January 22, 2018 - January 26, 2018 Weekly Agenda

Monday, January 22nd:

An introduction to the Odyssey

Read pages 640 – 643

The Iliad is the story of the Trojan War

Melancholy: (noun) a deep sadness; depression

Melancholic: (adjective) 

Alejandra is always in a state of melancholy whenever she is on a diet.

Alejandra is always melancholic when she is on a diet.

Hearth: a fireplace

Reviewed the Trojan War

Tuesday, January 23rd: 

Read The Odyssey, pages 643 – 647

The Ancient World and Ours

A Search for Their Places in Life – the theme of The Odyssey

The Odyssey begins “en media res” – which means in the middle of the action. Telemachus was born at the beginning of the Iliad. The Odyssey begins when Telemachus is twenty. The Odyssey  is about Odysseus’ attempts to return home after the Trojan War, which is told in flashback.  The part of The Odyssey which features Telemachus and the Odysseus on the isle of Calypso, the isle of Alcinous, and his return to Ithaca where he battles the suitors are in “real time”.

Relationships with the Gods

Odysseus is the cleverest and most intelligent of all humans and therefore, is the favorite of Athena, the gray-eyed goddess of wisdom.   

His nemesis or enemy is Poseidon, with whom he shares many of the same qualities of arrogance.  Poseidon could be said to be Odysseus’ alter-ego.

Wednesday, January 24th: 
Watched the Odyssey

Thursday, January 25th: 

-->

Set up the time line

Read “A Son Seeks a Father” 

Vocabulary: 

 Lizbeth:

Muses: nine goddesses who are the daughters of Zeus who preside over the arts and sciences:dance, music, poetry, theatre, history, geometry, etc.

David:

Valor: (Noun) great courage in the face of great danger, particularly in battle

Valiant: (adjective) brave 

Themes of The Odyssey:

A boy must struggle to become a man.

A soldier must struggle to return home from the war.

A king must struggle to reclaim his kingdom.

A woman must struggle to maintain her independence and dignity

Vocabulary:

Mentor: an older, more experienced person who helps and guides a younger or less experienced person.

Disperse: to break apart, to scatter

Sage: a wise person

Guile: trickery, slyness, cleverness used to attain something at another’s expense

Insolence: rudeness or lack of respect

Background story:

Athena, like all gods, could change her appearance at will. Here she is appearing as a wise older man named Mentor to help Telemachus deal with the rude insolent suitors who are over running his home.

One of the most important philosophies in ancient Greece was the relationship or ties between the host and the guest.

Summary: Athena disguises herself as Mentor, a wise older man, and goes to Penelope and Telemachus’s home, which is being over run by rude, disrespectful suitors.  Athena counsels Telemachus that he should procure a ship and set sail to the various warrior kings who journeyed with his father to Troy to find out any rumors or information about him. If there is proof that Odysseus is alive, then Telemachus should sail home and wait for a year for his return. If there is proof that Odysseus is dead, then Telemachus should sail home and prepare a burial ceremony for his father and give his mother to another man to marry.