Odyssey

Aner Polytropos
Aner- man
Polytropos- clever, many-wiled
Nostos
Return Home, not just physically but actually a return to ones way of
life
Oikos
Most of this poem takes place at somebodys home
Woman have a greater role: They serve as mediators (Nausicaa, Helen,
Eidothea), keeper of secrets (Eurycleia), keepers of civilization (Arete,
Penelope), saviors (Calypso, Ino), masters of their own households
(Circe, Calypso)
The Bard: Homer seems to have written himself into the book with
such characters as Phemius (book 1) and Demodocus (book 9) How is
Odysseus like a bard?
Unlike Iliad: Two halves
Wandersing and return home
The Furies
Greeks called Greece Hellas
Archaic age (750-500 BCE) was the age of experiment and age of
expamsion and the greek renaissance
The area we called greek expanded greatly
This is because nywhere that greek is spoen can be thought of as
Hellas
The archialogical recods for the period have a lot to tell about Greek
people
Greeks colonized all across the mediteranian
Building big temples and buildings
Polis is city-state
Philosophia- the love of knowledge
Thales of Miletus was a practicioner of philosophia who predicted a
solar eclipse in 585 BCE
Liked to divide things up. On the one hand on the other
Logos- reason, explanation
Kosmos- universe

Peisistratids took Athens 3 times and allivieted the problems of the

poor.
His sons Hippias and Hipparchus rule for a bit until one is murdered
and one is kicked out
Choral ode dancing and singing in front of a crowd
Drama combo of choral ode and recitation, by one man, of a poem that
conveyed some sort of story with the reader of the poem being some
way involverd with the story
City Dionysia Festival each spring in Athens for competitions involving
Choral odes and drama
Thespis who had the innovation of not just making speeches but to
actually act like someone else. He would perform with a chorus in front
of him. Thus there could be interaction between him and the group
Skaynay building or tent at the back of the acting area. Painted of
scenery
Orchestra: the dancing area, chorus occupies this space
Chorus: group of 12-15 men who sing and dance during the play
Mechane: a crane used to lift actors above the acting area; usually
actors playing gods hence the phrace deus ex machine
Aeschylus
Atreus has brother named Thyestes, Atreus gets mad at him because
he has sex with his wife. His brother comes back and begs Atreus to
help him, and Atreus takes him in then feeds his children to his brother.
Aegusthus survives
Tragedy: A story, serious, poetic, shows action rather than using words,
something bad has to happen, horrific, audience experiences catharsis
(release when craziness is over)
Heros are almost always in a tragedy
The hero might commit Hybris, or harming someone just so that you
feel better
Hamartia, or missing the mark. An archery term. Missing the point.
Screwing up and having tragic repercussions. An action, not personality
trait
Peripeteia. A crisis or reversal of fortune for the main character that
occurs as a result of a chain of events. Never a good thing. As a result
of Peripeteia a character gets Gnosis
Gnosis means knowledge or understanding of oneself

Catharsis: The result of the actions which take place on stage which
causese the audience to experience extreme feelings of pity or sorrow.
Catharsis is the release of these emotions on the part of the audience

The Aenid and Iliad

Composition- Both composed using dactylic hexameter meter
Homers poesty was composed orally, vergil wrote his out
Vergils aeneid begins in medias res, just like the odyssey
Vergil designed his Aeneid with Odyssey in mind
Themes-Both authors invoke the muse for inspiration and speak of
rage.
While in Homer, humans posses rage, it is Juno who has it here.
Whats in a name?
Pietas-a sense of duty to ones gods, family, and country
Pius- Possessing the quality of Pietas
Aenieus focuss on what needs to be done for his god, family and
country
Aenieus does not found Rome. He brings people to a place that will
become Rome.
Intertextuality- When one work of literature refers to another work of
literature. Events that happen in the iliad are reffered to in the Aeneid
Aeineius crashes boat on Carthage, and is trying to get to mainland
Italy, from Sicily
Juno hates all Trojans because Paris didnt pick her over the other
goddesses, Jupiter fell in love with a Trojan priest, took their son and
replaces Junos daughter cupbearer. Romans are fated to destroy
Carthage. Juno goes to god of the wind and asks him for help and
offers her daughter. God of wind sends wind to blast Aenieds fleet.
Goes to Carthage with 7 ships. Runs into Aphrodite, his mother.
Doesnt do well to disguise herself, and she runs off. Not a good
relationship.
Dido greets Aenius, is fated to fall in love with him. Cupid stirs lust in
Dido.
Dido tells Aenius to tell a story.

Dido means the wanderer; she traveled a long distance to found a new
place
Takes oxhide makes it into twine and creates a new city called Byrsa.
First Punic War: Rome wanted Sicily, carthage had sicily. Carthage had
an amazing navy.
Rome won by a staggering amount and got huge tributes from
Carthage