He is the stranded king of Ithaca who is attempting to return home after the Trojan War. He is a fearsome warrior with the assistance of the goddess Athena. Odysseus goes through many trials and tribulations on his return home, including a katabasis (meaning a descent into the Underworld.)Ep...
Old English poetry is typically characterized in two ways. There is theheroic poetryof the Germanic pre-Christian period, which was largely of an oral tradition. There is also theChristian variety.Historically, the Saxons had a tradition of oral poetry, but it was the advent of Christianity th...
the marketplace, as victims, had a passive role in the ceremonial activities. Opposites played dramatically against one another in these rites: nobles and commoners, old and young, male and female. The warrior orders symbolized the clash of the sky and light with the earth and darkness, and,...
first play, a “god” play,constitutesthe introduction; the second drama, or “warrior” play, is the introduction of the development section; the third, or “woman,” play is the development of the development; the fourth, or “living person,” play is the conclusion of the development; ...
Clear evidence of social differentiation appears in these cultures. Richly furnished burials (containing jewelry and sometimes weapons) have been uncovered in many areas, showing that a wealthy warrior elite was developing. Powerfulchiefsbecame a standard feature of Germanic society, and archaeologists hav...
Western colonialism, a political-economic phenomenon whereby various European nations explored, conquered, settled, and exploited large areas of the world. The age of modern colonialism began about 1500, and it was primarily driven by Portugal, Spain, th