AIM: How can a concise understanding of both an epic poem and the Iliad enhance our reading of the Odyssey? And why is it important to understand background knowledge of the Odyssey?
DO NOW: Interpret the following quote in your own words, then answer do you agree or disagree with the sentiment being expressed? Why or why not?
Image of H. Miller’s Quote via Love Expands
Initially, I interpreted this quote to mean that anyone can take action when a situation is thrust upon them, but a hero distinguishes themself by choosing to step up. I agreed with this since many people may have the ability to impact the world, but only some would go out of their way to do it. During our class discussion, both Randy and Daniel interpreted this quote to mean that a hero steps out to help others in times of need, while an average person simply watches. I slightly disagree with their interpretation because it oversimplified the quote, comparing the action of a hero to the inaction of a bystander. I think the quote contrasts the ordinary man who is passively involved in action and the hero who simply acts -- doing whatever is necessary at the given time. While both are in action, the two are not equal in purpose and impact. If the only alternative to taking action is being a bystander, then a much wider population of people could be considered a hero, which devalues the title of a “hero.” This tied back to our previous class, when we discussed if the term “hero” has been overused in today’s society, and helped to further introduce our term on the Odyssey.
THE GOLDEN APPLE OF DISCORD
Image of the goddess Eris holding the golden apple of discord via Goddess Talk
In preparation for the Odyssey, we read the Greek myth "The Golden Apple of Discord." To summarize, the king and queen of Troy were expecting a baby, but the baby was prophesied to bring the downfall of Troy. The king commanded the chief herdsman, Agelaus, to kill the baby. Failing to accomplish the task, Agelaus instead took the baby, named Paris, into his own care, and Paris grew to be handsome and wise. One day on Mount Olympus, the home of the gods, Zeus planned a wedding feast, inviting everyone but Eris, the goddess of discord. Furious, Eris crashed the feast and tossed a golden apple with the inscription “for the fairest” into the crowd, causing discord among Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. Zeus delegated this task to Paris, who was reputed to be a fair judge who kept his word, to decide which of the three goddesses is the fairest. After offers of bribes, Paris awarded the golden apple to Aphrodite, who promised him the love of the most beautiful woman, Helen of Sparta. Even though she was already married to King Menelaus, Paris stole Helen away to Troy. Seething with anger, King Menelaus called on Helen’s former suitors who previously made an oath to defend King Menelaus and Helen’s marriage no matter what it takes. They set forth to return Helen to Sparta and destroy Troy, thus causing the Trojan War. For more information, check out these two videos: The Trojan War and How and Why the Trojan War Started.
After reading, we answered the following questions as a class:
How do the gods and goddesses in the story display human qualities?
The gods and goddesses in the story were far from perfect and showed many human characteristics. Eris had “FOMO” (fear of missing out) and jealousy when she was not invited to the wedding feast; as a revenge, she decided to give the gift of a golden apple, which turned out to be a curse in disguise. As Randy mentioned, the three goddesses, Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite, bickered and fought over who’s the fairest of them all. Those three were also vain and manipulative, with each one thinking she was the most beautiful while bribing Paris in order to win the coveted golden apple. Zeus also showed cowardice and indecisiveness in delegating the decision to Paris. Paris illustrated that he was hubristic, or excessively proud and self-confident, when he decided to take another man’s wife, to the demise of Troy.
What is the role of prophecy and fate in “The Golden Apple of Discord”?
In “The Golden Apple of Discord,” Paris was prophesied to bring the downfall of Troy. This resulted in his parents, the king and queen of Troy, commanding the killing of their newborn, as mentioned by Zihan. When Agelaus abandoned Paris in the wilderness, he expected Paris to die. However, Agelaus returned the next day to find Paris still alive. He took this as a sign that it was Paris’ fate to live and, ultimately, destroy Troy. Once his fate was sealed, nothing could prevent it from happening. This held true, and he caused the Trojan War after stealing King Menelaus of Sparta’s wife, Helen.
How does xenia play a role in King Menelaus’ treatment of Paris? How is this ironic?
Xenia is an ancient Greek concept of hospitality between a guest and a host. You can watch the first 1:32 of this video for more specifics, but in overview, all hosts must be courteous and welcoming to all guests, in case the guest was a god or goddess in disguise (see this video for more). As per the obligations of xenia, King Menelaus was required to treat Paris hospitably. This meant offering food, drink, and comfort to Paris. This is ironic because Paris took advantage of this treatment to steal King Menelaus’ wife, Helen.
PROMISE VS OATH
In the Venn diagram above, I have illustrated how a promise and an oath are similar and different. This exercise serves as a practice of distinguishing the denotation and connotation of certain words as a tool in using concise word choice. As Ayah said in class, oaths are more serious and solemn than a promise. Oaths were also under divine authority.
THE TROJAN WAR
Following the events from “The Golden Apple of Discord,” Aphrodite, keeping her word, makes Helen, the wife of King Menelaus of Sparta, fall in love with Paris, and the two sail back to Troy together. However, King Menelaus is not too pleased with Paris taking his wife. He gathers all of Helen’s past suitors, who took an oath to respect and protect Helen’s marriage regardless of the chosen husband, in order to return Helen to Sparta and destroy Troy. Thus, the Trojan War happened.
The Odyssey follows the story of Odysseus, a hero of the Trojan War and one of Helen's past suitors, and his journey home after the war. Odysseus was known for his strength and cunning personality. He helped lead the Greeks to victory with the idea of the Trojan horse. The Greeks constructed a massive wooden horse as a “gift to the city,” making it seem as though they surrendered. However, Greek soldiers hid inside the horse, making it into the city and destroying Troy.
HOMER’S EPICS
Though both the Iliad and the Odyssey were originally only orally recorded, they were considered sacred to the Greeks. They were used in schools to teach Greek virtues, such as honor, bravery, hospitality (xenia), intelligence, respect for the gods, and loyalty to home and family. The Iliad tells the story of the days toward the end of the Trojan War in the mid 1200s BC. The Odyssey is the sequel to the Iliad, focusing on Odysseus returning home nineteen years years after the war.
There are three major plot strands in the Odyssey.
First is the Telemachy. This captures Odysseus’ wife (Penelope) and son (Telemachus) in Ithaca as they await his return.
Second is the tale of Odysseus’ wanderings during the ten years following the Trojan War as he tries to make his way home to Ithaca, Penelope, and Telemachus, whom he has not seen since Telemachus was just born. He leaves Troy with twelve ships and approximately 720 men and encounters monsters and enchanting women who try to keep him from his wife.
Third is the merging of the two strands when Odysseus returns to Ithaca and joins forces with his son, Telemachus, to destroy their enemies.
CAPSULE SUMMARIES
The first lines of an ancient epic poem typically offer a “capsule summary,” or a shortened version of a written work, about the subject of the poem. We can observe this pattern in the first lines of the Iliad and the Odyssey.
Both the Iliad and the Odyssey’s structures extend beyond the naming of the main subject with the first word. In the original Greek of both the Iliad and the Odyssey, the first word announcing the subject (Anger and Man) is followed by a specially chosen adjective setting the mood (doomed anger, many-sided man) to be followed in turn by a relative clause that frames the story by outlining the plot (the doomed anger that caused countless losses and woes, the many-sided man who wandered countless ways.)
REFLECTION:
In today’s lesson, we analyzed Greek culture, the structure of epic poems, and the overview of both the Iliad and the Odyssey. This will aid me in understanding the historical and cultural context of the Odyssey. For example, I will now know certain Greek values (such as xenia) and various gods and goddesses, as well as the events of and leading up to the Trojan War. This will give me a deeper comprehension of the Odyssey and help immerse me into the story. I will also be able to recognize the literary structure of epic poems, such as the capsule summary at the beginning of the poem, in the Odyssey in order to make further connections throughout the story.
Additionally, this lesson served as a reminder to be concise with my word choice. This can be applied within and outside of the classroom or school setting, as I should try to be purposeful in the words I use in my writing and in my daily life as I communicate with those around me. Lastly, this began to rekindle my interest in Greek mythology. I was an avid reader of Greek mythology books and stories when I was younger, but I have started to slowly grow out of it. However, I may be starting to gain back my love for the topic, as I have noticed throughout these past couple of classes in which we prepare to read the Odyssey.
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