Greek mythology — a journey into the past
Ever read the Odyssey by Homer? Marvelous epic poem (but a bit long at about 500 pages) of the travels and travails of Odysseus as he sails home to Greece after being victorious in the Trojan War. My son, Jake, a junior at Gold Beach High School, is reading it as part of an Honors English class.
It is one of the great adventure stories of all time. The last two nights, my wife, who still reads to the kids almost every night even though they are aged 16, 14, and 12, read them Edith Hamilton’s 26-page summary of the Odyssey from her 1942 book, Mythology. I listened too because it has been so many years since I read it.
Few kids nowadays read great ancient literature like this. Of course, as with Shakespeare, it helps to have a teacher to help you understand it. GBHS happens to have an enlightened teacher, Alan Lee, who understands the importance of exposing his students to the great literary works of the past.
I assume someone has made a movie of the Odyssey, just as they did of Homer’s other great work, the Iliad (the Trojan War), but I don’t know since I’m not much of a movie goer. But it is much more important to read the book itself, for only then can you get a feel for the complexity of an ancient society. The real world and the world of gods were seamless in those days, just as they were in most ancient cultures. People passed from one into the other, then back again, on a regular basis. There are so many gods named in the Odyssey you can barely keep track of them. But once you are finished reading the book, you have an appreciation of a great civilization (the foundation of Western civilization) with its heroes and villains. It gives you an understanding into who we are today with our distant modern culture. Great literature essentially allows you to time travel into our past.
The Odyssey is only one of many books Mr. Lee has required Jake to read. He keeps me rushing to my own bookshelf looking for old copies of Rand and Steinbeck and Fitzgerald. I try and expound on the history and philosophical principles behind the books. Until Mr. Lee, Jake, like so many kids today, has concentrated his reading on fantasy, such as Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and the Redwall series of novels (Jake has read 19 of them) by Brian Jacques. I’m not sure how valuable that is. It’s entertaining for sure. But what about history and ideas? Isn’t that how we learn to proceed into the future?
I have a fondness for Greek and Roman mythology. Lenie will begin reading Edith Hamilton’s entire Mythology book to the boys tonight. Hamilton had the ability to condense the ancient stories down, adding her own explanations, so the stories are easier for we moderns to understand. Hamilton herself has been dead for 45 years, her book is 65 years old, but her book’s treatment of ancient Greek and Roman myths is probably still the best ever written. I highly recommend you read it to your own children. There are copies of the book all over the internet for as little as a few cents.
February 28th, 2008 at 4:12 am
All right, Dave!!! I never expected to come across an endorsement of classical literature on BHM, but I salute you for it! “The Iliad” is my all-time favorite book. It contains every virtue and failing of humanity, from Hector’s noble sacrifice to Agamemnon’s craven self-aggrandizement and Odysseus’ political savvy, which could be viewed as either good or bad, depending, but was certainly smart. And it’s beautifully written (I should say, composed), too! More modern classics like “Moby-Dick” and much of Thomas Hardy have a lot to offer in terms of fabulous writing, too. They convey such a sense of place that you feel like you can see it yourself! Thanks for putting in a plug for good writing. There’s a reason it’s called “great” literature.
October 6th, 2009 at 7:08 am
The Odyssey is considered one of the epics of literature. It’s amazing that your children are getting into the classics. For me the best part of reading The Odyssey is immersing myself in all the grandness and scale – the superhuman hero, the supernatural, the vast setting, bravery and the sheer magnitude of the setting. I hope your kids are enjoying these very characteristics. If you need help in tackling the original you must check out Shmoop for The Odyssey summary. Its written in an easy to understand style that breaks down the plot into easily manageable segments that even young children will enjoy. Try it out and let me know how it goes.