Odyssey教程.pptVIP

Ancient Greece:Homer’s Odyssey 古希腊神话——荷马史诗《奥德赛》 Ancient Greece Greece has a history of about 4000 years. During the Classical period (5th century BC), Greece was composed of city-states. The largest is Athens, followed by Sparta and Thebes. In the second half of the 4th century BC, the Greeks, led by Alexander the Great, conquered most of the world. In 146 BC Greece fell to the Romans. But the culture became one of the oldest and the most resplendent ancient civilizations in history – Hellenism. What is a myth? A traditional story rooted in primitive folk beliefs of cultures Uses the supernatural to interpret natural events Explain the views of the universe and the nature of humanity in this culture What is Greek Mythology? It is a collection of myths and legends that Greeks used to explain their world Although we now view these stories as fiction, the Greeks believed them to be true. The word “Mythology” comes from the Greek word for story-telling. History of Greco-Roman Mythology Oral Greek Myth: 1600-1200 BC Written Greek Myth: 900-700 BC; representatives: Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, Homeric Hymns; c.725BC, Hesiod’s Theogony; Classical Age; odes, (Pindar, 518-438BC), tragedy (Aeschylus,525-456BC;Sophocles, 496-406BC),comedy(Aristophanes,445-c.380BC) The Odyssey The Odyssey is the most famous example of Greek mythology. It tells the story of Odysseus, who fought long and hard for Greece during the Trojan War. The Odyssey is about his attempt to return home to his wife, Penelope, and to the Greek island of Ithaca, where he is king. But his trip turns into a nightmare, a series of tests for the hero that puts him in one crisis after another. What should have been a two-week trip from Troy to Ithaca ends up taking 10 years. Troubles start early for Odysseus and his crew. When they land on the island of Cyclops in search of food, they become food themselves. Cyclops, the son of Poseidon (god of the sea) promised to eat them all. When he slept though, Odysseus stabbed