THE ODYSSEYTHE ODYSSEYBy, HomerBy, Homer

Part 1: An IntroductionPart 1: An Introduction

Jeanette K. LaskoJeanette K. Lasko

What is an epic?What is an epic?

A long, narrative poemA long, narrative poem

Tells the adventures of heroesTells the adventures of heroes

The heroes and characters The heroes and characters reveal qualities about their reveal qualities about their civilization and time periodcivilization and time period

Who was Homer?Who was Homer?

Possibly a blind Possibly a blind minstrelminstrel

MinstrelsMinstrels were were people who people who traveled from town traveled from town to town singing to town singing about legendary about legendary events or about events or about godsgods

HOMERHOMER

He was possibly He was possibly just a legendjust a legend

Possibly a Possibly a womanwoman

The People and The People and Their TimesTheir Times Approximately Approximately

800 B.C.800 B.C.

Very violent Very violent cultureculture War War and death were and death were commoncommon

The People and The People and Their TimesTheir Times People worshiped People worshiped

gods and gods and goddessesgoddesses

People concerned People concerned about their about their relationship with relationship with gods since they gods since they controlled all thingscontrolled all things

People believed in People believed in mythsmyths

Example of Example of a goda god

This is the god This is the god PoseidonPoseidon

He is the god of He is the god of the seathe sea

Odysseus angers Odysseus angers him him

Here we see Here we see Poseidon punish Poseidon punish OdysseusOdysseus

How The Story Was Told…How The Story Was Told…

The story was The story was passed on by passed on by Oral TraditionOral Tradition

This means by This means by word of mouthword of mouth

How The Story Was Told…How The Story Was Told…

Stories and historical events Stories and historical events were not recorded; just told to were not recorded; just told to generation after generationgeneration after generation

Many people couldn’t read or Many people couldn’t read or write, so to be educated they write, so to be educated they had to listenhad to listen

How The Story Was Told…How The Story Was Told…

Many words and parts were made up Many words and parts were made up on the spot to fit the rhythm of the on the spot to fit the rhythm of the storystory

There is much There is much repetitionrepetition it gave the it gave the singer time to prepare and think aheadsinger time to prepare and think ahead

The epic is divided into The epic is divided into partsparts, and then , and then into into booksbooks

Important TermsImportant Terms

Homeric SimileHomeric Simile- compares - compares epic events to everyday epic events to everyday eventsevents

– Helps people unfamiliar with Helps people unfamiliar with war and heroes understand war and heroes understand the events betterthe events better

Important TermsImportant Terms

The language used is The language used is ArchaicArchaic

This means some of it is old and This means some of it is old and outdatedoutdated

Examples:Examples:– Beeves= cowsBeeves= cows– Combers= large wavesCombers= large waves

CreditsCredits Leeming, David A. (2003). The Odyssey: An Leeming, David A. (2003). The Odyssey: An

Introduction byIntroduction by

David Adams Leeming. In David Adams Leeming. In Elements of Literature Elements of Literature (pp.878-886). New York: Holt, Rinehart and (pp.878-886). New York: Holt, Rinehart and

Winston.Winston.

Websites (used for images):Websites (used for images):– www.ensemblestudios.comwww.ensemblestudios.com– www.library.thinkquest.orgwww.library.thinkquest.org– www.livius.orgwww.livius.org– www.legion-fourteen.orgwww.legion-fourteen.org– www.cumbavac.comwww.cumbavac.com– www.artsales.com/artistory/ancient_shipswww.artsales.com/artistory/ancient_ships