HOMER, THE ILLIAD, AND

THE ODYSSEYBy:

Joey Seitz, Clarke Jones, Steven Buckley, and Evylynn Gallo

Homers Backround Who is Homer?

Greek poet Author of The Illiad

and The Odyssey

What’s interesting about Homer?

His birthplace is doubtfully believed to be somewhere in Asia Minor

No one knows much of the true Homer

What is a Minstrel?

A minstrel is a medeivel storyteller

They recite their stories by singing them

Other names for Minstrels are Troubadour

and Versifier

They borrowed stories from old myths

The Illiad An epic written by homer Takes place during the Trojan was and

Seige of Troy Also includes battles during the fight

between King Agamemnon and Achilles

The Trojan War

War between Troy and Mycenae

Started when Paris of Troy kidnapped

Helen from the King of Sparta

The war lasted 10 years

The Trojan War (cont.) Mycenae won the war by building a giant

wooden horse and leaving it outside the gates of Troy. The Trojans thought this was a peace offering and brought it inside the city walls, but they didn’t know there was soldiers inside the horse. When the Trojans went to sleep, the soldiers came out of the horse and slaughtered them.

The Face That Launched A Thousand Ships

It’s a reference to events in the Trojan War

> Helen (women captured to start the war)

> And the place where Greek troops and ships were launched

The Odyssey? Epic by Homer Explains Odysseus’ journey home from

Troy Odysseus was helped by Circe, Hermes,

and Athena

Greek Gods Used the Odyssey to teach Greek culture

and values Gods ate ambrosia and drank necter

Muse and invocation Invocation – the summoning of a deity or

the supernatural A muse is the source of inspiration for a

creative work The muse of epic poetry is Calliope

Xenia Xenia is the respect of host to guest and

has three rules > Host must be hospitable > Provide food, drink, and bath > Its not polite to ask questions until the

guest states their needs The exchange between bard and host is a

gift to the guest upon leaving to show honor