Seven Wednesdays: January 10, 17, 24, 31, February 7, 14, and 21 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET Online
Lecture and Discussion. This live class will be recorded and available for later viewing.
Homer’s Iliad challenges modern readers in ways that can hinder us from recognizing why it is considered the masterpiece and fountainhead of western literature: its theme of glory through death feels alien; its hero Achilles seems petulant; and its focus on violence and suffering is unrelenting. And yet these are the features that make the poem renowned: the horror of war and the costs of violence – as well as their nobility – have never been more fully and movingly laid out. This course offers readers the opportunity to study the Iliad with Emily Wilson’s new translation. Its gorgeous pentameters—the meter of heroic & dramatic English verse—are the perfect vehicle for coming at this epic with fresh eyes. We will take time to set up the oral tradition out of which the Iliad first emerged with its ancient and at times alien poetics, and to grasp the mythic origins of the conflict between Greeks and Trojans that Homer and his audience take for granted. We observe how the leaders of the Greeks and Trojans display the wear and tear that war and danger have on the human soul. Above all, we watch as Achilles’ anger and demand for remedy slowly take hold in the narrative of fighting until their disastrous, unforeseen consequences overwhelm his friends and foes alike.
Seven Wednesdays: January 10, 17, 24, 31, February 7, 14, and 21 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET Online
Required Books:
Homer’s Iliad, translated by Emily Wilson (9781324001805)
Victoria Pedrick, associate professor emerita of Classics at Georgetown University, has published essays on Homer, Greek Tragedy, and Latin Lyric as well as two volumes on tragedy, one a collection of essays and the other a study of Euripides and Freud. She taught courses in Greek language and literature, with a particular interest in Archaic and Classical Greek literature and culture and for many years taught Introduction to Classical Myth. In all her courses, she always encouraged students to focus on the audience and cultural contexts for ancient texts, including when appropriate modern engagement.
REFUND POLICY: Please note that we can issue class refunds up until seven (7) days before the first class session.
