Heroic Myths

• Odysseus & the Underworld: Powell, Chapter 12 (11 in 6th-4th editions):
  • Key Names & Terms: Circe, Tiresias, Achilles, Anticlea
  • 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, Polydeuces, Castor, 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, Furies, 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, Calypso, Phaeacians, Nausicaa, Eumaeus, Eurycleia, Telemachus, Penelope, Athena, Poseidon, Zeus, 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:

• Hector's Code: Hector says in the movie Troy: "All my life I've lived by a code, and the code is simple. Honor the gods. Love your woman. And defend your country."
  • The myth: Evaluate Achilles' or Odysseus' actions and words in the myth from the standpoint of the Hector's Code.
  • The movie: Compare Hector's and Achilles' actions and words in the movie from the standpoint of Hector's Code.
  • Movie & myth: Compare Hector's actions and words in the movie Troy, with that of his actions and words in the myth from the standpoint of his Code.
  • Reminder: use only Powell's text for the myth and only the movie or the script for Troy
  • Reminder 2: you can't write on the same topic for both paper 6 and the exam!


• Meg's "Code:" Meg says in the movie Hercules: "People always do crazy things ... when they are in love."
  • The myth: Evaluate Achilles' or Odysseus' actions and words in the myth from the standpoint of the Meg's "Code."
  • The movie: Evaluate the actions and words of one of the following (Priam, Hector, Briseis, Helen, Agamemnon, Odysseus, Achilles) from the standpoint of Meg's "Code."
  • The Movie Compare one of these Trojans (Priam, Hector, Briseis, or Helen) with one of these Greeks (Agamemnon, Odysseus, Achilles) from the standpoint of Meg's "Code.".
  • Reminder: use only Powell's text for the myth and only the movie or the script for Troy
  • Reminder 2: you can't write on the same topic for both paper 6 and the exam!