| A | B |
|---|
| When did Troy fall? | 1184 B.C. |
| Where is Troy located? | in Asia-Minor |
| What was the cause of the Trojan War? | Paris took Helen back to Troy with him to be his wife. Helen was the wife of Menelaos, King of Sparta |
| Who was Eris? | She was the goddess of discord |
| Why was Eris jealous? | She was not invited to the wedding of Peleus and Thetis |
| What did Eris do at the wedding? | She threw a golden apple (apple of discord) inscribed to the fairest |
| Why was a beauty contest held to determine the winner? | Because Hera, Athene, and Aphrodite each claimed the prize |
| Who was the judge of the beauty contest? | Paris (Alexandros), the young son of Priam, King of Troy was the judge |
| What did Ahrodite promise Paris if she would select her as the "fairest"? | She had promised Paris the beautiful Helen (wife of Menelaos, King of Sparta) if her would select her as the fairest |
| Upon Helen's abduction, the Greeks organized a mighty expedition to raid Troy and recover her. Who was their general in chief? | Menelaos brother, Agamemnon, King of Mycenae. |
| How long did the war last? | The war lasted 10 years |
| What poem deals with a few days at the end of the Trojan war? | the Illiad |
| How was Troy sacked? | The Greek warriors hid inside the wooden Trojan horse. When the Trojans take the horse into the city, the Greek heroes come out of the horse and destroy the city by fire, accompanied by terrible deeds of slaughter. |
| How did Paris slay Achilles? | by a poisoned arrow in his heel, Achilles one vulnerable spot |
| Who wins the contest for the armor of Achilles? | Odysseus wins over Aios |
| What does Aios do after he loses the contest for the armor of Achilles? | He runs mad and kills himself |
| Who suggests that a wooden horse be built so that the Greeks can hide inside? | Odysseus |
| Who warns the Trojans to avoid the horse and is later strangled by serpents from the sea? | Laocoon |
| Who persuades the Trojans to take the horse into the city? | Sinon |
| Why is Agamemnon's return home considered "tragic"? | His wife's lover, Aigisthos, assasinates him. |
| How many years is Odysseus gone from home? | For 20 years. He spends 10 years fighting at Troy and 10 years getting home. |
| When does the Odyssey begin? | In the 10th year |
| How many men does Odysseus have with him when he leaves Troy? | He leaves Troy with 12 ships and 600 men |
| One of the themes in the Odyssey is the development of whom? | Development of Telemachus from a dependent boy into a mature, responsible adult. He is trying to figure out who he is and what he should do with himself, especially in the absence of his father. |
| What is an epic poem? | a long narrative poem. Homer's epics tell of the adventures of heros. |
| What is an epic hero? | a man who seems able to conquer most problems he encounters although he does not possess any super powers. He is faithful to his family, his country, and his god. He is brave; although he often feels fear, he overcomes his fears because he knows he has responsibilities, which are mainly to defeat evil and allow goodness to prevail. The epic hero is intelligent. Because he has no special powers, he must rely on his brain to get him out of difficult situations. Sometimes, a higher force or being will help guide him on his quest. The greater force does not do things for him, rather the force helps him do things for himself. |
| Who is Homer's cameo appearance in the story of Odysseus? | Demodocus |
| What do most historians believe about Homer? | He was a blind minstrel who lived about 3000 years ago. He was considered by the Greeks as their greatest and finest poet, traveling around the land singing stories to people for their entertainment and enlightenment. |
