The Odyssey and Ancient Greek Culture
Homer composed the Odyssey in the 8th century BC. After the Trojan War, Greek kingdoms declined. Homer wrote The Iliad and The Odyssey when Greece had recovered from this war and Greek city-states were going into their eminent time. The actual stories take place earlier than Homer, during and after the Trojan War which occurred around 1200 BC. Homer wrote the Odyssey with many realistic descriptions of Ancient Greek culture. He also presented more extreme lifestyles in the way that characters acted. In the Odyssey, there is a hospitality code that represents the manner in which people should act towards strangers. Ideal treatment started when the host would bring a guest to a feast and only afterwards ask the guest about himself. Hosts would always give valuable gifts and were always helpful to a guest. Telemachus was given this fine hospitality when he traveled to see Nestor and Menelaus. "Nestor's son, Peisistratus, who was the first to reach them, took them both by the hand and gave them places at the banquet..." (p. 31) After they had eaten, "Nestor, the Gerenian charioteer, said: 'Now that our visitors have eaten well, it is the right moment to put some questions to them and enquire who they are.'" (p. 32) Lat
Homer. The Odyssey. England: Penguin Books, 1991. For recreation men participated in sports and had drinking parties. Women were not allowed out of the house very often except for religious festivals. At these festivals, sport competitions were held, there were feast, and plays were performed. The Olympics were the most famous of these religious festivals. The first recorded Olympic Games were held in 776 BC. Antell, Gerson and Walter Harris. Western Civilization. New York: Amsco School "Ancient Greece." Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia. Compton's NewMedia, 1997.
Some common words found in the essay are:
Laertes Arete, Scythia Sea, Iliad Odyssey, Ancient Greek, Games Telemachus, Phaeacian Games, BC Greeks, Ancient Greeks, Menelaus Telemachus, Penelope Odysseus', homer wrote, trojan war, ancient greece, hospitality code, nestor menelaus, ancient greeks, odysseus getting home, fought trojan, prevents odysseus, sport competitions, homer wrote odyssey, wrote odyssey, fought trojan war, prevents odysseus getting, wrote iliad odyssey,
Approximate Word count = 1496
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
