Classical Cultures

Dr. Michael Broder

Brooklyn College

August 30, 2012

Identifying a Text

• For every text that we study, I want us to identify it by three main categories– Author

• Nationality• Dates

– Title– Genre

Five pieces of information in total

Some Literary Genres

• Poem• Story• Play• Novel• Essay

Text Identification

• Author = Homer – Greek– c. 750 BCE

BCE = Before the Common Era. The Common Era starts with the year 1 according to the way we count years. This is often called BC and AD but we are using BCE and CE.

Text Identification

• Author = Homer – Greek– c. 750 BCE

• Title = Odyssey• Genre = Epic poem

Marble bust of Homer in the British Museum, London. Roman copy of a lost Greek original of the 2nd c. BCE

Words: Epic

• Epic = long, narrative poem– From Greek (G) epos, word,

story, poem

Words: Narrative

• Narrative = tells a story about characters and events– From Latin (L) narrare, to tell a story

or give an account

Words: Poem

• Verbal composition like speech in some ways and like song in other ways, often with a distinctive rhythm– From L poema, poem– From G poiēma, poem or any other

result of creative activity• From G verb poiein, to make

Trojan War: Fact or Fiction?

• Is it a historical event that really took place, or is it an imaginary event made up by Homer and other ancient Greek poets?

Trojan War: Fact or Fiction?

• Ancient Greeks believed the war was real and took place about 1200 BCE

• By modern times, most historians believed there had never been a Trojan War or even a city of Troy

Trojan War: Fact or Fiction?

• However, in 1870, German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann excavated a site in Turkey that he identified as Troy

• Most scholars now accept that Schliemann’s Troy is the Troy that we read about Homer

• Many scholars now also believe there is a historical basis to the story of the Trojan War

Troad

Odyssey Book 1 Overview

• Homer invokes the Muse• Assembly of the gods• Athena visits Telemachus• Penelope comes down to the great

hall• Telemachus confronts the suitors• Telemachus goes to bed alone in

his bedroom

Ithaca

But once again, archaeology may change

our view of Homer’s world.

Where is the real Ithaca?

IthacaKafalonia

Odyssey Book 2 Overview

• Telemachus summons the men of Ithaca to an assembly

• Zeus sends an omen• Telemachus prays to Athena• Athena answers his prayer• Telemachus return to the palace

and prepares for his journey• Telemachus takes command and

sets sail

Odyssey Book 3 Overview

• Telemachus and his crew arrive at Pylos• Nestor recounts the fate of Agamemnon• Athena reveals herself• Nestor prays• Going to bed

– Telemachus + Pisistratus– Nestor + his wife

• Nestor leads a feast in honor of Athena• Nestor sends Telemachus and Pisistratus

off to Sparta

Assembly of the gods (1.12-112)

• What do we learn about how mortals view gods and gods view mortals?

• Why do you think Homer tells us about Aegisthus, Agamemnon, and Orestes here?

Athena visits Telemachus (1.112-376)

• What do we learn about the situation in Odysseus’ household?

• Who are the suitors?• Why can’t Telemachus get rid of

them?• Why does Penelope refuse to

choose a new husband?

What do we learn about the treatment of

strangers?• xenia = Reciprocal relationship of

hospitality between guests and hosts– Enforced by respect for Zeus, who is the

protector of stranger (Zeus Xenios)

• The word xenos (pl. xenoi) can mean1. Guest2. Host3. Stranger4. Friend5. Foreigner

Epic Abuses of Xenia

• The Trojan War was caused by a violation of xenia– Paris ran off with the wife of Menelaus

while he was a guest in his home

• The suitors are abusing xenia– Overstaying their welcome– Continuing to eat Odysseus’ food and drink

his wine– No reciprocation toward Telemachus and

Penelope

Penelope comes downto the great hall (1.376-

419)• What do we learn about cultural

expectations for women?

Telemachus summons the men of Ithaca to an

assembly (2.1-14)• What do we learn about the way

government works?• What do we learn about the role of

public speaking in male society?

Zeus sends an omen (2.164-179)

• What do we learn about religious beliefs and practices?– Halitherses interprets the omen

(2.180-198)– Eurymachus scorns his prophecy

(2.199-230)– So we see Homer representing

conflicting opinions about prophecy

For Next Time

• Homer, Odyssey, Books 4-6, pp. 124-178

Classical Cultures

Dr. Michael Broder

Brooklyn College

August 30, 2012