Text 3: Homer and the Great Greek Legends Topic 5: Ancient Greece Lesson 1: Early Greece
Homer and the Great Greek Legends Not long after their victory over Troy the Mycenaeans themselves came under attack from sea raiders and also from another Greek-speaking people, the Dorians, invaded from the north As Mycenaean power faded, their people abandoned the cities and trade declined
Homer and the Great Greek Legends People forgot many skills, including the art of writing From the end of the Mycenaean civilization in about 1100 B.C.E. until about 800 B.C.E. Greek civilization seemed to step backward
Homer and the Great Greek Legends Over time, the newcomers absorbed stories and traditions from the Mycenaeans into their own heritage In this way, they built on the legacy of earlier civilizations to forge a new, Greek civilization
Two Epic Poems Historians know little about this period when the Dorians arrived in Greece, but we get hints about life at the time from two great epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey These epics may have been the work of many people, but they are credited to the poet Homer, who probably lived about 750 B.C.E.
Two Epic Poems According to tradition, Homer was a blind poet who wandered from village to village, singing of heroic deeds Like the great Indian epics, Homer s tales were passed on orally for generations before they were finally written down
The Iliad The epic tale told in the Iliad is our chief source of information about the Trojan War, although it includes many fantastic stories about gods, goddesses, and even a talking horse At the start of the poem, Achilles, the mightiest Greek warrior, has withdrawn from battle because he has been unfairly treated and insulted by his commander
The Iliad The war soon turns against the Greeks, but Achilles stubbornly refuses to listen to pleas that he rejoin the fighting Only after his best friend is killed does Achilles return to battle to strike down many Trojans The Iliad's first word and major theme is anger, especially the anger of Achilles
The Iliad The singer-storyteller calls on the goddess of memory to tell the story of how anger caused great losses and misery for Greeks and Trojans alike
The Odyssey The Odyssey tells of the many struggles of the Greek hero Odysseus on his return home to his faithful wife, Penelope, after the fall of Troy On his long voyage, Odysseus encounters a sea monster, a race of one-eyed giants, and a beautiful sorceress who turns men into swine
The Odyssey In the Odyssey, the first word is man, and the story show the many sides of the man Odysseus He is a determined resourceful hero who must overcome great odds to make it home The Odyssey features the story of the Trojan Horse, which allowed the Greeks to win their victory over Troy
The Odyssey The Iliad and Odyssey reveal much about the values and culture of the ancient Greeks The heroes display honor, courage, and eloquence
Legacy of Homer s Epics Tales from the Iliad and Odyssey have been told and retold for almost 3,000 years The Greeks thought of Homer as their greatest poet, a cultural hero His epics have been admired throughout later Western civilization, and their stories have inspired Western writers and artists to the present
Legacy of Homer s Epics The epics portray a wide range of characters, some brave and courageous, others cowardly and weak Almost every kind of character written about since then was first captured in Homer s epics, including the faithful dog Argus, who waited patiently for the return of his master, Odysseus
Legacy of Homer s Epics Homer s epics reflected the Greek world view, which later had much influence on the Western world The gods played a role, but they had the same weaknesses as humans The key figures were individual humans who displayed reason, intelligence, courage, honor and restraint
A Legacy for the Future After the Dorian invasions, Greece passed several centuries in obscurity The people lived in small isolated villages and had few contacts with the outside world Over time they made the stories about Crete and Mycenae a part of their heritage
A Legacy for the Future They built upon the legacy of those and other civilizations to forge a new Greek civilization When it emerged, this Greek civilization would not only dominate the region; it would ultimately extend the influence of Greek culture over most of the Western world