The Odyssey
Who was Odysseus?
Odysseus was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca, a cunning hero of the Trojan War, and the central figure in Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey, known for his long, perilous 10-year journey home, battling monsters and gods, all while his wife Penelope waited faithfully in Ithaca.
Is known for shifting philosophy towards ethics, using the "Socratic Method" of questioning to reveal ignorance and seek truth, and emphasizing self-examination.
Who was Theseus?
Theseus was the legendary founder-hero and king of Athens, famous for slaying the Minotaur in the Labyrinth, unifying Attica, and performing many heroic labors, often compared to Heracles, as a symbol of courage, wisdom, and democracy in Greek mythology. Son of King Aegeus (or Poseidon), he journeyed to Crete, where King Minos's daughter, Ariadne, helped him defeat the beast with a ball of thread, though he later abandoned her.
Who was Penelope?
Penelope was the wife of the hero Odysseus and the Queen of Ithaca in Homer's Odyssey. She is famously portrayed as a symbol of loyalty and fidelity for patiently and cleverly delaying numerous suitors for twenty years while awaiting Odysseus's return from the Trojan War and his subsequent adventures. Her most famous strategy was weaving and unweaving a burial shroud for her father-in-law, Laertes, to delay her remarriage.
Who was Draco?
Is known for creating Athens' first written legal code around 621 BCE, famous for its extreme harshness, where even minor offenses like petty theft received the death penalty, leading to the term "Draconian" for severe laws, though he also introduced vital steps like written laws for all and differentiating homicide, paving the way for future legal systems.
Who was Pericles?
Pericles was a brilliant Athenian statesman, general, and orator who led Athens during its "Golden Age," transforming it into a democratic powerhouse, cultural hub, and empire through reforms, major building projects like the Parthenon, and strategic military leadership, making him central to Athenian democracy's peak and the start of the Peloponnesian War. He is important for expanding democracy by paying public officials, fostering arts and philosophy, and establishing Athenian dominance, leaving a legacy that shaped Western civilization.
Who was Telemachus?
Telemachus was the son of the Greek hero Odysseus and Queen Penelope of Ithaca, famously featured in Homer's Odyssey. He is portrayed as an adolescent at the start of the epic, but through the guidance of the goddess Athena, he matures on a journey to find news of his father, becoming a self-reliant and resourceful young man. He ultimately aids his father in defeating the suitors who had overrun their palace.
Who was Plato?
Plato was a foundational Ancient Greek philosopher, student of Socrates, and teacher of Aristotle, who profoundly shaped Western thought by exploring concepts like ideal "Forms," justice, and the perfect state in dialogues like The Republic, establishing the Academy, one of the first institutions of higher learning in Athens.
Who was Thrasybules?
Thrasybulus defended democracy at Athens against its opponents. He was one of the few prominent citizens whom the Samians trusted to defend their democracy, and whom the fleet selected to lead it through the troubled time of conflict with The Thirty.
Who was Homer?
Homer is the legendary ancient Greek poet credited with composing the epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey, but his historical existence and identity are debated by scholars, with theories suggesting he was a single person, multiple bards, or a literary figure representing an oral tradition.
Who was Solon?
Solon was a pivotal Athenian statesman, poet, and lawmaker who reformed Athens' social and political structure in the early 6th century BCE, laying crucial groundwork for democracy by ending debt slavery, creating a fairer class system based on wealth, and broadening citizen participation, thus preventing civil war and fostering a more equitable, stable city-state.
Who was Cleisthenes?
Cleisthenes was an influential Athenian politician who lived from 570 to 508 BCE. Cleisthenes is known as the "father of Athenian democracy" for his reforms during his lifetime. Cleisthenes' reforms allowed the common person and rural citizens of Athens to have a say in politics.
Who was Mentes?
Athena appears as Mentes, an old friend of Odysseus and King of the Taphians, to encourage Telemachus to confront the suitors plaguing his home.
Who was Aristotle?
Aristotle was a towering ancient Greek philosopher and scientist, a student of Plato, and the tutor of Alexander the Great, whose vast works laid foundations for logic, biology, ethics, politics, physics, and more, influencing Western thought for millennia as "The Philosopher" and "The First Teacher". He founded the Lyceum school in Athens, developed syllogistic logic, classified living things, and explored concepts like the "golden mean," making profound contributions to nearly every field of knowledge.
Who was Psistratus?
Pisistratus was a significant figure in ancient Athens, known for his role as a tyrant and his impact on the city's development. Born around 570 BCE into a prominent family, he was closely related to the reformer Solon, which enhanced his social standing.