The Heroic Age
What is the name for the 300-year period from which very little written evidence exists?
The Dark Age
Who were the combatants in the Trojan War?
The Trojans and the Greeks (Mycenaeans)
What cunning physical construction allowed the Greeks to breach the walls of Troy?
The Trojan Horse (a hollow, wooden horse with Greek soldiers hidden inside)
What is a long narrative poem about the adventures of a hero who embodies the values of their civilization called?
an epic poem
What is the literary term for a scene that interrupts the action of a work to show a previous event?
flashback
Name the two Greek civilizations that emerged during the Heroic Age.
- The Minoan civilization
- The Mycenaean civilization
What are the historical reasons why the Trojan War was fought?
- Competition for trade
- Control of waterways
What object did the goddess Eris throw into the gods’ banquet to cause conflict?
A golden apple with the words "To the Fairest" inscribed on it
How was epic poetry originally transmitted from generation to generation?
- rhapsodes
- by word of mouth/oral tradition
What does the term in medias res mean?
in the middle of things
Approximately when did Homer live and compose the Iliad and Odyssey?
- 8th century B.C.
- 700 B.C.
Provide a year or range of years: Historians believe the Trojan War took place around _________.
1250 B.C. - 1181 B.C.
Which three goddesses were involved in the beauty contest?
Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena
What does the term hubris mean?
excessive pride
Epic similes compare heroic, epic events to mundane, easily understandable everyday events.
Epic similes are typically longer as well.
Provide the year: It is thought that by _________ B.C., the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations collapsed.
1100 B.C.
What three seas played a role in the historic reasons for the Trojan War?
The Aegean Sea, the Sea of Marmara, and the Black Sea
Who was the Greek soldier responsible for thinking up the Trojan Horse?
Odysseus
Name a well-known epic poem besides the Iliad and the Odyssey.
Potential answers include: the Epic of Gilgamesh (c. 2000 B.C., the Aeneid (c. 29 B.C.), Beowulf (c. 700 A.D.); Paradise Lost (1667)
What is the term for when one story is embedded in another?
frame narrative
Who was selected to judge the beauty contest between the goddesses?
Paris, a Trojan prince
What mnemonic devices did rhapsodes use to help them recite epic poems from memory?
- a consistent rhythm/meter
- epithets
What does it mean for Homer/other epic poets to invoke the Muses?
Invoking the Muses means calling on the Muses as a source of divine inspiration for storytelling.
What incentive did each goddess offer Paris in exchange for him choosing them as "the fairest?"
Hera: a kingdom
Athena: wisdom in battle
Hera: love of the most beautiful woman
What four qualities define an epic hero?
1. possesses superior or superhuman strength, craftiness, and confidence
2. overcomes perilous situations
3. is helped/harmed by the gods and/or fate
4. embodies the values of their civilization
What is an epithet?
a repeated formula for describing settings, characters, or things
Ex: "gray-eyed Athena," "son of Laertes," etc.