EnglishClub

Pre-listening vocabulary

• epic: a long narrative poem that tells the story of a hero
• dialect: a version of a language that is specific to an area
• document: to track something by writing it down
• blind: unable to see
• pseudonym: a false name that someone uses to hide their identity
• oral: relating to speech

Listening activity

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Gapfill exercise

Homer was an ancient Greek poet known for his epics, the Odyssey and the Iliad. The stories are some of the earliest foundations of European . However, know very little about Homer himself. The dialect of the original texts makes it likely that he was born in Ionia, which is now in Turkey. His birth year is hard to determine because he lived before was commonly documented. Historically, many and writers have depicted him as blind, but there is little evidence of this. There is even debate about whether Homer at all. Some people believe that the Odyssey and the Iliad were written by two different people using the same pseudonym. Some others believe that Homer simply compiled stories from oral traditions.

Comprehension questions

See answers below

1. Historians believe Homer was from Ionia because
   a. the original texts were found there
   b. the dialect of the writing originated there
   c. the stories are set there
   
2. Homer’s birth year is hard to determine because
   a. most calendars from that time period were destroyed
   b. time was not commonly documented yet
   c. different sources from the time name different years
   
3. Homer is often depicted as
   a. a blind man
   b. a faceless figure
   c. a child

Discussion/essay questions

1. Do you think it is important to know the real author of a piece of literature? Why or why not?

Transcript

Homer was an ancient Greek poet known for his epics, the Odyssey and the Iliad. The stories are some of the earliest foundations of European literature. However, historians know very little about Homer himself. The dialect of the original texts makes it likely that he was born in Ionia, which is now in Turkey. His birth year is hard to determine because he lived before time was commonly documented. Historically, many artists and writers have depicted him as blind, but there is little evidence of this. There is even debate about whether Homer existed at all. Some people believe that the Odyssey and the Iliad were written by two different people using the same pseudonym. Some others believe that Homer simply compiled stories from oral traditions.

Answers to comprehension questions

1b 2b 3a

Pre-listening vocabulary

• epic poem: a long story told in verse
• mythical: not real; from legend
• journey: a long trip
• copy: a single version of a book
• interpretation: an understanding of a work’s meaning

Listening activity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:20 — )

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Gapfill exercise

The Odyssey is an epic poem by the Greek writer Homer. It is made up of 24 books about a mythical named Odysseus; his wife, Penelope; and their son, Telemachus. The story describes Odysseus’s ten-year journey home from the Trojan War. It was written around 700 B.C., making it one of the oldest texts that is still commonly read today. The first copy of the Odyssey was in ancient Greek. The first English wasn’t published until 1615. Since then, the Odyssey has been translated many times, and every translator has given a different interpretation of the text. The story has also inspired many other works, including multiple books, movies, and .

Comprehension questions

[wp_quiz id=”20640″]

Discussion/essay questions

1. The Trojan War is a widely-known legend from Greek mythology. Do you know any other ancient Greek myths?
2. Even today, there are many movies and books based on ancient myths. Why do you think people find ancient mythology so fascinating?

Transcript

The Odyssey is an epic poem by the ancient Greek writer Homer. It is made up of 24 books about a mythical king named Odysseus; his wife, Penelope; and their son, Telemachus. The story describes Odysseus’s ten-year journey home from the Trojan War. It was written around 700 B.C., making it one of the oldest texts that is still commonly read today. The first copy of the Odyssey was handwritten in ancient Greek. The first English translation wasn’t published until 1615. Since then, the Odyssey has been translated many times, and every translator has given a different interpretation of the text. The story has also inspired many other works, including multiple books, movies, and plays.