Showing posts with label Greeks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Greeks. Show all posts
Thursday, February 1, 1990
Odyssey Primer
The Odyssey
begins 10 years after the Trojan War, and is the story of Odysseus’s
voyage home. Like The Iliad, The
Odyssey starts late in the journey. Most of the adventures
are flashbacks recounted by Odysseus.
Unlike The Iliad, The Odyssey is a series of episodic adventures taking place at various islands Odysseus stops at on the way back to Ithaca. The episodic structure makes it easy for readers and listeners to enjoy without needing to know what happened before.
Unlike The Iliad, The Odyssey is a series of episodic adventures taking place at various islands Odysseus stops at on the way back to Ithaca. The episodic structure makes it easy for readers and listeners to enjoy without needing to know what happened before.
Major Players & Enemies
Odysseus: King of Ithaca, tactician, hero
of the Trojan War, and offender of gods.
Telemachus: O’s son, Conceived before O
left.
Penelope: O’s wife. Fends off suitors who
want the throne.
Athena: Goddess of wisdom. O is one of her
favorite mortals for his wisdom, cleverness, and prowess.
Hermes: Messenger god. Sent to help O out
of trouble.
Aeolus: Controls the winds and gives O a
bag of winds
Lotus-eaters:
Flowers keep them in a joyous state.
Polyphemos: Cyclops who lives in a cave,
herds sheep, and son of Poseidon.
Circe: Witch who transforms O’s men into
pigs.
Sirens: Sea creatures that sing
beautifully and lure ships and sailors to their destruction.
Scylla: Six-headed sea creature that eats
sailors
Charybids: A whirlpool that destroys ships.
Calypso: A nymph/goddess, daughter of
Atlas. Holds O captive on her island for seven years.
Iliad Primer
The Iliad
depicts a war between the Greeks (Achaeans) and the Trojans, the people
of Ilium (other name for Troy). The Iliad starts very late in the 10
year war.
The given reason for the war is to rescue Helen, who was taken by Paris, Hector's younger brother. Menelaos, Agamemnon’s brother, is Helen’s husband.
When Helen was taken, Menelaos, Agamemnon, and their friends launched all their ships of war, which is why Helen is "the face that launched a thousand ships."
Battle Lines
The forces in The Iliad are like two sports teams with an all-star line-up. There are many heroes, but (for our purposes) three heroes play a vital role in this epic.
The Gods
Generally, the gods use powers and tricks to help out their respected side, such as Apollo stunning Patroklus, or rescuing a hero in danger. But there are times when they literally take to the field and battle mortals.
The given reason for the war is to rescue Helen, who was taken by Paris, Hector's younger brother. Menelaos, Agamemnon’s brother, is Helen’s husband.
When Helen was taken, Menelaos, Agamemnon, and their friends launched all their ships of war, which is why Helen is "the face that launched a thousand ships."
Battle Lines
The forces in The Iliad are like two sports teams with an all-star line-up. There are many heroes, but (for our purposes) three heroes play a vital role in this epic.
| Trojans | Greeks |
| Hector, Troy's Champion | Achilles, son of Thetis |
| Sarpedon, King of Lykia | Patroklus, Achilles's BFF |
| Aeneas, son of Aphrodite | Diomedes, King of Argos |
The Gods
Generally, the gods use powers and tricks to help out their respected side, such as Apollo stunning Patroklus, or rescuing a hero in danger. But there are times when they literally take to the field and battle mortals.
| Trojans | Greeks |
| Aphrodite, love | Hera, fertility |
| Ares, war | Athena, Wisdom and War |
| Apollo, sun, poetry, prophecy |
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