Heroic Myths

• Odysseus & the Underworld: Powell, Chapter 12 (11 in 6th-4th editions):
  • Key Names & Terms: Circe, Tiresias, Achilles, Anticlea, Elpenor
  • go to Powell's web site: click here
• Jason: Powell, Chapter 19 (18 in ...):
  • Key Names & Terms: Pelias, Jason, Hera, Chiron, Argo, Phineus, Aeëtes, Medea, Apsyrtus, Creon
  • go to Powell's web site (Ch 7): click here
• The Trojan War: The House of Atreus; The Anger of Achilles: Powell, Chapter 20 (19 in ...):
  • Key Names & Terms: Zeus, Artemis, Hera, Athena, Aphrodite, Atreus, Pelops, Oenomaus, Hippodamia, Thyestes, Aegisthus, Menelaus, Agamemnon, Tyndareus, Leda, Helen, Clytemnestra, Peleus, Thetis, Achilles, Ajax, Aulis, Telemachus, Calchas, Chryses, Chryseis, Briseis, Andromache, Hector, Paris, Priam, Hecabe
  • Sample questions at Powell's web site: click here
• The Trojan War: The fall of Troy; The Return of Agamemnon: Powell, Chapter 21 (20 in ...):
  • Key Names & Terms: Zeus, Athena, Apollo, Penthesilea, Neoptolemus, Laocoon, Polyxena, Clytemnestra, Cassandra, Aegisthus, Orestes, Electra, Theseus, Erinyes, Eumenides
  • Sample questions at Powell's web site: click here
• The Return of Odysseus: Powell, Chapter 22 (21 in ...):
  • Key Names & Terms: Odysseus, Lotus Eaters, Cyclopes, Polyphemus, Aeolus, Laestrygonians, Circe, Sirens, Charybdis, Scylla, cattle of Helios, Calypso, Alcinous, Arete, Nausicaa, Eurycleia, Telemachus, Penelope, Athena, Poseidon, Zeus, Orestes, Aegisthus
  • Sample questions at Powell's web site: click here
• The movie Troy
  • Key Names & Terms: Thetis, Apollo, Achilles, Agamemnon, Menelaus, Helen, Hector, Paris, Odysseus, Patroclus, Andromache, Priam, Briseis, Ajax, Trojan Priest, Nestor, Glaucus

Possible Essay Questions:

1. Xenia; Movie & myth: Compare the interaction between Achilles and Priam in the movie Troy, and the Iliad, Bk 24.
2. Xenia; Iliad & Odyssey Compare Telemachus's and Achilles' actions and words in the Iliad, Book 24, & the Odyssey, book 1, from the standpoint of xenia.
3. Honor & Shame and the myth: Examine some of the ways these concepts play out in book 21 or book 24 of the Odyssey. For the longer paper write on both books.
4. Honor & Shame and the movie: Examine some of the ways that these concepts drive the plot of the movie.
5. Religion (Prayer, Vow, Sacrifice, Divination) & the myth: Examine some of the ways these concepts play out in book 24 of the Iliad or book 1 of the Odyssey. For the longer paper write on both books.
6. Religion (Prayer, Vow, Sacrifice, Divination) & the movie: Examine some of the ways that these concepts are woven into the plot of the movie.

• Reminder 1: use only class notes or the pdf in Moodle for the definition of Xenia, Honor & Shame, and Religion (Prayer, Vow, Sacrifice, Divination) and use only the movie or the script for Troy and the on-line text for the Iliad (click here) or the (click here)


• Reminder 2: if doing paper 6, you can't use the same specific topic for paper 6 and Exam 4. E.g. it is okay if Paper 6 is about Honor/Shame in the myth and the Essay question for the exam is about honor/shame in the movie. It is unacceptable if both are about honor/shame in the myth.