Odyssey Background Information
Notes for Background Powerpoint
The Golden Apple
• All of the gods and goddesses were invited to the wedding of Pleus (prince of Thessaly) and Thetis (a sea nymph) except for Eris, goddess of discord
• Eris, in revenge for not being invited, cast a golden apple with the inscription "To the Fairest" among the guests in order to cause trouble
• Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite all claimed the apple as their own
• Stuck with deciding between his wife and his daughters and unwilling to judge, Zeus appointed a mortal man named Paris (son of King Priam of Troy) to make the decision
• Each of the goddesses attempted to bribe the prince. Hera offered Paris wealth and power. Athena offered fame and success in war. Aphrodite offered him the most beautiful woman in the world (Helen of Sparta)
• Paris, with Aphrodite's help, abducted Helen and fled to Troy‘
The Face That Launched a Thousand Ships’
• Helen's husband Menelaus, and all of Helen's former suitors (prospective boyfriends) gathered to pursue Paris back to Troy
• The suitors agree to assist, as they have previously promised to protect Helen and the man she married, regardless of who it was.
• Odysseus was content with his family on Ithaca, and to avoid joining Menelaus, feigned madness by sowing salt instead of corn in his field
• When Menelaus placed Odysseus's son in front of the plow, Odysseus revealed his sanity by swerving away from him
• The Greeks, under the leadership of Agamemnon and supported by tactician Odysseus, set sail for Troy
The Trojan Horse
• The Greeks then abandoned the horse in front of Troy, and apparently sailed away
• The Trojans believed the horse was tribute, and brought it into the city
• Odysseus and fellow soldiers climbed out of the horse at night and opened the gates of Troy to the waiting Greek soldiers
• During the attack, Odysseus and his men angered Poseidon by destroying a temple dedicated to him
• The Odyssey
• Odysseus wandered for 10 years after the Trojan War
• Much of the story is told as a "flashback" on the island of Phaeacia
The major themes of The Odyssey include:
1) Respect for Olympian gods and goddesses
2) Importance of home and family
3) Acts of courage / strength / leadership
4) Concern for the welfare of others
5) Displays of intelligence, curiosity, cleverness
6) Obedience to leaders
-easily remembered as “RIACDO”
Download the link below to access the answers to the "Homer's World" worksheets.
The Golden Apple
• All of the gods and goddesses were invited to the wedding of Pleus (prince of Thessaly) and Thetis (a sea nymph) except for Eris, goddess of discord
• Eris, in revenge for not being invited, cast a golden apple with the inscription "To the Fairest" among the guests in order to cause trouble
• Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite all claimed the apple as their own
• Stuck with deciding between his wife and his daughters and unwilling to judge, Zeus appointed a mortal man named Paris (son of King Priam of Troy) to make the decision
• Each of the goddesses attempted to bribe the prince. Hera offered Paris wealth and power. Athena offered fame and success in war. Aphrodite offered him the most beautiful woman in the world (Helen of Sparta)
• Paris, with Aphrodite's help, abducted Helen and fled to Troy‘
The Face That Launched a Thousand Ships’
• Helen's husband Menelaus, and all of Helen's former suitors (prospective boyfriends) gathered to pursue Paris back to Troy
• The suitors agree to assist, as they have previously promised to protect Helen and the man she married, regardless of who it was.
• Odysseus was content with his family on Ithaca, and to avoid joining Menelaus, feigned madness by sowing salt instead of corn in his field
• When Menelaus placed Odysseus's son in front of the plow, Odysseus revealed his sanity by swerving away from him
• The Greeks, under the leadership of Agamemnon and supported by tactician Odysseus, set sail for Troy
The Trojan Horse
• The Greeks then abandoned the horse in front of Troy, and apparently sailed away
• The Trojans believed the horse was tribute, and brought it into the city
• Odysseus and fellow soldiers climbed out of the horse at night and opened the gates of Troy to the waiting Greek soldiers
• During the attack, Odysseus and his men angered Poseidon by destroying a temple dedicated to him
• The Odyssey
• Odysseus wandered for 10 years after the Trojan War
• Much of the story is told as a "flashback" on the island of Phaeacia
The major themes of The Odyssey include:
1) Respect for Olympian gods and goddesses
2) Importance of home and family
3) Acts of courage / strength / leadership
4) Concern for the welfare of others
5) Displays of intelligence, curiosity, cleverness
6) Obedience to leaders
-easily remembered as “RIACDO”
Download the link below to access the answers to the "Homer's World" worksheets.
homers_world_completed.doc | |
File Size: | 38 kb |
File Type: | doc |