Constant reference to Greek gods and their involvement in the action make it a mythological work of fiction. That being said, The Odyssey is a piece fitting multiple genres. Odysseus’ fate constantly keeps changing. Other important narrative devices constitute The Odyssey as epic poetry: Epic poems usually tell of incredible people doing incredible deeds and their dealings with gods and other forces. Its defining features are the length and the content of the narration, with the events of the story typically unfolding a long time ago. Įpic poetry is not only a style of writing but also a genre. Most would agree that, just like its predecessor, The Iliad, it is an Ancient Greek epic poem. As they were written down much later, it is difficult to pin them to a specific genre. 🏺 What Genre Is The Odyssey?īoth Iliad and Odyssey were passed down orally, telling the stories of Odysseus. What matters is that it still left an enormous mark on human history. In the end, we may never know if it was an event that truly happened or simply a myth. It continues to have it over the rest of us as well. It had a lasting influence on the Greeks. However, none of these prove that the renowned Trojan War actually happened – and definitely not on the scale imagined by Homer.ĭespite this, the very idea of the war remains an integral part of world history.
There was even some proof of fire and warfare taking place in approximately the correct period. And the fact is, plenty of evidence was found that Troy did exist. To find the legendary city, Heinrich Schliemann began excavating a site at Hisarlik in Turkey.
After all, Homer’s morbid accounts of the battle seem too detailed to be made up. People throughout history have been keen on finding truth in the story. Nowadays, modern historians have their doubts. The Trojan War has been an undisputed fact for generations. According to The Iliad, this conflict occurred between the Trojans and the Greeks and lasted 10 long years. The tales of this great battle are far and wide, mentioned in various myths around the world. The Iliad talks about the events of the final week of the famous Trojan War. After all, it precedes the former and sets up the background for its events. It is impossible to understand the historical context of The Odyssey without referring to The Iliad first. However, there may be more to this story than meets the eye. The Ancient Romans readily admitted to being descendants of the Trojans. Many Greek families claimed to be related to the people mentioned. No one doubted or questioned the events of the two epic poems. Therefore, the world portrayed in Homer’s Odyssey is a construction, a mixture of eras.Įven so, in ancient times, it was assumed that the Homeric heroes had once truly existed. Also, the references to more modern tools and communities remind us that this is a work from a different time. This is reflected in Odysseus’ struggle against Penelope’s suitors. It was a period when aristocrats were growing too powerful to be controlled by kings. The political and social structures depicted in the epics closely resemble those of Homer’s time. At the time of writing, Greece was transitioning from the Bronze Age into the Early Iron Age. Of course, some inaccuracies did slip through. Except for the fantastical flourishes, the poems were believed to be a fairly accurate depiction of the era. It was held that this was when gods still regularly visited Earth, and incredible heroes walked amongst men. Despite being written circa 8 th century BCE, the events described actually take place around the 12 th century BCE. Homecoming, hospitality, loyalty, and cunningĮven all this time later, much debate still surrounds Homer, The Iliad, and The Odyssey. At 12,109 lines, The Odyssey is only about 560 pages long and contains roughly 134,000 words. The Odyssey and The Iliad are both divided into 24 books. In or around Ancient Greece: primarily the Aegean Sea (part of the Mediterranean) and the island of Ithaca.
0 kommentar(er)
