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Homer's "The Odyssey", Historical Analysis of Homer's…
Homer's "The Odyssey"
SETTING
Grecian Islands, Greece - 1220 B.C.E
Peloponnesian Peninsula - 1220 B.C.E
Mt. Olympus
Characters
Deities
Zeus, Son of Cronos, King of Olympus
Athena, Daughter of Zeus, Goddess of Harvest
Poseidon, Brother of Zeus, God of the Sea
Hermes, Son of Zeus, Messenger God
Persephone, Queen of the House of Death
Cerci, Nymph
Calypso, Nymph
Human
Odysseus, Son of Laertes [Main Protag.]
Telemachus, Son of Odysseus [Secondary Protag.]
Penelope, Wife of Odysseus
Menelaus, Red-Headed King of Sparta
Alcinous, Generous King of the Phaeacians
Agamemnon, Deceased King of Argos, brother of Menelaus
Laertes, Father of Odysseus
Nestor, King of Pylos
Genre
Fiction, Adventure, Historical
History
Takes Place 17 years after the Trojan War
Written around the year 700 B.C.E by Homer
Homer was a Greek poet and historian
Religion
An integral part of the Odyssey's lore, being incorporated into every aspect of the story. This significance in the story gives good insight into how important religion was to the Grecians.
The characters in the epic display dependency on their religious practices, allowing all actions and choices to be consumed by their need to satisfy a god
Ancient Grecian religion is not self-centered, rather it is based on the hopefulness of a particular action or aspect in ones life.
Ex: Come a new spring and planting season, a Grecian would pray for Athena to bless the harvest, that it might be fruitful. This differs from modern religion, which would be based around the individual. A modern person would pray for god to bless them as the harvest comes to pass, that they might be able to survive the upcoming winter on the grain they sewed.
Grecian religion, like many ancient religions, incorporates sacrifices into their prayer structure, such that they might please a particular god. This usually consisted of lamb, calfs, goats, fruits, and honeycomb.
As per The Odyssey, Greek religion is displayed as unproctured, meaning that is mostly passed down in a household by word of mouth and does not require attendance to learn about the individual gods. This differs from modern religion, which involves the holy text or stories be translated and taught to individuals.
Figurative Language
Due to the Homeric Poem structure and style, every noun or action is described in great detail using literary devises
The Sunrise is always described metaphorically as the Beautiful Goddess of Dawn, with rosy-red fingers that grace the sky
The Cyclops eats some of Odysseus' crew, which is described in great detail:
"He dismembered them, making his meal, gaping and crunching like a mountain lion -- everything. "
Historical Analysis of Homer's "THE ODYSSEY"