Blogger #11 - Daniel Lam - Period 9 - 4/23/2021 -Day C

 Aim: How can a concise understanding of both an epic poem and the Iliad enhance our reading of the Odyssey? 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?

Honestly, I had no idea who this man is or what he's saying. At first, I thought he meant ordinary people get in that action and heroes act like they didn’t see anything. Surprise, surprise! I was totally wrong. Big Randy and Daniel Zhou schooled us and told us that heroes actually go out and do the work and help while normies just watch. I 100 percent agree with this quote. People we hail today as heroes have stepped up to the occasion and helped people in need, like the firefighters in 9/11 and Harambe(RIP 1999-2016). I saw this video on YouTube where this guy was disgusted how kids would film a fight instead of breaking it up. A hero would never film the fight. This quote introduces the class to the general idea of what a hero is and what isn’t.

Golden Apple of Discord:

The class read the The Golden Apple of Discord. To sum everything up, Hecuba and Priam had a child, but that child had to be killed or else it would lead to the downfall of Troy. Agelaus was supposed to kill him but instead he dumped him off on a mountain and he survived. He thought that was a sign that he was meant to live so he took care of Paris like he was his own son. On Olympus, Eris threw a golden apple that said “for the fairest”. All the goddess fought over it and there were only three left: Aphrodite, Athena, and Hera. They asked Zeus to choose which one of them deserved the apple. Zeus didn’t want to answer because he knew it would end up poorly so he just sent them off to ask Paris. Paris chose Aphrodite, who promised him that Helen would fall in love with him, even though she was already married to King Menelaus. This caused some beef and King Menelaus’ guys went to retrieve Helen which resulted in the Trojan War.

After reading The Golden Apple of Discord we had to answer these questions:

1. How do the gods and goddesses in the story display human qualities?

The gods and goddesses in this story showed many imperfect human qualities. Eris was jealous that she wasn’t invited to the party and sent the golden apple to sabotage the whole gathering. The three goddesses Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera both showed their competitiveness by involving themselves in a vain fight over an apple. They were also bribing Paris in picking them. Zeus showed a lack of responsibility and being insensitive by shifting the problem to Paris, which resulted in the destruction of Troy.

2. What is the role of prophecy and fate in “The Golden Apple of Discord” ?

The prophecy told Hecuba and Priam that their child Paris would lead to the downfall of Troy. Agelaus was assigned to kill Paris but instead, he left him alone on a mountain, expecting him to die. Paris survived the night to Agelaus’ surprise. He thought this was fate so he kept Paris alive, which ended up destroying Troy.

3. How does xenia play a role in King Menelaus’ treatment of Paris? How is this ironic?

Xenia Video describes xenia as an ancient Greek concept of hospitality between a guest and a host. Hosts have to be courteous and welcoming to all guests, just in case if the guest is a god or goddess in disguise. King Menelaus’ treatment of Paris was based on xenia so he gave Paris top notch service and hospitality. This is ironic because Paris ended up taking King Menelaus’ wife Helen.

Promise	Oath
a declaration or assurance that one will do a particular thing or that a particular thing will happen.	a solemn promise, often invoking a divine witness, regarding one's future action or behavior. more serious and solemn than a promise. were under divine authority.
Both a promise and an oath have something to do with saying you will do something

The Trojan War:

Because of what happened during the “Golden Apple of Discord” , Aphrodite makes Helen fall in love with Paris even though Helen is already married to King Menelaus. Helen and Paris go back to Troy and King Menelaus was not okay with that. King Menelaus sent his people to retrieve Helen and destroy Troy while they’re at it. That’s how the Trojan War went down.

The Odyssey is the story of Odysseus’ adventures. Odysseus was one of Helen’s past suitors and was a hero of the Trojan War. Odysseus had a cunning personality and was very strong. He was the man who led the Greeks to victory with the famous Trojan Horse. The Trojan Horse was a huge wooden horse that the Greeks sent Troy to make it look like they surrendered. Troy accepted the gift and brought it into the city. They didn’t know that Greek soldiers were in the horse and that they let them in. The Greek soldiers wrecked havoc upon the city of Troy, winning the Greek the war. This is all thanks to Odysseus who finally broke the ten year stalemate. 

 Homer’s Epics:

Homer’s epics were very important to the Greeks. Homer’s epics were taught to schools and people all over Greece. The epics taughtGreek virtues, such as honor, bravery, xenia or hospitality, intelligence, respect for the gods, and loyalty to home and family. The Iliad is the primary model for epic warfare and Odyssey is the primary model for epic of the long journey, more specifically, the journey of Odysseus.

The Odyssey has three major plot points:

• Story in Ithaca about Odysseus’ wife and son as they await his return (called the Telemachy)

• Tale of Odysseus’ wanderings during the ten years following the Trojan War

• Merging of the 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” (a shortened version of a written work) of the subject of the poem. The first lines of the Iliad and the Odyssey conform to this pattern.

The Iliad	The Odyssey
Anger be now your song, immortal one, Akhilleus’ anger, doomed and ruinous, that caused the Akhaians loss on bitter loss and crowded brave souls into the undergloom. . . . Translated by Robert Fitzgerald (1974)	Sing in me, Muse, and through me tell the story of that man skilled in all ways of contending, the wanderer, harried for years on end, after he plundered the stronghold on the proud height of Troy. Translated by Robert Fitzgerald (1961)
Sing, goddess, the anger of Peleus’ son Achilleus and its devastation, which put pains thousandfold upon the Achaians, hurled in their multitudes to the house of Hades strong souls of heroes. . . . Translated by Richmond Lattimore (1951)	Tell me, Muse, of the man of many ways, who was driven to far journeys, after he had sacked Troy’s sacred citadel. Translated by Richmond Lattimore (1965)
Rage — Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus’ son Achilles, murderous, doomed, that cost the Achaeans countless losses, hurling down to the House of Death so many sturdy souls. . . . Translated by Robert Fagles (1990)	Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy. Translated by Robert Fagles (1996)

Reflection:

Today’s lesson was all about Greek culture, the structure of epic poems, and the overview of the Iliad and the Odyssey.  This will give the students a strong base and understanding of the cultural context of what is happening in the Odyssey. For example, we will now be more familiar with the practice in Xenia, which plays a big role in the Odyssey. With the new background knowledge we learned today, we will be able to comprehend future epics and stories in the Odyssey. This lesson also reminded me of how amazing Technoblade is. He is a minecraft youtuber and he talked “The Golden Apple of Discord” in one of his streams.