This document discusses classical Greek texts and culture. It provides an overview of a lecture on identifying classical texts by their author, title, and genre. The lecture uses Homer's Odyssey as an example, identifying it as an epic poem written by the Greek author Homer around 750 BCE. Key points about the Odyssey discussed include the Trojan War being a possible historical event, debates about the location of Ithaca, and summaries of events in Books 1-3 of the Odyssey. The document also examines concepts in classical Greek culture like xenia (hospitality) and the roles of women and public speaking.

1. Classical Cultures
Dr. Michael Broder
Brooklyn College
August 30, 2012

2. Identifying a Text
• For every text that we study, I want us to
identify it by three main categories
– Author
• Nationality Five pieces of
• Dates information in
– Title total
– Genre

3. Some Literary Genres
• Poem
• Story
• Play
• Novel
• Essay

4. Text Identification
• Author = Homer
– Greek
– c. 750 BCE
BCE = Before the
Common Era. The
Common Era starts with
the year 1 according to the
way we count years. This
is often called BC and AD
but we are using BCE and

5. Text Identification
• Author = Homer
– Greek
– c. 750 BCE
• Title = Odyssey
• Genre = Epic poem
Marble bust of Homer in the British Museum,
London. Roman copy of a lost Greek original
of the 2nd c. BCE

6. Words: Epic
• Epic = long, narrative poem
– From Greek (G) epos, word, story, poem

7. Words: Narrative
• Narrative = tells a story about characters and
events
– From Latin (L) narrare, to tell a story or give an
account

8. Words: Poem
• Verbal composition like speech in some ways
and like song in other ways, often with a
distinctive rhythm
– From L poema, poem
– From G poiēma, poem or any other result of
creative activity
• From G verb poiein, to make

9. Trojan War: Fact or Fiction?
• Is it a historical event that really took place,
or is it an imaginary event made up by Homer
and other ancient Greek poets?

10. Trojan War: Fact or Fiction?
• Ancient Greeks believed the war was real and took
place about 1200 BCE
• By modern times, most historians believed there had
never been a Trojan War or even a city of Troy

11. Trojan War: Fact or Fiction?
• However, in 1870, German archaeologist Heinrich
Schliemann excavated a site in Turkey that he
identified as Troy
• Most scholars now accept that Schliemann’s Troy is
the Troy that we read about Homer
• Many scholars now also believe there is a historical
basis to the story of the Trojan War

12. Troad

14. Odyssey Book 1 Overview
• Homer invokes the Muse
• Assembly of the gods
• Athena visits Telemachus
• Penelope comes down to the great hall
• Telemachus confronts the suitors
• Telemachus goes to bed alone in his bedroom

15. Ithaca

17. But once again, archaeology may
change our view of Homer’s
world.
Where is the real Ithaca?

18. Ithaca
Kafalonia

19. Odyssey Book 2 Overview
• Telemachus summons the men of Ithaca to
an assembly
• Zeus sends an omen
• Telemachus prays to Athena
• Athena answers his prayer
• Telemachus return to the palace and prepares
for his journey
• Telemachus takes command and sets sail

20. Odyssey Book 3 Overview
• Telemachus and his crew arrive at Pylos
• Nestor recounts the fate of Agamemnon
• Athena reveals herself
• Nestor prays
• Going to bed
– Telemachus + Pisistratus
– Nestor + his wife
• Nestor leads a feast in honor of Athena
• Nestor sends Telemachus and Pisistratus off to
Sparta

21. Assembly of the gods (1.12-112)
• What do we learn about how mortals view
gods and gods view mortals?
• Why do you think Homer tells us about
Aegisthus, Agamemnon, and Orestes here?

22. Athena visits Telemachus (1.112-376)
• What do we learn about the situation in
Odysseus’ household?
• Who are the suitors?
• Why can’t Telemachus get rid of them?
• Why does Penelope refuse to choose a new
husband?

23. What do we learn about the
treatment of strangers?
• xenia = Reciprocal relationship of hospitality
between guests and hosts
– Enforced by respect for Zeus, who is the protector of
stranger (Zeus Xenios)
• The word xenos (pl. xenoi) can mean
1. Guest
2. Host
3. Stranger
4. Friend
5. Foreigner

24. Epic Abuses of Xenia
• The Trojan War was caused by a violation of xenia
– Paris ran off with the wife of Menelaus while he was a
guest in his home
• The suitors are abusing xenia
– Overstaying their welcome
– Continuing to eat Odysseus’ food and drink his wine
– No reciprocation toward Telemachus and Penelope

25. Penelope comes down
to the great hall (1.376-419)
• What do we learn about cultural expectations
for women?

26. Telemachus summons the men
of Ithaca to an assembly (2.1-14)
• What do we learn about the way government
works?
• What do we learn about the role of public
speaking in male society?

27. Zeus sends an omen (2.164-179)
• What do we learn about religious beliefs and
practices?
– Halitherses interprets the omen (2.180-198)
– Eurymachus scorns his prophecy (2.199-230)
– So we see Homer representing conflicting
opinions about prophecy

28. For Next Time
• Homer, Odyssey, Books 4-6, pp. 124-178

29. Classical Cultures
Dr. Michael Broder
Brooklyn College
August 30, 2012