The Odyssey Lecture Homer and Greece
Terms
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- What is an epic?
- a long narrative poem that tells of the adventures of a hero who embodies the values of his particular civilization
- Briefly describe the civilization that takes place around this time?
- just beginning to start its culture ("pack of animals") male civilization dominates
- WHich was the first created book the Iliad or the Odyssey?
- the iliad
- What was the time period in which the two books the Iliad and the Odyssey were createD?
- 700-900 BC
- Briefly describe what the plot of the Iliad was?
- the story of the 10 year war between the trojans and the greeks (epic of war)
- What was the cause of the Trojan war?
- helen left king Menelaus and ran off with Paris (the prince of troy) and Menelaus and the greeks faught to reclaim her
- Briefly describe the plot of the Odyssey?
- story odysseus's attempt to return home after the Torjan War (epic of long journey)
- Home was probably a ___ or a ___ called a ____
- bard or a minstrel called a Rhapsode
- What is a rhapsode?
- singer of tales, historian/entertainer/mythmaker
- What are the 8 characteristics of the epic?
-
1. begins with invocation to the muse
2. divided into books or cantos
3.makes use of mythology
4.man is central character (usually introduced when fortunes are low)
5.long and dignified in language
6.war and battles-frequent requiring superhuman courage
7.setting is vast in scope (nations world and invierse
8. includes journey or pilgrimage descent into the underworld - Homeric Greece = (____ BC)
- 1400 BC
- the homeric period was ______ than the classical period
- far less developed
- What were these Homeric places linked by?
- relationship of city-states sharing the same langugage (between civilizationa nd barbarian nature)
- What is Aristoi?
- Nobleman "The Aristocracy" "the best"
- What is reciprocity?
- (trade or barter) governmental and economic transaction relied on a simple system of reciprocity (a mutual exchange between two or more people *lack of laws or plice could often result in negative reciprocity*
- Xenia
- guest -friendhsip or hospitality (based on reciprocity) AND religious belief
- Arete?
- this is what motivates a greek hero, or member of aroisoti
- what are the 5 concepts of aristoi?
-
-concept of excellance
-definate idea of human perfection
-idea of self fullfillment/realization
-prowess as a soldier and athlete
-competition for kleos (glorY) - What is aidos? and what is an example of it?
- sense of duty *feels it is his responsibility to get home and to help his companions get home as well*
- Hubris?
- excessive pride
- Dike?
- sense of justice (daughter of zeus who watched over the deeds of men and reported to the gods whenever justice was violated. Eventually this beame and econmoic political and moral issue
- what is a hero?
- a special class o0f aristocrats (arostoi) placed somewhere between gods and man
- what was odysseus's most well known character trait and what are some examples of him using it?
-
Wily (cleverness) used his wits as well as fists
-avoided draft--faking insanity
-contrived trojan horse plain
-schemes throughout the epic - Patron?
- God or Goddess who assits hero *helps those who help themselves*
- Alterego?
- a spiritual or psychological reflection of a heros best quality
- What is a myth?
- stories that use fantasy to express ideas about life that cannot be expressed easily in realistic terms. (greeks were curious wanted a way to explain events or things)
- What are myths composed of?
-
traditional stories about gods, kings, land heroes.
-provided lessons
-told orally and more corupted each time it was told - what are the three general catagories that myths are divided into?
- pure myth (primitive science and primitive religion) heroic saga (primitve history) and folklore
- How and who were the gods created by?
- the gods were created in mans image because man created gods, * they have to have some negative characteristics because if they create and control the universe and it is such a brutal and nasty place..*
- How are arguments started with gods?
- gods often disagree with one antoerh because the natural world is fille dwith contridictory forces.
- what is the difference between western gods and greek gods?
- western gods were more just and moral than the greek gods who just wanted power
- What is the greek term for god? and what is its secret meaning?
- theos and its secret meaning is power
- What do the gods have to do with the mortals?
- human actions can be influenced by both human will and intervention of the gods. gods control your exisitance just as you do. the gods help those who help themselves
- What are the 6 steps of HOmers narrative technique
-
1. usually begins in medias res (middle of things, requires the use of flashback)
2. much repetition (emphasis bring audience up to date helps the poet)
3. epithet- a word or phrase use to chracterize a person or thing
4. epic simile- (an extended comparison often compares epic to ordinary)
5. Dramatic irony - reader immediately knows something that the character might not
6. change in point of view