The OdysseyThe Odyssey

Background InformationBackground Information

Mycenaean GreeceMycenaean Greece 1600 1600 BCBC, Greeks get to know people living around the , Greeks get to know people living around the

Mediterranean SeaMediterranean Sea, especially the , especially the PhoeniciansPhoenicians (foy-NEE-shans), the (foy-NEE-shans), the CretansCretans, and the , and the EgyptiansEgyptians. .

They seem to have started to take jobs as They seem to have started to take jobs as soldierssoldiers for the Egyptians, for the Egyptians, who paid them in who paid them in goldgold. .

Greeks started to buy things from the Greeks started to buy things from the PhoeniciansPhoenicians (or (or Canaanites) with their gold. Canaanites) with their gold.

Greek graves from this time, excavated at Greek graves from this time, excavated at MycenaeMycenae (my- (my-SEEN-ay), have a lot of gold cups, jewelry, and beautiful SEEN-ay), have a lot of gold cups, jewelry, and beautiful swords in them.swords in them.

Greeks began to copy their ways of doing things. They Greeks began to copy their ways of doing things. They started to have started to have kingskings instead of instead of village headmenvillage headmen. .

These kings had palaces to live in and collected taxes These kings had palaces to live in and collected taxes which they stored in big storerooms. The palaces had which they stored in big storerooms. The palaces had big stone walls around them. The stones were so big big stone walls around them. The stones were so big that later Greeks thought the walls must have been built that later Greeks thought the walls must have been built by giants, whom they called Cyclops.by giants, whom they called Cyclops.

Late Bronze AgeLate Bronze Age1275-1250 B.C.1275-1250 B.C.

HomerHomer

Homer Homer was a legendary early Greek poet traditionally was a legendary early Greek poet traditionally credited with writing the major Greek epics credited with writing the major Greek epics The IliadThe Iliad and and The OdysseyThe Odyssey . .

For the Greeks of the 7th century BC. however, these For the Greeks of the 7th century BC. however, these books were their history. Their past had been obliterated books were their history. Their past had been obliterated by the destruction of by the destruction of Mycenaean CivilizationMycenaean Civilization..

Tradition depicts Homer as a Tradition depicts Homer as a blind minstrelblind minstrel wandering wandering from place to place reciting poems that had come down from place to place reciting poems that had come down to him from a very old to him from a very old oral traditionoral tradition. .

It is probable that Homer used earlier writings to help It is probable that Homer used earlier writings to help him write the him write the IliadIliad and the and the OdysseyOdyssey, or he could have , or he could have dictated his poems to someone else because of his dictated his poems to someone else because of his blindnessblindness, or because he was , or because he was illiterateilliterate. .

Scholars maintain their belief in the reality of an Scholars maintain their belief in the reality of an actual Homer. So little is known or even guessed actual Homer. So little is known or even guessed of his actual life .of his actual life .

Samuel ButlerSamuel Butler theorized a young theorized a young Sicilian womanSicilian woman as author of the as author of the OdysseyOdyssey (but not the (but not the IliadIliad).).