Blogger #20 - Daniel Oyelaja- 12/4/2020 - Period 5 - Cycle B

 Aim: How can an understanding of Greek myths and heroes prepare us for our examination of Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey?

Do Now:With a partner, brainstorm and list qualities that you feel belong to a “hero”.  Then create a unified, working definition of “hero” to share with the class.

Answers given: Qualities- Brave, Courageous, Resilient. Definition- A person that helps others before themselves and can be a role model for others.

Class Discussion:What (if anything) do you already know about Greek heroes and Greek mythology?

Topics brought up include names of greek gods and heroes along with acts or beliefs.

Traditions and Customs:We talked about the Gods and religious customs, this included saying that the Greeks worshiped heros and were a polytheistic country. The traditions talked about were about stories. The stories were used for entertainment and passed down from generation to generation.

Epic Poetry:An epic is a long, narrative poem about a national or legendary hero. Examples of epic poems include the Iliad and The Odyssey. Poems are considered epic poems when they begin “in medias res”, have a vast setting, have long formal speeches, contain divine interventions and heroes that embody the values and morals of the civilization.

Is a “Hero” really a Hero:We talk about the background of the word hero and how it used to mean someone with superhuman abilities or godlike powers. The definition then changed into someone who had superior moral, physical and mental qualities. Now the word hero just means someone we look up to. This led us into breakout rooms where we discussed if the word hero is overused. Most teams decided that the word’s meaning has changed a lot from what it originally was and is now way overused. 

Conclusion:In this lesson I learned about epic poetry and a little more about greek mythology. I also learned about how the word hero is becoming more vast. Heroes today and heroes back then are completely different because the meaning of the word changed from a god to an idol.