The Odyssey is an Ancient Greek epic poem that was written down by Homer in the 8th century BCE. It recounts the story of Odysseus, King of Ithaca, as he travels home from Troy after the end of the Trojan war. Odysseus encounters monsters, sorceresses and even the souls of the dead as he wanders around the Mediterranean Sea, desperate to return to home. But is The Odyssey based on anything that really happened? Here is your chance to find out! Search for articles, read what others have written, watch a video or two and decide for yourself!
STEP 1
You set out on your... Odyssey... to find the historical truth behind Homer's epic poem. Search on the term Odyssey in this database:
You will get a lot of results. But look closely! Not all your results are relevant. Some of your results are for the Honda Odyssey, a model of minivan. Some results are for the film, 2001: A Space Odyssey. Try filtering your results by clicking the Subjects button on the right side of the screen.
Roll your mouse over this text for a hint!
STEP 2
You have some results from your database search. Where should you begin? You want an overview of the situation before you tackle in-depth research.
Roll your mouse over this text for a hint!
Do some background reading and then move on to the next step!
STEP 4
What else do historians say? Watch these two videos to learn more...
Did Ancient Troy really exist?
The science behind the myth: Homer's Odyssey
Well, that's a lot to think about...
STEP 3
Now it's time to look at some original research! Go back to your Gale World History results and get warmed up with some light reading...
There are three articles that will help you with your question; two articles are in Magazines and one article is in Academic Journals.
Can you find the three articles?
Roll your mouse over this text for a hint!
STEP 5
Welcome home to Ithaka!
The scholar Joseph Campbell said, "A myth is something that has never happened, but is happening all the time."
The poem, Ithaka, written by C. P. Cavafy in 1911, reminds us of Odysseus' travels.
Was the Odyssey real? What do you think?
Send your ideas to Mr. Pimentel!