“Tell me, Muse, of that man of many resources, who wandered far and wide, after sacking the holy citadel of Troy.”

Oh God! He started again! He is soooo boring sometimes! He started telling us again the same tales, so that we could memorize them, he says, and be able to recite them live, he says, at festivals and great feasts… No doubt, Homer is the best teacher and he is such a great rhapsode – this is what we call the oral poets – but some stories are pure yawn! But on the other hand he is so talented! They say he was the first to hold a staff (rhabdos/stick) and recite in public. He makes his stories so vivid! I don’t know how he manages to stitch together tales, jokes, myths, songs, into a single narrative and recite it live! No-one can imagine he is blind!! I hope someday to become like him! For the moment, I am trying my best to memorize this tale… It is hard despite the steady meter, the repetition of passages, scenery and character traits. Homer has developed two huge poems already! One of them has 15,000 lines and the other one 12,000! Can you imagine that ?! How is that possible?! I am not sure about their names though… Can you help me find out?

Scroll down to see how! 

Help Aristo find information about Homer’s life and work. Watch the video (on the side) and visit the resources listed below it.

Once you are done, complete your choice of quests to earn at least 100 XP for this mission and get back to Aristo with the information he asked for.

Scavenger Hunt (25 XP)
Watch the videos and visit all the resources in the right column. When you finish, click here to test your knowledge by answering the questions and performing the tasks of this scavenger hunt!! Don’t forget to hit the submit button when done.

Infographic (25 XP)
Create an infographic about the Trojan war, Homer and his work. Keep this example in mind. You can use Canva or any other app that you are familiar with (MS Word, PowerPoint etc.) or even make one the traditional way with cardboard paper. When you finish, use the “Upload Form” (right column) to upload a picture of your work.

Flipgrid Video (25 XP)
The beautiful poetic images of Odyssey have been an infinite source of inspiration for the artists over the centuries. Google search for – copyright free – artwork inspired by Homer and his epics (Iliad and Odyssey) and click here to create a Flipgrid video with your findings  (use your gmail account). Wikimedia Commons has a great collection of artwork; you might want to start from there!
⏩ Your video should feature at least 5 works of art.
⏩ Describe each piece of artwork and explain how the artist was influenced by the Homeric epics.

Create a Game (25 XP)
Use the Kahoot platform (create a free account) to create a game with at least 10 questions about the Trojan war, Homer, and the content of  Iliad and Odyssey. Put pictures and be creative with your questions! When you are done, share your kahoot with me (use the upload form) We will play your game in class!

Essay Writing (50 XP)
Watch the video below about the Homeric Question and write an Opinion Essay explaining what exactly the Homeric question is and what is your opinion on it. Don’t forget to look over your notes and these instructions on how to write an opinion essay. Use the upload form to the right to send me your work.