The Odyssey as a historical source
Use the Odyssey as a historical source to answer the following question:
Does the society depicted in the Odyssey (a.k.a., Homeric Greece) seem more like a democratic society in the making or an authoritarian society whose later adoption of democratic government will represent a sharp break with the past?
Sometimes democracy evolves over a fairly long stretch of time (e.g., in the USA); sometimes it emerges suddenly from a revolution or a quick succession of events (e.g., Iraq). Historians generally date the advent of democracy to the reforms of Cleisthenes in 508 BC. How far back can we find traces of the values and practices that made democracy possible in Greece? As far back as the eighth century BC? (Homer is believed to have written the Odyssey late in the eighth century, about 720 BC.)
Note that the question talks about a "democratic society in the making," not a full fledged democracy. You will need to be something of a detective. Homer never comes out and tells us what he thinks about class relations or who should rule, or due process, or how group decisions should be made. In fact, he may not be aware of his own unconscious assumptions about these matters. It is your job to read between the lines of the story and find hints that reveal what the Homeric Greeks thought and believed and how they behaved. Your paper needs to include quotes (keep them short) and/or brief summaries from the text along with your interpretations explaining how the book supports your argument or thesis.
YOU CAN FIND MY CONCISE, STUPENDOUS GUIDE TO WRITING HISTORY PAPERS AT THIS LINK. I call it the "Paper-Writing Guide" (creative, eh?) or PWG.
The paper should begin with an introduction (PWG #1) that makes clear to the reader the topic and its location in time and space (PWG 1a); the question you are asking of that topic (PWG 1b); and your answer to that question (i.e., the thesis or argument--PWG #1c). Make sure your thesis goes beyond a "yes" or "no" answer and explains why you answered the way you did. Address, don't ignore, conflicting evidence (PWG #4c) and do not compromise your intellectual honesty. You need not take a one-or-the other position on the question. In fact, historians are more prone to nuanced greys than pure blacks or whites.
Organize the paper into discrete segments--paragraphs that each have a topic sentence and concrete supporting evidence (PWG #3). I recommend that you have a total of five paragraphs.
Your paper must be 750-1,000 words in length, stapled, word-processed, and double spaced. Use 1.5-inch margins and 12-point type--preferably Times New Roman font. Be sure to include a title and a heading with your name, format number, and word count.
Use footnotes (Chicago Style) whenever you cite something from the book. You can just use the shortened citation form (Author's last name plus page number), since we are all using that one source. If you choose to cite evidence from Hellas, cite it like so: Cobbold, 23.