CMLT316 Lecture Notes - Lecture 24: Sophocles, Clytemnestra, Cicones
3 Jun 2018
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Class 24: The Age of Heroes - The Odyssey
The End of the War
● Achilles back in the fight
● Troy’s main hero Hector is dead
● Troy still cannot be taken
Trojans Call Reinforcements
● From the north, the Amazons (Penthesilea)
● From the south, the Ethiopians (Memnon)
Memnon
● Story told in the epic poem Aethiopis (now lost, except for a few lines)
● Son of Eros (Dawn)
● Identified with either the East (Persia) or South (Africa - more common)
● Said to be comparable to Achilles
● His story parallel Hector
Xanthochroos Achilles
● The only evidence we have in the Iliad of Achilles’ appearance describes him as xantho-
haired (blonde, auburn, chestnut)
● A later Greek poem describes him as xanthochroos (xantho-skinned); and curly haired
(considered attractive)
The End of the War
● Paris kills Achilles (with help from Apollo)
● The Trojan Horse: the Greeks’ last effort
○ The Greeks let the Trojans believe that they’ve returned home to Greece
○ Leave a giant wooden horse on the beach (saying that its for Athena, and adding
that it will protect Troy if it’s inside their walls - but too big to fit)
○ The Trojans bring it in anyways, and the Greeks inside jump out at night and
open the gates for their comrades
The Destruction of the Trojan House
● Priam killed by Neoptolemus (Achilles’ son)
● Hecuba (Priam’s wife) and Andromache (Hector’s wife) taken as prisoner
● Astyanax (Hector’s son) killed
● Aeneas escapes with the help of Aphrodite
Odysseus’ Nostos (voyage home)
● The Odyssey is essentially the story of a man trying to make it home to his family, who
are in danger (urgency)
○ Suitors trying to take Odysseus’ place as king, and eating up his family’s wealth
while vying for Penelope’s hand
● Along the way, there are obstacles that he must face - both dangers and pleasures - to
prove his resolves and loyalty
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Class 24: the age of heroes - the odyssey. Story told in the epic poem aethiopis (now lost, except for a few lines) Identified with either the east (persia) or south (africa - more common) The only evidence we have in the iliad of achilles" appearance describes him as xantho- haired (blonde, auburn, chestnut) A later greek poem describes him as xanthochroos (xantho-skinned); and curly haired (considered attractive) Paris kills achilles (with help from apollo) The trojan horse: the greeks" last effort. The greeks let the trojans believe that they"ve returned home to greece. Leave a giant wooden horse on the beach (saying that its for athena, and adding that it will protect troy if it"s inside their walls - but too big to fit) The trojans bring it in anyways, and the greeks inside jump out at night and open the gates for their comrades. Hecuba (priam"s wife) and andromache (hector"s wife) taken as prisoner.
