Aims and objectives

At the end of the lesson on Iliad, the students will :

1. Identify the reasons for the Trojan war;

2. Trace the historical background that made up Iliad;
3. Get acquainted with Greek gods and goddesses and mortal
characters in the epics;
4. Define for themselves what is a hero;
5. Gain deeper appreciation for classical literature;
6. Know the importance of overcoming obstacles to reach one’s
goals in life.
 Burning questions

1. What are the 4 reasons for the Trojan War

2. Why did the Greek kings accompany Menelaus in his
quest to get Helen back?
3. Why is she called “ Helen of Troy?”
4. Why did the was last for 10 years?
5. What part did the gods play in the war?
6. Why did Homer create such a tragic ending for Troy?
Setting of Iliad
https://www.slideshare.net/blueemerald/homers-iliad
Moral lessons in Iliad
atudy.com/academy/lesson/moral-lessons-from-the-iliad.html
Setting of the story
Ten years have passed since the fall of Troy, and the Greek hero
Odysseus still has not returned to his kingdom in Ithaca. A large and
rowdy mob of suitors who have overrun Odysseus’s palace and
pillaged his land continue to court his wife, Penelope. She has
remained faithful to Odysseus. Prince Telemachus, Odysseus’s son,
wants desperately to throw them out but does not have the
confidence or experience to fight them. One of the suitors,
Antinous, plans to assassinate the young prince, eliminating the only
opposition to their dominion over the palace
Unknown to the suitors, Odysseus is still alive. The beautiful nymph Calypso,
possessed by love for him, has imprisoned him on her island, Ogygia. He longs
to return to his wife and son, but he has no ship or crew to help him escape.
While the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus debate Odysseus’s future,
Athena, Odysseus’s strongest supporter among the gods, resolves to help
Telemachus. Disguised as a friend of the prince’s grandfather, Laertes, she
convinces the prince to call a meeting of the assembly at which he reproaches
the suitors. Athena also prepares him for a great journey to Pylos and Sparta,
where the kings Nestor and Menelaus, Odysseus’s companions during the war,
inform him that Odysseus is alive and trapped on Calypso’s island. Telemachus
makes plans to return home, while, back in Ithaca, Antinous and the other
suitors prepare an ambush to kill him when he reaches port.
On Mount Olympus, Zeus sends Hermes to rescue Odysseus from
Calypso. Hermes persuades Calypso to let Odysseus build a ship and
leave. The homesick hero sets sail, but when Poseidon, god of the sea,
finds him sailing home, he sends a storm to wreck Odysseus’s ship.
Poseidon has harbored a bitter grudge against Odysseus since the hero
blinded his son, the Cyclops Polyphemus, earlier in his travels. Athena
intervenes to save Odysseus from Poseidon’s wrath, and the
beleaguered king lands at Scheria, home of the Phaeacians. Nausicaa,
the Phaeacian princess, shows him to the royal palace, and Odysseus
receives a warm welcome from the king and queen. When he identifies
himself as Odysseus, his hosts, who have heard of his exploits at Troy,
are stunned. They promise to give him safe passage to Ithaca, but first
they beg to hear the story of his adventures.
Odysseus spends the night describing the fantastic chain of events leading
up to his arrival on Calypso’s island. He recounts his trip to the Land of
the Lotus Eaters, his battle with Polyphemus the Cyclops, his love affair
with the witch-goddess Circe, his temptation by the deadly Sirens, his
journey into Hades to consult the prophet Tiresias, and his fight with the
sea monster Scylla. When he finishes his story, the Phaeacians return
Odysseus to Ithaca, where he seeks out the hut of his faithful swineherd,
Eumaeus. Though Athena has disguised Odysseus as a beggar, Eumaeus
warmly receives and nourishes him in the hut. He soon encounters
Telemachus, who has returned from Pylos and Sparta despite the suitors’
ambush, and reveals to him his true identity. Odysseus and Telemachus
devise a plan to massacre the suitors and regain control of Ithaca.
When Odysseus arrives at the palace the next day, still disguised as a
beggar, he endures abuse and insults from the suitors. The only person
who recognizes him is his old nurse, Eurycleia, but she swears not to
disclose his secret. Penelope takes an interest in this strange beggar,
suspecting that he might be her long-lost husband. Quite crafty herself,
Penelope organizes an archery contest the following day and promises to
marry any man who can string Odysseus’s great bow and fire an arrow
through a row of twelve axes—a feat that only Odysseus has ever been
able to accomplish. At the contest, each suitor tries to string the bow and
fails. Odysseus steps up to the bow and, with little effort, fires an arrow
through all twelve axes. He then turns the bow on the suitors. He and
Telemachus, assisted by a few faithful servants, kill every last suitor.
Odysseus reveals himself to the entire palace and
reunites with his loving Penelope. He travels to the
outskirts of Ithaca to see his aging father, Laertes.
They come under attack from the vengeful family
members of the dead suitors, but Laertes,
reinvigorated by his son’s return, successfully kills
Antinous’s father and puts a stop to the attack. Zeus
dispatches Athena to restore peace. With his power
secure and his family reunited, Odysseus’s long ordeal
comes to an end.
The sacking of Troy
The wrath of Poseidon
In the cyclop, Polyphemus’
cave
Aoelus, the god of the wind, helps Odysseus by placing all the
winds inside a sack, except for the north wind.
Odysseus’ men opening the sack of winds
 Circe, the enchantress, who turns the men
into swine.
Odysseus and his men enter the Underworld to speak with the dead prophet , Teresias.
In the land of the Sirens
Scylla, the 6-headed monster and Charybdis, the whirlpool
The sacred cows of Helios, the sun
god
Helios, god of the sun
Calypso, the goddess nymph of the island of Ogygia
Odysseus in the arms of Calypso for seven years
Calypso, though against her ill, lets Odysseus gets off her island.
Princess Nausicaa, finds Odysseus washed ashore in their island Phaecia.
King Alcinous of Phaecia was so moved by Odysseus story that he
gave him a very powerful ship to take him home to Ithaca.
Odysseus, home at last!
Odysseus finally meets his son, Telemachus whom he hadn’t seen in almost
twenty years.
Athena, the goddess of war and wisdom and the strongest protector of
Odysseus, turns him into aan old beggar to prepare him for the
upcoming battle.
Penelope, Odysseus’ loyal wife has no choice but to unwillingly receive suitors .
Penelope’s strange Contest of the bow, with herself as the prize for the
victor.
The suitors all attempted to bend the bow and shoot 12 holes in 12 axes.
Odysseus, Telemachus and the few loyal men routed the vile suitors and
some slaves.
Odysses and Penelope reunites after twenty year but not before Penelope
challenges
him to one more test.
Why is the odyssey important to literature?

The Odyssey is such a timeless story not only for its terrifying monsters,
rip-roaring action scenes, and wealth of information on Mediterranean
geography and legends but also because it involves the irresistible plot
line of a worthy hero trying desperately to get back to his city, his
family, and his throne.
What does the Odyssey teach us?

The Odyssey tells the story of a heroic but far from perfect protagonist
who battles many antagonists, including his own inability to heed the
gods' warnings, on his arduous journey home from war. Along the way
the poem explores ideas about fate, retribution, and the forces of
civilization versus savagery.
Assessment/ Evaluation :

I. Answer the questions in at least 6 sentences each :

1. What is more important, fulfilling the quest or making the journey?
2. What for you makes a hero?
3. When can your strength become your weakness?

II. List your top 5 heroes for this generation and state what
top quality does this person possesses that made you choose him/her.

III. Make yourself a god or goddess, create your :

a. name
b. mythical place of origin
c. one special power
d. one weakness
d. Your appearance