Identify and analyze epic similes, epithets, and allusions. This page will chronologically list epithets in homers the odyssey without repeats as a resource for students studying the book. Students will become familiar with the craft of the epic by reading about epithets and practicing writing their own epic epithets. Just as odysseus is tempted by the allure of calypso and nausicaa, so are his men tempted by the lure of forgetting that comes with ingesting the lotus. These dwelt of old in spacious hypereia hard by the cyclopes, men overweening in pride who plundered them continually and were mightier than. The basic form of narrative in the odyssey is very strongly oriented towards imagery. Epic similesepithets in book 9 of the odyssey, odysseus. The laestrygonians in book 10 are the giant type cannibals that eat the crew, but the cyclops in book 9 also eats people, as well as the monster scylla in book 12. Then write another epic simile that conveys the threat she poses to them. Book 3 book 4 book 5 books 68 book 9 book 10 book 11 book 12. A characteristic of homers style is the use of epithets, as in rosyfingered dawn or swiftfooted achilles. Emily wilson emily wilson in literary translation of works from other eras, there are always two basic tasks that a translator needs to achieve.
The robert fagles translation has been used for all answers. Ithaca thrinacia scylla and charybdis sparta ogygia calypso mediterranean seaimportant characters in the odyssey in order of mentionbook 1 cyclopes sfklippcza race of book 12helios hcplcjsqthe sun god, oneeyed giants. Greek society was patrilineal lineage traced through the father and patriarchal ruled by men. Now that alcinous and the phaeacians know odysseuss identity, they ask him to relate where hes been since the war ended. Achilles, son of peleus, athena, daughter of zeus, menelaus, son of atreus, etc. Books 9 through 12 are told as flashbacks, as odysseus sits in the palace of the. The map shows just how many places and islands he visited. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Homers poetics include other noticeable devices that may seem odd to a. The most complex, arguably, is the greek polutropos poll. But in my version, i have chosen deliberately to interpret these epithets in several different ways, depending on the demands of the scene at hand.
Book 1 book 2 book 3 book 4 book 5 book 6 book 7 book 8 book 9 book 10 book 11 book 12 book book 14 book 15 book 16 book 17 book 18 book 19 book 20 book 21 book 22 book 23 book 24 themes all themes fate, the gods, and free will piety, customs, and justice cunning, disguise, and selfrestraint memory and grief glory and honor. References are in book, number format, also based on the fagles. The epithets applied to dawn, athena, hermes, zeus, penelope, telemachus, odysseus, and the suitors repeat over and over in the original. A test on the epithets used to describe characters in book 9 12 of homers the odyssey. What is an epic simile from book 9 of the odyssey answers. Epithet comes from the greek for putting something on something. Homer wrote the odyssey in a poetical meter called dactylic hexameter. About the odyssey the odyssey summary character list glossary themes quotes and analysis books 14 books 58 books 9 12 books 16 books 1720 books 2124 symbols, allegory and motifs metaphors and similes irony imagery the fractal structure of epics literary elements related links essay questions quiz 1 quiz 2 quiz 3 quiz 4 citations. The odyssey book 9 lyrics ulysses declares himself and begins his storythe cicons, lotophagi, and cyclopes and ulysses answered, king alcinous, it is a good thing to hear a bard with such a. Alright, so i need to find 3 epithets in the odyssey book ix. Feb 04, 2018 actually, the best example is odysseus loss of his cool at the end of book 9, when he has triumphed over the cyclops and is sailing away.
Homer uses epithets constantly throughout the odyssey both because they fit the meter of the poem and because they act as mnemonic devices for both orator and audience. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the odyssey and what it means. Homer, odyssey book 6 theoi classical texts library. If youve read any homeric poetry, like the odyssey or the iliad, youve surely encountered epithets, brief phrases describing a person or thing. Literary devices of the odyssey book summaries, test. Homer composed the odyssey in a meter known as dactylic hexameter, which gives the epic its elevated style. One side provides background and detail for what epithets are, how they are used, and what they can reveal about a character. After the achaeans defeated troy, he and his men sailed to a different city, which they plundered. Composed around 700 bc, the odyssey is one of the earliest epics still in existence and, in many ways, sets the pattern for the genre, neatly fitting the definition of a primary epic that is, one that grows out of oral tradition.
Get an answer for alright, so i need to find 3 epithets in the odyssey book ix. We learn that poseidon, god of the sea, holds a grudge though we dont know exactly why against odysseus and is making the guys voyage home a pretty difficult one. An epithet is a descriptive phrase that presents a particular trait of a person or thing. Homer has touched on a universal theme, the lure of oblivion through drugs. Theres nothing better than when deep joy holds sway throughout the realm and banqueters up and down the palace sit in ranks, enthralled to hear the bard, and before them all, the tables heaped with bread and meats, and drawing wine. Tracking the odysseya s plot through dawns epithets. Because of the greek belief that guests are protected by the gods and had to be treated with great courtesy, odysseus warns the cyclops that zeus will avenge the unoffending guest. Man of twists and turns, much suffering and master mariner are all epithets of odysseus found in the odyssey by homer.
In contemporary use, epithet often refers to an abusive, defamatory, or derogatory phrase, such as a racial or animal epithet. Start studying the odyssey epithets book nine the cyclops. In this epic greek poem, homer recounts numerous epithets for odysseus as well as for the other major greek characters in. This use as a euphemism is criticized by martin manser and other proponents of linguistic prescription. Books 9 to 12, concerning odysseus narration of his story of his wanderings to the. Formulas 1 and 3 are structured particularly closely, with their lack of an accusative object and vivid, metrically similar epithets. Odyssey epithets book 5 by mpb teachers pay teachers. About the odyssey the odyssey summary character list glossary themes quotes and analysis books 14 books 58 books 912 books 16 books 1720 books 2124 symbols, allegory and motifs metaphors and similes irony imagery the fractal structure of epics literary elements related links essay questions quiz 1 quiz 2 quiz 3 quiz 4 citations. He cant stop himself from insulting polyphemus personally, for a reason ill mention, and worst of all, ins. Students will develop vocabulary and close reading skills by working through their odyssey packets. A simple twosided handout for use with examining and understanding epithets in the odyssey. What are some epithets used for odysseus in the odyssey. In book 5, we see an example of this repetition when athena addresses the council of the gods, and begins recalling odysseus to their thoughts line 5. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.
This is a special kind of homeric epithet used frequently in the iliad and the odyssey. Use of foreshadowing hospitality and law of zeus foreshadowing is the giving away future events in a book through the hinting of the author. Odyssey as well as the presence of an element of time, descriptive epithets and a verb. Nymph and shipwreck in homers the odyssey, there are many different repeating sections, phrases, or ideas. Odysseus was called many epithets, including wise, loved of zeus, man of pain, and man of exploits. The poet invokes the muse to help him tell the story of odysseus. Odysseus, the muchenduring, is an important character in the iliad, but he is central to the odyssey, where he gets even more epithets.
Now that we have read and taken a quiz on book 10, which tells the story of odysseus encounter with circe, we can begin to analyze the effect of the epithets and epic similes in this part of the text. The episode with the lotuseaters shines a light on a recurring theme in the odyssey. A test on the epithets used to describe characters in book 912 of homers the odyssey. What are some epithets used for odysseus in the odyssey answers. In books 912, odysseus relates to the king his adventures. Women had less power and occupied a subordinate status. Alright, so i need to find 3 epithets in the odyssey book.
Alright, so i need to find 3 epithets in the odyssey. Im having a really hard time understanding what an epithet even is, much less. Tracking the appearances of rosyfingered dawn in the. Elevated language and meter composed around 700 bc, the odyssey is one of the. In this epic greek poem, homer recounts numerous epithets for odysseus as well as for the other major greek characters in the poem. The odyssey epithets book nine the cyclops flashcards. If the iliad is the worlds greatest war epic, the odyssey is literatures grandest evocation of an everymans journey through life.
The greek hero does not simply utters his name, he attaches an epithet. Lord alcinous, renowned above all men, verily this is a good thing, to listen to a minstrel such as this man is, like unto the gods in voice. Consider a representative example, from when odysseus praises alcinous bard. Homer, odyssey book 9 theoi classical texts library. The odyssey books 912 summary and analysis gradesaver. In the odyssey, homer employs most of the literary and poetic devices associated with epics. What are some examples of epithets from books 1012, 22, and 24 of the odyssey. This means that there are six metrical units, or feet, in each line.
It is a tag or nickname that can be used on its own or together with the real name, depending on other features of the greek language. The other side provides a table of characters in book 5, asking students to fin. Homer lets us know right away that odysseus is being held as a willing sex captive on the island of the goddess kalypso. We are moving on to this part of the lesson now because the problemsolution paragraph was an assessment of students understanding of book 9. And ulysses answered king alcinous it is a good thing to hear abard with such a divine voice as this man has.
Each island was its own small city, and odysseus and his men affected each one differently. Epic similesepithets in book 9 of the odyssey, odysseus is. Tracking the appearances of rosyfingered dawn in the odyssey. Homer uses the various colorful epithets to fit in with. Usually called an epithet or a homeric epithet, but sometimes called a homeric epitaph, it is one of the most noticeable features of homers works the iliad and the odyssey. What are some good examples of hubris in books 912 of the. Actually, the best example is odysseus loss of his cool at the end of book 9, when he has triumphed over the cyclops and is sailing away. Students familiar with some of the legends of the odyssey but new to the epic itself might be surprised to see that the section on the lotuseaters is only about twentyfive lines long 9. Odyssey book x continued epic conventions 112 minutes objectives. Oct 28, 2019 usually called an epithet or a homeric epithet, but sometimes called a homeric epitaph, it is one of the most noticeable features of homers works the iliad and the odyssey. Years after the end of the trojan war, the greek hero odysseus still hasnt come home to ithaka. Includes epithets introduced in 18 if used in 9 12.
1211 1109 708 373 1290 1093 1521 1403 941 850 1143 292 409 1341 1636 833 795 956 1161 970 862 392 556 889 259 1558 877 634 806 185 733 1403 1193 688 194 281