Color Version 100 World Famous People Who Will Affect the Lives of Middle School Students

Author: Zhao Zhilong, Yang Jun, Xu Shenghua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-01
Features: Homer — The greatest epic poet in ancient Greece, Homer was revered as the national poet, and The Odyssey was considered a treasure trove of national wisdom. The common perception of Homer in antiquity was that he was an elderly blind bard who lived a wandering life and was the author of The Odyssey (comprising the two parts, The Iliad and The Odyssey) and many other poems. Judging from the content of The Iliad and The Odyssey, Homer may have lived between the 9th and 8th centuries BC. The Odyssey is the earliest surviving literary work in Europe. The Iliad comprises 24 books and 15,693 lines, themed around the Trojan War legend, reflecting the social life of the Greek clan society during its transition period. Agamemnon, the commander of the Greek coalition, abducted the daughter of a priest of Apollo. In retaliation, Apollo shot many Greeks with divine arrows and brought plague upon the Greek camp. Achilles, a brave and fierce Greek hero, demanded that Agamemnon release the priest's daughter but was later humiliated by him. Enraged, Achilles refused to fight, and the Greeks suffered repeated defeats. This gave the Trojans an opportunity to launch a major counterattack, driving the Greeks to the shore and attempting to burn their ships. In a critical moment, Patroclus donned Achilles' armor and shield, demoralizing the Trojans and defeating their assault. However, when they reached the gates of Troy, Hector killed Patroclus and took his armor and shield. The death of his close comrade filled Achilles with deep grief, and he returned to the battlefield, killing Hector and giving Patroclus a grand funeral. The Odyssey comprises 24 books and 12,110 lines, depicting the journey of Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, back to his homeland and his quest for revenge after the Trojan War. After the war, Odysseus and his companions were shipwrecked and began a decade-long drifting life at sea. They encountered the Lotus-Eaters, the cannibalistic Cyclops, the wind god and nymph Calypso, among others, and were held captive by Calypso for seven years. Eventually, with the help of the sea goddess, they reached the island of the Phaeacian king and, with his assistance, finally returned to Ithaca. During the last three years of Odysseus' wandering, more than a hundred people gathered at his home, courting his beautiful wife Penelope but being rejected. These men feasted and squandered Odysseus' wealth day and night. After returning to Ithaca, Odysseus first met his son, then disguised himself as a beggar and entered his own home, killing each of the suitors one by one and reclaiming his property. In the end, he reunited with Penelope and reclaimed the throne of Ithaca. The Odyssey had a profound influence on the development of ancient Greek astronomy, geography, history, philosophy, and literary art. Later, many European writers drew inspiration from the stories and characters in these two epics. Homer thus became the greatest epic poet.