Grades: 	Middle (6–8)
Subjects: 	Visual Arts, English–Language Arts, History–Social Science
Time Required:	3–5-Part Lesson
	Four 50-minute class periods
Author: 	J. Paul Getty Museum Education Staff

Lesson Overview
Students will learn about the Trojan War and the hero Achilles. They will compare different stories that were inspired by Achilles, which were passed down orally. They will analyze stories of Achilles in a relief on an ancient sarcophagus and in a drawing by a Renaissance artist. Finally, they will create their own drawing of Achilles inspired by literature.

Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:
•	understand that stories about the Trojan War have been passed down orally and have influenced artists and writers from the Renaissance to today.
•	analyze scenes from Homer’s Iliad that are visually depicted in an ancient object and a Renaissance drawing. 
•	compare and contrast artistic interpretations of the story of Achilles.
•	draw a scene from the myth of Achilles that communicates setting and narrative through characters’ clothing and poses, and via details included in the background.

Featured Getty Artworks
Statuette of a Lyre Player and His Companion by an unknown Greek artist
http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=15113

Sarcophagus with Scenes from the Life of Achilles by an unknown Roman artist
http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=34126

Odysseus and the Daughters of Lycomedes by Baldassare Peruzzi
http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=111

Materials
•	Reproduction of Statuette of a Lyre Player and His Companion by an unknown Greek artist
•	Reproduction of Sarcophagus with Scenes from the Life of Achilles by an unknown Roman artist
•	Reproduction of Odysseus and the Daughters of Lycomedes by Baldassare Peruzzi
•	Background Information and Questions for Teaching about the statuette, sarcophagus, and drawing
•	Internet access
•	Student Handout: “Homer, Oral Tradition, and the Trojan War”
•	Student Handout: “Battle of Achilles and Hector from Homer’s Iliad”
•	Book: The Children’s Homer by Padraic Colum (New York: Aladdin, 2004) (optional)
•	DVD player
•	DVD excerpt of a modern-day retelling of the battle of Hector and Achilles, such as scenes from Troy (dir. Wolfgang Petersen, 2004; rated R), Helen of Troy (dir. John Kent Harrison, 2003; unrated), or The Odyssey TV miniseries (dir. Andrei Konchalovsky, 1997; unrated) (Note: Please consult your school district’s policy on watching excerpts of any films.)
•	Drawing pencils and paper
•	Art Activity: “Create a Quick Gesture Sketch”
(http://getty.edu/education/teachers/classroom_resources/tips_tools/downloads/aa_gesture_sketch.pdf)
•	Watercolor paper 
•	Pens
•	Small paint brushes and brown ink (you may wish to substitute coffee)

Lesson Steps

Homer and Tales of the Trojan War

1.	Ask students if they can think of any movies that were set in ancient times (i.e., Troy, Clash of the Titans, 300, Agora). Ask them why they think that people in the twenty-first century are still interested in telling tales based on ancient stories. Tell students that they will learn about myths and storytelling from antiquity by viewing ancient objects.

2.	Display a reproduction of the seventh-century-B.C. Statuette of a Lyre Player and His Companion by an unknown Greek artist. Complete steps 1–5 in the “Storytelling in the Past” section of the Beginning-Level Lesson (see http://getty.edu/education/teachers/classroom_resources/curricula/performing_arts/lesson07.html). Inform students that a blind storyteller in Homer’s The Odyssey, Demodokus, sings tales of Odysseus and Achilles.

3.	Share additional information as needed about Homer and oral tradition from the student handout “Homer, Oral Tradition, and the Trojan War.” 
 
4.	Tell students that Homer’s Iliad was studied by schoolchildren throughout the ancient Greek and Roman world. The main character of The Iliad is Achilles. Achilles is considered an epic hero, a main character who goes on a quest in an extended story and usually possesses superhuman characteristics or qualities. Discuss with students what qualities make a hero today versus the ideals of ancient Greek times. Inform students that superheroes, such as Spiderman and Batman, could be considered modern-day epic heroes. Stories about Spiderman and Batman have been so popular that they get told and retold in movies, and are depicted on functional objects such as mugs, lunchboxes, backpacks, etc. Just as Spiderman and Batman have superhuman traits, Achilles possesses superhuman strength and was considered the greatest warrior in the Achaean army, which fought against the Trojans. Inform students that the story of Achilles was so popular that he was depicted on various functional objects in antiquity. 

5.	Display a reproduction of the front panel of Sarcophagus with Scenes from the Life of Achilles, which was made by an unknown Roman artist in A.D. 180–220. Have students take the time to look closely at the details depicted. Ask them to share the details they notice. Prompt students with the following questions:
•	What do you notice about the figures on the panel? What do their poses communicate about what is happening? (The contorted body and closed eyes of the outstretched figure on the ground indicate that he is dead. The figure whose foot is on the dead body is looking down at the deceased, indicating his power over the fallen figure, and perhaps revealing his responsibility for killing him.)      
•	What are the figures holding? What are some of the figures wearing? What do these details reveal about who the figures are? (Because the figure touching the horse’s mane is wearing a helmet and holding a shield, he may be a warrior who was in a battle. Other figures wearing helmets and holding weapons could also be warriors. The figure below the horse pulling the chariot is holding a part of the chariot; he could be the chariot driver adjusting the harness.)   

Explain that many warriors are depicted in “heroic nudity,” which communicated in ancient times their honor. Nudity in ancient sculpture reflects the value placed by the ancient Greeks on attaining perfection of both body and mind.

6.	Point out the figure of Achilles in the panel. Ask students what the artist did to communicate that this is the main character. (i.e., his helmet protrudes into the frame; he is the only figure with this treatment) 

7.	Tell students that the panel depicts a dramatic moment from The Iliad. Achilles has just slain the Trojan prince Hector and is about to drag his corpse behind his chariot. Ask students what they think happens next. Distribute the student handout “Battle of Achilles and Hector from Homer’s Iliad” and allow students time to read the excerpts. (Note: These excerpts contain some violent content. Review the handout before distributing it to students.) Or, you may instead wish to distribute excerpts describing the same battle from The Children’s Homer (chapter 19). 

Explain that Achilles killed Hector out of rage and revenge for Hector’s murder of Achilles’ good friend Patroclus. Point out that Achilles was deemed by the Fates to live only as long as Hector was alive, and therefore Achilles represents fate. Hector, a brave warrior and new father, knows his responsibility to both his people and family. Thus Hector represents honor. Have students compare and contrast the excerpt of the literary text with the scene depicted on the panel. 

8.	Have students watch the battle between Hector and Achilles in a modern-day movie. Have them compare and contrast this depiction of the battle with both the panel and the literary text, and then discuss the following: 
•	Is Achilles depicted with several warriors in the scene or does he battle Hector alone (like in the movie Troy). Why would an artist choose to depict warriors fighting alone versus including several warriors? (For example, one shows the chaos of battle; the other emphasizes the drama of Achilles’ revenge on Hector.)
•	What details of the literary text would you choose to focus on in a work of art?
•	What media would you use to depict these details visually?
•	What creative license would you take if you were to re-create the scene? 

9.	Provide students with additional background information about the panel they have been discussing. Tell them that the panel is actually part of a sarcophagus (or stone coffin). Ask students to speculate why a family would choose to decorate a sarcophagus with scenes from the life of Achilles. For more background information about the significance of burial in ancient Greece, view “Death, Burial, and the Afterlife in Ancient Greece” on the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History at www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/dbag/hd_dbag.htm.

The Popularity of Achilles

1.	Ask students to share examples of people they consider to have heroic traits today, such as athletes. Point out that many people admire athletes so much that their likenesses can be seen in many different poses on all sorts of merchandise. Inform students that the character of Achilles was considered a hero during the late second and early third centuries A.D. The Achilles motif was popular during this time, because it symbolized spiritual themes, such as a heroic life and the courageous acceptance of fate. The story of Achilles is so popular that many artists throughout the ages have depicted scenes from this hero’s life. 

2.	Display a reproduction of the sixteenth-century drawing Odysseus and the Daughters of Lycomedes by Baldassare Peruzzi. Tell students that this drawing was created about thirteen hundred years after the sarcophagus was made. Point out that the columns in the background of the drawing signify that the scene is happening in an ancient palace. Have students take the time to look closely at the drawing and share their initial observations. Then guide discussion by asking the following questions:
•	Look closely at the figure on the left. Based on his pose, what do you think he could be saying to the women on the right? (He might be inviting them inside.)
•	Look at the second figure from the right. Based on her pose, what do you think she is doing? (Her raised arm is holding a piece of fabric as if she is hiding something, and her right hand is placed on the shoulder of the figure to her right, as if pushing the figure away. She looks like she may be hiding the figure.)

3.	Tell students that the drawing shows a scene that was rendered on one end of the sarcophagus. Odysseus, king of Ithaca, another hero of the Trojan War, is searching for Achilles. In the drawing, Odysseus is inviting the daughters of Lycomedes, king of Scyros, into a palace. It had been foretold to Achilles’ mother, Thetis, that her son would die in the Trojan War. To prevent this from occurring, Achilles had been dressed as a maiden and sent to live among the daughters of Lycomedes. Ask students if they think Achilles is pictured in the drawing. What do they see in the drawing that makes them say so?  Based on the poses of the figures and what you know of the story of Achilles so far, what do you think happens next?

4.	Tell students the rest of the tale about Odysseus’s search for Achilles. To reveal Achilles’ identity, Odysseus offered the daughters a selection of gifts, including jewels and dresses but also a sword, spear, and shield. While the daughters were choosing, Odysseus ordered a trumpet blast and clash of arms to sound outside, whereupon Achilles betrayed himself by snatching up the weapons. At his discovery, Achilles immediately promised Odysseus his assistance in the war against Troy. 

5.	Inform students that the drawing was made during the Renaissance, which refers to a period of history that began in the fourteenth century and saw a renewed interest in the study of classical antiquity. Renaissance thinkers believed that the arts and humanities had declined during the Middle Ages and were fascinated by Greco-Roman literature, history, art, and philosophy. Peruzzi’s drawing is a sketch for one of four oval frescoes the artist painted in a Roman villa. Peruzzi was most successful as a draftsman and architect. Many of his painted house facades, all now destroyed, were meant to look like grand “ancient” sculptural facades.

6.	Tell students that they will create their own sketch of Achilles. What part of Achilles’ life do they want to illustrate? Pass out drawing pencils. Have students draw a scene from the story of Achilles. Begin by having students create a quick gesture sketch of Achilles that communicates an expression or action. See the art activity “Create a Quick Gesture Sketch” on the Getty website at http://getty.edu/education/teachers/classroom_resources/tips_tools/downloads/aa_gesture_sketch.pdf for step-by-step instructions. Tell students to create additional gesture sketches for other characters that are important to depict in their chosen scene. 

7.	Have students add details to the figures and the background. As they draw, tell them to keep in mind the following:
•	What details can you include in the background to give a sense of the setting?
•	What can characters’ clothing and poses reveal about what is happening? 

8.	After students complete their sketches, have them work in pairs to orally tell the stories that they are illustrating. What details can they add that would make their stories more entertaining and descriptive? Are there details from their tales that could be added to their sketches?

9.	Pass out watercolor paper, pens, small paint brushes, and brown ink, and have students use them to create their final drawings. Students should include the additional details they added to their stories to make them more entertaining and descriptive.

Assessment
Assess students’ participation in class discussion, including their ability to compare and contrast artistic interpretations of the story of Achilles. Assess drawings based on the degree to which students accomplished the following:
•	illustrated the characters, setting, and action of a scene from the story of Achilles 
•	depicted characters in poses that communicate what is happening in the scene
•	included details in the background that communicate setting 
•	included details in the characters’ clothing to communicate additional information 

Extensions
1.	Discuss the long-lasting impact of ancient Greece and Rome by viewing other modern-day DVD excerpts inspired by Homer’s tales, such as the episode from The Simpsons (season 1, episode 3) based on The Odyssey. Compare and contrast the different versions. Have students create a comic strip that retells the story of Odysseus. 

2.	Compare the epic story of Achilles to contemporary epic stories, such as Star Wars. Discuss the elements of epic stories and epic heroes and have students create an original epic hero. Have each student write a story about his or her epic hero, and then share the story orally. Instruct students to practice shifting their pitch, tempo, and tone to express different feelings, characters, and expressions. You may wish to have students listen to a song performed by the storyteller and musician Makinto in the “Multimedia” list on the Getty website at http://getty.edu/education/teachers/classroom_resources/curricula/performing_arts/multimedia.html. Tell students to pay attention to the ways Makinto shifts his pitch, tempo, and tone.

3.	Plan a “Trojan War Poetry Slam” (see the last section of the Advanced-Level Lesson at http://getty.edu/education/teachers/classroom_resources/curricula/performing_arts/lesson09.html).

Standards Addressed

Common Core Standards for English Language Arts

Grades 6–8

READING 
Key Ideas and Details 
1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. 

SPEAKING AND LISTENING 
Comprehension and Collaboration 
1. Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
2. Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally. 

Visual Arts Content Standards for California Public Schools

Grade 6
1.0 Artistic Perception
	1.2 Discuss works of art as to theme, genre, style, idea, and differences in media. 
	1.3 Describe how artists can show the same theme by using different media and styles.

2.0 Creative Expression
2.4 Create increasingly complex original works of art reflecting personal choices and increased technical skill.

3.0 Historical and Cultural Context
3.3 Compare, in oral or written form, representative images or designs from at least two selected cultures.

4.0 Aesthetic Valuing
	4.1 Construct and describe plausible interpretations of what they perceive in works of art.

Grade 7
3.0 Historical and Cultural Context
3.2 Compare and contrast works of art from various periods, styles, and cultures and explain how those works reflect the society in which they were made.

5.0 Connections, Relationships, Applications
5.2 Use various drawing skills and techniques to depict lifestyles and scenes from selected civilizations.

Grade 8
4.0 Aesthetic Valuing
	4.3 Construct an interpretation of a work of art based on the form and content of the work.

English–Language Arts Content Standards for California Public Schools

Grade 6
Reading
3.0 Literary Response and Analysis
3.2 Analyze the effect of the qualities of the character (e.g., courage or cowardice, ambition or laziness) on the plot and the resolution of the conflict.
3.8 Critique the credibility of characterization and the degree to which a plot is contrived or realistic (e.g., compare use of fact and fantasy in historical fiction).

Listening and Speaking
1.0 Listening and Speaking Strategies
	1.5 Emphasize salient points to assist the listener in following the main ideas and concepts.

2.0 Speaking Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics)
	2.1 Deliver narrative presentations: 
		a. Establish a context, plot, and point of view. 
		b. Include sensory details and concrete language to develop the plot and character.

Grade 7
Reading
3.0 Literary Response and Analysis
3.3 Analyze characterization as delineated through a character’s thoughts, words, speech patterns, and actions; the narrator’s description; and the thoughts, words, and actions of other characters. 
3.4 Identify and analyze recurring themes across works (e.g., the value of bravery, loyalty, and friendship; the effects of loneliness).

Grade 8
Reading
3.0 Literary Response and Analysis
3.3 Compare and contrast motivations and reactions of literary characters from different historical eras confronting similar situations or conflicts.
3.7 Analyze a work of literature, showing how it reflects the heritage, traditions, attitudes, and beliefs of its author. (Biographical approach)

Listening and Speaking
2.0 Speaking Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics)
	2.1 Deliver narrative presentations (e.g., biographical, autobiographical): 
		a. Relate a clear, coherent incident, event, or situation by using well-chosen details.
c. Employ narrative and descriptive strategies (e.g., relevant dialogue, specific action, physical description, background description, comparison or contrast of characters).

History–Social Science Content Standards for California Public Schools

Grade 6
6.4 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the early civilizations of Ancient Greece.
4. Explain the significance of Greek mythology to the everyday life of people in the region and how Greek literature continues to permeate our literature and language today, drawing from Greek mythology and epics, such as Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, and from Aesop’s Fables. 

6.7 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures during the development of Rome.
8. Discuss the legacies of Roman art and architecture, technology and science, literature, language, and law.