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Word Study

Core Vocab: kharis | part 1

In the United States we are approaching Thanksgiving, so it seems apt to choose for this month’s Core Vocab exploration—taken from The Ancient Greek Hero in 24 Hours[1] and the associated Sourcebook[2]—a word that includes this concept among others: kharis [χάρις], plural kharites [χάριτες] which Gregory Nagy glosses as ‘reciprocity, give-and-take, reciprocal relationship; initiation of reciprocal relationship; the pleasure or beauty derived from reciprocity, from a reciprocal relationship; gratification; grace,… Read more

Visiting Scholars

Open House | Homer and the Epic Cycle on (Mis)Recognition with Justin Arft

We were pleased to welcome Justin Arft, University of Tennessee, for an Open House discussion entitled “A Cyclic Odysseus is a Dead Odysseus: Homer and the Epic Cycle on (Mis)Recognition.” It took place on Thursday, November 16, at 11:00 a.m. EST, and was recorded. In preparation, you might like to read the following passages from the Odyssey: Hermes recognizes Calypso: 5.44–80, especially 76–80 Penelope does not recognize Odysseus: 23.1–110, especially… Read more

Topic for Discussion

Dogs for the ancient Greeks

[1] Anger [mēnis], goddess, sing it, of Achilles, son of Peleus— 2disastrous [oulomenē] anger that made countless pains [algea] for the Achaeans, 3 and many steadfast lives [psūkhai] it drove down to Hādēs, 4 heroes’ lives, but their bodies it made prizes for dogs [kuōn, pl.] [5] and for all birds, and the Will of Zeus was reaching its fulfillment [telos]. Iliad 1.1–5 In this very familiar passage we see the… Read more

Book Club

Book Club | November 2017: Selections from Horace

  This month’s Book Club discussion will be on selections from the poetry of Horace. We will be reading Odes from Book 4, which comprises 15 poems and from which you can read as many as you wish; and a selection from the Satires. You can choose which to read, but here are some suggestions: Book 1 Satire 4 ‘A Defence of Satire’, Book 1 Satire 10 ‘On Satire’, Book 2… Read more

Reading Homer

Homeric Greek | Odyssey 1.144–148: Couches, chairs, and camera’s choreography

We are pleased to share this segment in the series on reading Homeric epic in ancient Greek. In each installment we read, translate, and discuss a small passage in the original Greek in the most accessible way. If you’ve ever dreamed of reading Homer in the original, here is your chance to do so with teachers who have spent a lifetime thinking about this poetry. With their guidance even new… Read more