GREEK

LITERATURE
 He is mainly known for Iliad and
Odyssey, the most famous epic
poems. The Iliad is the oldest work
of western literature. In ancient
Greece, people considered
themselves uneducated if they had
not read both the Iliad and the
Odyssey. What is odd is that there
is no knowledge of Homer’s life to
such an extent that historians
dispute his existence.
Homer
8th century BC
MAJOR LITERARY WORKS OF HOMER
 “The Iliad” (Gr: “Iliás”) is an epic
poem by the ancient Greek
poet Homer, which recounts some
of the significant events of the final
weeks of the Trojan War and the
Greek siege of the city of Troy
(which was also known as Ilion, Ilios
or Ilium in ancient times). Written in
the mid-8th Century BCE, “The
Iliad” is usually considered to be the
earliest work in the whole Western
THE ILIAD literary tradition, and one of the best
known and loved stories of all time.
MAJOR CHARACTERS OF THE ILIAD

Menelaus Paris
Achilles

Hector
Great Ajax
Agamemnon
Priam
Odysseus Patroclus
Nestor
Diomedes
Helen
 SUMMARY
The Iliad is an epic poem, written by Homer, that covers
the quarrels and fighting near the end of the Trojan War.
The story opens nine years into the war, which basically
started because Paris, son of King Priam of Troy (Ilias),
kidnapped Helen from Menelaus, a Greek and brother of
Agamemnon, King of Mycenae. Agamemnon decides to go
to war with the Trojans, and convinces other armies to
join him.
The Iliad isn't just about the soldiers and kings, though.
The gods, too, find their own source of entertainment by
participating in the war on various levels. At the core of
this epic is the legend of Achilles.
THE ILIAD
 “The Odyssey” (Gr: “Odysseia”) is the
second of the two epic poems
attributed to the ancient Greek
poet Homer (the first being “The
Iliad”), and usually considered the
second extant work of Western
literature. It was probably composed
near the end of the 8th
Century BCE and is, in part, a sequel
to “The Iliad”. It is widely recognized
as one of the great stories of all time,
THE ODYSSEY and has been a strong influence on
later European, especially
Renaissance, literature. 
MAJOR CHARACTERS OF THE ODYSSEY

Antinous Polyphemus
Helen
Zeus
Arete

Nausicaa

Telemachus
Nestor
Eurycleia
Eurymachus
Poseidon
Menelaus
Alcinous Circe
Penelope
Calypso
Agamemnon Athena
Tiresias
Odysseus
Eumaeus
Laertes
 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. The Odyssey ends as Odysseus wins a contest
to prove his identity, slaughters the suitors, and retakes
the throne of Ithaca.
THE ODYSSEY
 Sophocles (Sophokles) was the
second of the three great ancient
Greek tragedians (after Aeschylus
and before Euripides) whose work
has survived. Only seven of his 123
plays have survived in a complete
form but, for almost fifty years, he
was the most-awarded playwright in
the Dionysia dramatic competitions
of the city-state of Athens.
Sophocles
495 B.C.
Suddenly
The great Ajax comes
warrior to his
Achilles senses
has
and
beenrealizes
killed inwhat heAs
battle. has done.
the man
Overwhelmed
who now can be byconsidered
shame, he thedecides
to commitGreek
greatest suicide. Tecmessa
warrior, and
Ajax feels
soldiers
he should then
be try to find
given Ajax,armor,
Achilles' but they
are too two
but the late.kings,
Ajax has indeed buried
Agamemnon
his
andsword - by impaling
Menelaus, award it himself
instead upon
to
it.
Odysseus. Ajax
becomes furious about this and
decides to kill them.
The action of “Antigone” follows
Antigone learns that bothonof from
her
the Theban civil war, in which the two
brothers are dead. Eteocles
brothers, Eteocles and Polynices, diedhas
been given
fighting a proper
each other burial.
for the throne of Creon,
Thebes
Antigone’safter Eteocles had
uncle,  has refused to a
issued
give up the crown to his brother as their
royal edict banning
father Oedipus had the burial of
prescribed. Creon,
Polyneices,
the who hehas
new ruler of Thebes, believes
declared was
that Eteocles is
a traitor. Antigoneto be honored
defies the law,
and Polynices is to be disgraced by
burieshisher
leaving body brother,
unburiedandon theis caught.
When Creon
battlefield (a harshlocks her away in
and shameful
punishment
prison, she at the time).
kills herself.