Odysseus listens to the song from the the song from the mast where he his mast where he his tiedtied

• The ears of the The ears of the crew are covered crew are covered with beeswaxwith beeswax

Scylla the Sea Monster andScylla the Sea Monster andCharybdis the whirlpoolCharybdis the whirlpool

• Odysseus and his Odysseus and his crew are faced with crew are faced with TWO life TWO life threatening events threatening events at the same timeat the same time

• Why did Odysseus Why did Odysseus choose to sail choose to sail closer to Scylla? closer to Scylla? How was he a hero How was he a hero through this?through this?

Thrinacia – Helios’ IslandThrinacia – Helios’ Island

• Odysseus and his crew have been warned not to Odysseus and his crew have been warned not to eat Helios’ cows, however, the men are starving eat Helios’ cows, however, the men are starving and decide to face Helios’ wrath and eat the cows and decide to face Helios’ wrath and eat the cows rather than starve to death. The men are all killed rather than starve to death. The men are all killed and the ship destroyed.and the ship destroyed.

Ithaca at last!!!Ithaca at last!!!

• ““Twenty years Twenty years gone, and I am gone, and I am back again.”back again.”

• With the help of With the help of the Phaeacians, the Phaeacians, Odysseus is finally Odysseus is finally back home in back home in IthacaIthaca

Athena’s AssitanceAthena’s Assitance

• Athena – goddess of Athena – goddess of wisdom and warwisdom and war

• Assists Odysseus in Assists Odysseus in his attempt to his attempt to reclaim his rightful reclaim his rightful place as King of place as King of IthacaIthaca

• She promises to help She promises to help Odysseus battle the Odysseus battle the suitorssuitors

Home Sweet HomeHome Sweet Home

• Suitors attempt to Suitors attempt to woe Penelope and woe Penelope and plot to kill plot to kill Telemachus Telemachus

Penelope and TelemachusPenelope and Telemachus

• Penelope tricks the Penelope tricks the suitors into waiting suitors into waiting for her decision about for her decision about the pending marriage the pending marriage by telling them she by telling them she must weave a burial must weave a burial shroud for her father-shroud for her father-in-law, but at night in-law, but at night she undoes the she undoes the weaving of the weaving of the shroudshroud

The ChallengeThe Challenge

• Odysseus Odysseus challenges the challenges the suitors to an suitors to an archery contestarchery contest

• Odysseus wins the Odysseus wins the contestcontest

• Odysseus and Odysseus and Telemachus kill all Telemachus kill all of the suitorsof the suitors

Odysseus is VictoriousOdysseus is Victorious

• Penelope tests Penelope tests Odysseus to see if Odysseus to see if he really is who he he really is who he says he is and not says he is and not just a clever suitorjust a clever suitor

• Odysseus passes Odysseus passes the test by telling the test by telling Penelope in detail Penelope in detail about their olive about their olive tree bedtree bed