A. Definition
long story poem which grows out of the oral
tradition and relates the deeds of a particular hero who demonstrates great
courage and unfailing loyalty to his people
B. Elements
1. epic hero
a. larger than life, nearly superhuman but has some weaknesses
b. of national or cosmic importance
c. often aided by supernatural powers or gods
d. involved in a quest for something important
e. character traits are those valued by a culture or society (i.e.
generous and loyal)
2. vast settings
3. intrepid deeds
4. supernatural forces—like gods and goddesses
5. style—serious tone and grand language
C. Devices
and Conventions
1. stating the theme
2. invoking the muse
3. beginning in media res
(in the middle of things)
4. supplying the exposition
II. Mythology
B. Zeus—king
of the gods
C. Poseidon—god
of the sea
D. Apollo—god
of the sun and of music
E. Athena—goddess
of wisdom and of war
F. Hera—queen
of the gods
G. Aphrodite—goddess
of love and beauty
H. Hades—god
of the underworld
I. Hermes—messenger
of the gods
III. Homer, the author
A. believed
to be a blind minstrel
B. The rhapsodes (“singers of tales”) were the historians and entertainers
as well as the myth-makers of their time (no written history in the time of
Homer).
C. Minstrels traveled about from community to community singing of
recent events or of the activities of heros, gods, and goddesses.
D. People in ancient Greece saw no problem with mixing religion,
history, and fun.
IV. The
Illiad
A. Story explaining the mythical reason for the Trojan War
1. marriage banquet
There was a wedding banquet, and Iris, goddess of
anger, did not get invited. She showed
up anyway and put a golden apple on the table.
The apple was inscribed with the words “For the Fairest” (most
beautiful). Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena
all claim the apple as theirs. Discord
and anger ensue. Zeus refuses to judge
who is fairest, and he tells the three goddesses to go to Troy and have Paris
judge who is the most beautiful. (Paris was the son of the king of Troy but was
raised as a shepherd because at his birth, his father, Priam, was told Paris
would bring about the fall of Troy.)
Because Paris lived a sheltered life, it was assumed he could be an
objective judge of beauty. The
goddesses each bribed Paris—Hera offered power over his own kingdom, Athena
offered the ability to choose the right causes so he would always win wars, and
Aphrodite offered Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world, as Paris’s
wife. (Helen was the wife of Menelaus,
king of Troy). Paris goes to visit
Greece and stops to visit Menelaus in Sparta.
There he meets Helen and falls in love.
Choices of myth
explanations:
(1) Helen
goes with Paris willingly
(2) Paris kidnaps Helen
(3) Aphrodite casts a spell over Helen.
In any case, Menelaus asks for help from his fellow
Greek kings. Agamemnon gathers all the
Greeks he can, and they attack Troy.
The war lasts for 10 years.
2. bribes
3. Helen and Menelaus
4. Greek leaders
a. Agamemnon--leader
b. Menelaus—king of Sparta
c. Odysseus—king of Ithaca
5. Trojan leaders
a. Priam--leader
b. Hector—son of Priam
c. Paris—son of Priam
6. The Trojan Horse
B. Real
reason for the Trojan War
Control
of the Mediterranean Region
V. The
Odyssey