Homer > Greek poet > Very little is known about him > Some ancient accounts depict Homer as © Awandering minstrel > Acommon portrayal of him is: © Ablind, begging singer who travelled around the harbor towns of Greece, associating with shoemakers, fisherman, potters, sailors and elderly men in the gathering places. > Credited with being the first to write down the epic stories of The lliad and Odyssey The impact of his tales continues to reverberate through Western Culture v Born sometime between the 12" and 8" centuries BC, possible somewhere on the coast of Asia Minor. Famous for epic poems: The Iliad and The Odyssey © Had an enormous effect on Western culture Considered by many to be the earliest and most important of all Greek writers. Poetic pioneer who stood at a pivotal point in the evolution of Greek society from pre- literate to literate, from a century of bardic tradition of oral verse to the new then new technique of alphabetic writing vv vv > Since little is known about Homer, many conflicting traditions and legends have grown up around him © Most common and most convincing suggests that he was born at Smyrna in the lonian region of Asia minor (or possibly the Island of Chios), and that he died on the Cycladic Island of los. > Archaic version of lonic Greek with admixtures from certain other dialects such as Aeolic Greek ~ language used by Homer (© Served as the basis of Epic Greek, now understood d as the language of epic poetry. > “Homeros” ~ Greek. © Means “hostage” or “he who is forced to follow” or in some dialects “blind” The Odyssey Capsule Summary > The Odyssey is Homer's epic of Odysseus’ 10-year struggle to return home after the Trojan War. While Odysseus battles mystical creatures and faces the wrath of the gods, his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus stave off suitors vying for Penelope's hand and Ithaca's throne long enough for Odysseus to return. > Book 12: They approach the island of the lovely Sirens, and Odysseus, as instructed by Girce, plugs his men's ears with beeswax and has them bind him to the mast of the ship. ... Once they have passed the Sirens’ island, Odysseus and his men must navigate the straits between Scylla and Charybdis,© Circe - a nymph, daughter of the sun god Helios, banished to the island of Aiaia for using magic to turn to a romantic rival into the monster Scylla = An immortal goddess who seeks to prevent Odysseus from returning home. omiThe Odyssey Here's how itall goes down With Odysseusaway, Odysseus’ men get themenarechasing Grugged upby Circe whoturns the rope. sting lte flowers cylopt, sont crew into. % eh wy Or Te = a thestrens songby — SeCeeetrmembers cattle of Helios and stermand ends pw egueeshimesif ora tyinghimselfte the arelilled by the Ispunlshed witha Kalypicsserslavefor7 teggarto ste who's stl ‘mastofhisboat. monsters, kyla stormthat kills -YS-He escapesandis — onisee, Hew andcharybdls. — themall a Tunchatwaor. Themes > Desire and Risk Perseverance Avoiding temptation Strength and Courage in Leadership Vengeance (Poseidon) Loyalty (Penelope) vvyvyy Read excerpt from Odyssey Nero > Actor > Theater Actor > Poet > Emperor (37-68) u Born: December 15, 37 A.D. as Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus © Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus ~ father© Agrippina - mother and great-granddaughter of emperor Augustus Educated in the classical tradition (Greek, philosophy, and rhetoric) by philosopher Seneca ‘Ascended to the throne at the age of 17 Became infamous for his personal debaucheries and extravagances and, on doubtful evidence, for his burning of Rome and persecutions of Christian Nero took part in several Greek festivals, taking home 1,808 first prices for his artistic presentations. Fancied himself not only a poet but also a charioteer and lyre player, and in 59 or 60 AD, he began to give public performances. later he appeared on the stage, and the theatre furnished him with the pretext to assume every kind of role. To the Romans, these antics seemed to be scandalous breaches of civic dignity and decorum. Nero even dreamed of abandoning the throne of Rome in order to fulfill his poetical and musical gifts, though he did not act on these puerile ambitions. Had his mother murdered for meddling with his affairs with women and of the state. His 1" wife was Octavia; mistress was Poppaea (2™ wife eventually); next wife was Statilia Messalina He was also famously known for the apocryphal story that he fiddled while Rome burned in a great fire, Nero has become one of the most infamous men who ever lived. In addition, ancient writers claim that he started the great fire of Rome in A.D. 64 so that he could re-build the city Nero accused Christians of starting the fire to remove suspicion from himself. According to this account, many Christians were arrested and brutally executed by "being thrown to the beasts, crucified, and being burned alive” During his rule, he murdered his own mother, Agrippina the Younger; his first wife, Octavia; and allegedly, his second wife, Poppaea Sabina. died (suicide) June 9, 68 A.D., RomeEATING WITH FRIENDS + Nero speaks his mind + There is a revelarion on his personality Fisrt Santza + Emotions can't be managed; Cupid aims his shanghai blindly © Emotions are hard to manage especially when it comes to love © Shanghai- a forceful arrow * kasi pag pumana si cupid, kahit di mo gusto magugustuhan mo + but for a night we eat and talk in a planned happiness Lobsters, then truffles, apples peached in wine and honey, Course on course, the serene modulations of a well-staged sunset © It is a grand/fancy meal © They are at a grand place as well; has a room with a view + my friends, my own academy - artists, engineers builders of a new world, inspired and foolish in their cups © Pronouns are in First person (I, we, mine, me) © him and his friends are at the golden house his friends are those who ate involved in building the golden house © Nero is a user friend © They are drinking alcohol; when you drink alcohol, all your Inhibitations are released © Greeks love the god of wine; wine has a liberating feeling Second stanza + It's midnight in my Golden House, Poppaea, on display, Sprawied at my side, goddess of beauty, rubs herself against me. ©PDA © Poppaea is wild + wish to go on talking, democrat with equal friends © Quite ironic because he's a dictator; so what democrat? © Equal friends? (NO, NOT AT ALL) a dictator sees himself as above everyone © Megalomaniac - a person obsessed with power + (Parade your vice, and I'l forgive your crimes - even your insults) © The parenthesis in poetry is equated to a thought balloon; only said in the mind of the © character or an alterthought © Nero is being permissive at this moment because they are having @ good time © Nero knows that people are back-stabbing him + It's midnight and the scent of the roses from the moonlit grounds Invades through windows as we scheme up bachannals to shock © Bachus - god of wine © He is responsible for the reproductive forces (sex) in life; ecstacy © Equivalent to Jesus because of the phrase "God's body turns to wine" and Bachus is also a resurrected god © When he is resurrected, madaming grapes, pero pag patay sya wala na © Bachus is a product of an extramarital affair between Zeus and a mortal. Zeus’ spouse then punished the child by sending a monster to kill him. His blood was spilled on the earth; aIt’s midnight and the scent of the roses from the moonlit grounds Invades through windows as we scheme up bachannals to shock = Bachus ~ god of wine © He is responsible for the reproductive forces (sex) in life; ecstacy © Equivalent to Jesus because of the phrase “God's body turns to wine” and Bachus is also a resurrected god © When he is resurrected, madaming grapes, pero pag patay sya wala na © Bachus is a product of an extramarital affair between Zeus and a mortal. Zeus’ spouse then punished the child by sending a monster to kill him. His blood was spilled on the earth; a suffering god © Bachannals ~ crazed party with drunken revelry, sexual experimentation & wild music The senate ~ prostitutes arranged as living statues, daughters ~ Prostitutes were paid to just stand naked or have sex as the case may be - Jesus said “Go to Rome and fix the people there” Rome was a dirty, sinful place Of knights soliciting from makeshift brothels on the lawns = Maytent tas nandun yung prostitutes, kung gusto mo pumunta, punta ka. And flambeaux winking from the lake, a floating carnival, ~ Flambeaux~a burning torch; in the middle of the lake there is this as well as a floating carnival = _ Nero was into fancy things. He uses the people's taxes for his lavish desires My Golden House extends its masonry through the night = Masonry ~walls - Phrase means that the Golden House was a work in progress at the time of writing this poem - twas still expanding All Rome, the world, through our ideas and art becomes a Golden House The surface of my wine's a curve, its centre is the earth's. - Rome will be the center of civilization; it wll be the fatherland - Same plan as Hitler's © He will make Rome bigger and bigger until it extends to the whole world © Hitler wanted the Jews terminated not because of their religion but because the Jews were controlling many businesses (Banks) © 2" plan of Hitler was to terminate people with disabilities © 3"was the asians. He saw Asians as small and weak. He wanted to make an Arian race to hold dominion all over the world Last stanzasJ send the shadow at my side, my tasters, off to bed ~ Needs taster because he can be a victim of assassination Drinking is now like dancing without clothes ~ nothing between the wine and me = Simile - direct comparison between two objects with the use of like or as Nothing between my friends and me - our talk is naked - Their talk is not constricted We may never meet and talk and eat again - He may kill these people after this event - Or maybe, after he has used you, he'll forget about you. If gods can visit men, they do— at dinner amongst friends - “If” conditional ~ Giving conditions to the gods; therefore insulting the gods - Proving how high he sees of himself ‘ADVICE TO YOUNG POETS > Telling the readers that if they want to become a poet, they should do all the things that Nero did First stanza Murder your mother = Agood hook: keeps reader intrigued Go to live ina flat And forget who you were = Nero had ago to place for when he gets frustrated 2" stanza Keep away from schools of rhetoric. With their hyperbole And unreal situations They can only train liars for the senate. ~ Full of irony because Nero himselt studied rhetoric - Hyperbole ~ exaggeration 3" stanza Let your school of philosophy Be the streets of night