Blogger#19-Mathias Meza-12/4/20-Freshman 2021-Day B
Aim: How can an understanding of Greek myths and heroes prepare us for our examination of Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey?
Today’s lesson was about epic poems like the poem “The Odyssey”. The first thing we did was answer the Do Now question. We had to brainstorm and list qualities that each student thinks belongs to a “hero”. We then had to take these different qualities and try to make a definition for the word “hero”
I think that a hero should be brave, courageous, selfless and they should be able to think on the spot. I don’t think that hero’s need to fly or have a cape. Many people can become “heros” by doing many different good deeds and helping other people when they are in need.
WHOLE CLASS DISCUSSION
What (if anything) do you already know about Greek heroes and Greek mythology?
This Do Now question then leads us to the topic of Greek Mythology. In Slide Number 3, we had a class discussion about our knowledge of Greek heroes and Greek mythology in general. Many students recall reading many different Greek books about the Greek gods. When I was in elementary, I remember I chose a class about Greek Mythology. Although I don’t remember every single thing about the class, I do know a few gods like Zeus and Poseidon.
Some Important Gods to know...
Zeus
The God of the sky, lightening and thunder
King of the gods on Mount Olympus
Hades
God of the underworld/Lord of the Dead
his wife is Persephone
Athena
Daughter of Zeus and goddess of wisdom,
courage, battle etc.
Poseidon
God of the sea and earthquakes
The class discussion then transitions us to a slide about different gods and a little bit about them (as shown above).
The Gods and Religious Customs
INDIVIDUAL RESPONSE
Ancient cultures used mythology belief systems much the same way that people use modern religion. Use the space to recall some of the goals and uses of religion.
The Greeks believed completely in the existence of gods and goddesses (polytheism)
Believed that gods took an active interest in human life
Gods behaved in human ways (possessed human characteristics)
Respect for the gods was essential for success and survival
Greek culture also known for hero-worship
Hero might be the town’s founder or a historical figure who played a major role in an important battle
My answer is that gods or people that you look up to in your religion is just so you can tell bad from good. It is so you can be a good and ethical human. It also says that if you commit sins or something bad in the world then your god will punish you.
Oral Traditions
Ancient mythology belongs to the oral tradition (folklore, legends, etc...)
Stories passed orally and appealed to the non-literate
These stories were a form of entertainment
The stories enabled the passing of history and culture from one group to the next
In this slide we talked about how Greek Gods and Greek Mythology is part of oral traditions like legends. This is very true because nowadays, people don’t really believe in these types of myths anymore and we read them for entertainment. Like in books like, Percy Jackson and in movies like Hercules from Disney
Epic Poetry of Ancient Greece
Admired through the ages as the ultimate epic, Homer's Iliad, along with its companion-piece, The Odyssey, was venerated (regarded with great respect; revered) by the ancient Greeks themselves as the cornerstone of their civilization. By force of its prestige, The Iliad and The Odyssey set the standard for the definition of the word epic.
In this slide, we were introduced to Epic Poetry and the different types of poems Homer has written in the past about Ancient Greek
What is an EPIC?
An epic is a long, narrative poem about a national or legendary hero.
As previously stated, Ancient Greece
produced two epics:
The Iliad and The Odyssey (900-700 B.C.)
Both written by Homer
After being introduced to Epic poetry, we went a little bit more in depth about what makes a poem EPIC. The poem has to be about a hero and talk about what the hero has done in the world that makes him a hero. We also were asked if we knew any other Epic Poems like Gilgamesh.
What makes a poem EPIC?
They begin “in medias res” (in the middle of things)- uses a flashback to explain important action that occured before the story
Flashback: the epic hero recounts his adventures in a scene that interrupts the sequence of events in a narrative to relate earlier events
Has a vast setting, covers many nations (and the underworld)
Features lengthy, formal speeches
Contains divine interventions—THE GODS!
Features heroes that embody the values and morals of the civilization
The teacher then started talking about what is included in an Epic poem and how to make one. The poem has to start in the middle of the action and then have a flashback about what led to the things that are happening. It has to talk about the Gods and it has to be a long formal poem.
CLASS DISCUSSION
Why would an author/storyteller choose to use these elements?
An author would use these elements in a poem to grab the reader's attention. If the poem talks about the action at the start of the poem, then many people would love to read more and see what it’s about.
What makes a hero epic?
Superhuman qualities (stronger/braver than others)
Still human, so has a flaw/weakness
Must conquer many difficult tasks
On a quest for something of great value
(to him or his people)
Villain(s) try to keep the hero from his quest
Physically beautiful
In this slide, we started talking about the different attributes that make a hero epic. We said that a hero has to have superhuman qualities like super strength or have some type of ability that no ordinary human has. The hero still is human so he has weaknesses. He must be brave enough to conquer many difficult tasks and is on a quest to gain something. They are physically beautiful and there is always a villain trying to stop them from completing their quest.
Etymology of the word “hero” & its overuse in the modern era
Our ancestral heroes first appeared in the oral storytelling tradition. They were superhumans, almost gods, and the actions they took were mostly in the best interest of humankind. The dictionary traces the word's [hêrôs]meaning from "a being of godlike prowess and beneficence" to "a warrior-chieftain of special strength, courage or ability" during the Homeric period of ancient Greece.
By the Encyclopaedia Britannica of 1911, the word had come to be applied "generally to all who were distinguished from their fellows by superior moral, physical or intellectual qualities." As a result, scholars argue: “[it is difficult to] grasp the ancient Greek concept of hero and now go beyond the word's ordinary levels of meaning in casual contemporary usage.”
Here we talked about how heroes in the past were “godlike” and had a lot of strength, courage and ability. They were superior than ordinary people and they completed many difficult tasks that helped the people.
Etymology of the word “hero” & its overuse in the modern era
Today we sometimes toss the word "hero" around without thinking much about it. We use it to name TV shows. We speak of a Hollywood celebrity as our childhood hero. Every parent is a hero. Every journalist is a hero. Every American is a hero. Every working woman is a hero. Every police officer, firefighter, and soldier is a hero without question or regard for what they do or have done or are prepared to do. The list goes on.
Some argue that the overuse of the word "hero" is to such an extent that it doesn't really mean anything anymore. According to common parlance, almost nobody isn't a hero. It mirrors the classic injunction that "saying that everyone is special is another way of saying that no one is." If we use the word so much as to devalue it, we make it impossible to describe and understand real heroism, the rare, superhuman kind. So the question has been asked, has the word "hero" been so overused that it's losing its meaning?
We then continued the topic of the word “hero” being overused in the modern era. If you do one good thing in the world then the rest of the people call you a hero. Even because of your job, people call you a hero. I think because of this the word hero is losing its meaning and is just some ordinary word that describes a person now.
Aim: How can an understanding of Greek myths and heroes prepare us for our examination of Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey?
TEAM COLLABORATION
Draw your own conclusion on this argument. Do you agree or disagree with the concept that the word “hero” has become overused? Why or why not?
I feel like the word “hero” is definitely overused around the world. It’s because if you do one little thing then people call you a hero. Although this doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have meaning, it just means that it's overused.
When we create heroes in fiction, we almost can't help but give them superhuman powers because what a hero does to be a hero is something which seems like people should be incapable of doing. It is something truly “other”.
Compare some of today’s superheroes with the original definition of “hêrôs”.
I feel like in the past definition of “heros”, they had powers and they did something that normal people could never do. They were basically perfect in every single way and they are the most popular. Now, this doesn’t really matter. As long as you do many good things, you are considered to be a hero.
Do you think, as a modern society, we are searching for a “superhuman” hero similar to the Ancient Greeks, despite our overuse of the term? Why or why not?
I think in modern society, many people don't really look up to Ancient Greek Gods and they don’t believe in them anymore. So therefore modern society is not really looking for any hero that has “superhuman” attributes. Hero’s for our society are like police officers and firefighters, or someone that saved another person’s life and is on the news.
Reflection
In today’s lesson, I was able to learn more about Greek Mythology and it’s gods. I was also able to learn a little bit about what an epic poem is and how to construct one. We learned about how the word “hero” was being overused in modern society and how it has been losing its meaning over time. A long time ago, being a hero was being strong and being superior to regular humans. You were physically beautiful in every way and many people thought of you as a role model. Now, if you do one good deed people start calling you a hero. And if you are a police officer or a doctor, people also call you a hero just because of your job. This lesson has further enhanced my knowledge on poetry and it has helped me learn a bit more about epic poetry and all about it and its past. It will help me in the future if I ever need to write an epic poem.
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