Welcome to the

Classical World

What does the word

classic mean?

Classics

S Also known as classical studies, is the study of the ancient

Mediterranean world, particularly ancient Greece and

Rome.
S Includes:
S Ancient languages
S Literature
S History
S Archaeology

When you study Classics you

study:
S Ancient Greek and Latin
S The mythology of both cultures (their religious stories)
S Their art and literature
S Their daily lives
S The rebirth of Classics (Renaissance)
S How the classics still surrounds us today.

Did somebody
mention
Literature?

The Odyssey

What is the
Odyssey

The Odyssey is an epic poem.

An Epic poem is a lengthy narrative

poem that often tells the story of
heroic deeds and events that are
important to a culture or nation.

The Odyssey tells the story of

Odysseus, a fictional, ancient Greek
King.

Epic Poems

S Started off as spoken words and were retold for generations.

S Many are based on historical moments.
S Oral Poetry then used the repetition of certain words,

phrases, and lines (makes memorization easier, this is why

The Odyssey has so many repeated lines.

Homer
S If Homer was a real person, he was alive nearly 3000 years ago
S between the 12th and 8th century BCE (Before Common Era)

S He was an orator
S A professional verbal storyteller

S Professional orators traveled from town to town and told their stories

(thats how they made their money)

S Homer is famous for his stories The Illiad and The Odyssey
S Fun Fact: Homer was blind

Questions for You

S What do you think the if means in the first sentence?

S Why would someone make up a fake author?

The Iliad

S This poem tells the story of the Trojan war.

S The Trojan war started because, Helen, the wife of the Spartan King,

Menelaus, was kidnapped (or maybe ran away) by the Trojan Prince,
Paris.
S This story focuses on the Greek hero, Achilles (yeah, the heel guy),

and his time in the war.

S The story ends without resolution, the war is still going on (nearly 10

years in).

Vocab Check

S What does resolution mean as used in the last slide?

The Odyssey
S This poem tells the story of Odysseus, the Greek king, and his journey

home from the Trojan War.

S After being gone from home for 10 years in the war, it actually takes

him another 10 years to make his way back home.

Map of Odysseus Journey

Writing Style
S Homer, like many orators, repeats lines in his poem to help him

remember.
S Lines that he repeats:
S Dawn spread her fingers to demonstrate the start of a new day.
S The greyed-eyed goddess when talking about Athena.

S The Odyssey is written on two different timelines.

S Present timeline is 20 years after leaving home
S Flashback timeline is when Odysseus is telling the story of his journey after

leaving Troy.