Homer’s

I. Introduction

A. What is an epic?

B. The epic tradition

C. The dates involved

1. 1000 BCE—the war

2. 700-850 BCE—time of Homer

D. The Homer Question

D. The Homer Question

1. The oral poetry of pre-literate societies

2. When writing began in Greece a. Before 1100 BCE—Minoan hiero- glyphicsyllables b. 750 BCE—Phonencian influence 1. Did Homer exist? Theories

a.b.

II. Homer’s work: poetry of death

A. Introduction—mythological background

B. Honor (time`)

1. Achilles loss of Brisies—why does he get so darn mad?

2. Agammenon’s loss--different

II. Homer’s work: poetry of death

C. Glory—klaos1. The warrior’s only chance at immortality was

glory, which was based on his time`

2. All warrior’s knew they would die—to die with glory made a life meaningful (see Sarpedon’s speech to Glaukos, 12, 361-368)

D. Homer’s Concept of Man

1. The three types of sentient beingsa. Godsb. Menc. Animals

2. Men are the most suffering (17, 497—501)

3. Death is the meaning of “man” (mortals); The Iliad is a poem about death

E. Major Themes

1. Ragea. Achilles against Agamemnon

b. Achilles against Hector

c. The emotion that makes a person inhuman1. Less than human—anger blinds us to our reason

and our humanity—Achilles becomes inhuman

2. Super human

2. War and Death

a. Death defines us “Mortals” vs “Deathless Ones”

b. War—

savagery, brutality,loss of human feeling

2. War and Death

c. Cause: pride (Ate’s apple)

sex (Freudian--Briseis)

3. The Transience of Life

• Achilles knows that life is short and death is inevitable; the length of a life is not as important as the quality (honor, glory)

• Achilles choice

4. The Unity of All Men

a. The Kabuki version: “You are the same as I” (all men are one—the zen of humanity)

b. Achilles armor-PatroclesHector

c. Achilles’ death linked to Hector’s

d. Achilles and Priam

5. Honor

A. Achilles choice for glory

B. The hero and his/her values

C. What is worth dying (or killing) for

D. Honor is more important than life

6. The role of the gods

1.

2.

3.

Twelve Gods of OlympusTwelve is the number of Gods on Mount Olympus:

The Four siblings 1. Zeus/Jupiter: supreme ruler

2. Poseidon/Neptune: ruler of the sea

3. Hades/Pluto: ruler of the underworld

4. Hestia/Vesta: virgin. hearth & home

• 5. HeraJunoZeus' wifeThe Children of Zeus • 6. AresMarswar7. Pallas AthenaMinervavirgin8. HephaestusVulcanfire,

forge9. PhoebusApolloApollo beautiful10. ArtemisDianahuntress, virgin11. HermesMercurymessenger12. AphroditeVenuslove & beauty, mother of Aeneus

Twelve Gods of Olympus (con’t)

The Children of Zeus 6. Ares/Mars: war7. Pallas Athena/Minerva: wisdom8. Hephaestus/Vulcan:fire, forge9. PhoebusApollo/Apollo: music, art, consicous. 10. Artemis/Diana: huntress, virgin (moon)11. Hermes/Mercury: messenger12. Aphrodite/Venus: love & beauty, mother of

Aeneus

F. Literary Style

1. epic tone—formal (“this is important” style)

2. Oral tradition (repeated phrases, alliteration)

3. Use of similes

F. Literary Style (continued)

4. Symbols1. Achilles armor

2. fire

3. ships, walls

F. Literary Style (continued)

4. symbols--Achilles’ Shield

G. Conclusion—What makes the Iliad so great (what’s the big deal?)1.

2.

3.