Homer

Mothers and sons in epic | Part 2: Mortal mothers

In part 1 we looked at divine mothers in epic. Now in part 2 we see the difficulty of being a mortal mother of a hero. Unlike some of the examples we looked at featuring divine mothers, these sons do not rely on their mothers or ask them for help, and the mothers seem to have no control over events or their sons’ lives. But as with the divine mothers,… Read more

Mothers and sons in epic | Part 1: Divine mothers

In these posts we are looking at the way the relationship between mothers and sons is portrayed in Homeric epic. In this first post we look at some divine mothers: Aphrodite, mother of Aeneas, and Thetis, mother of Achilles; Hera and Hephaistos, and the role Thetis played in caring for Hephaistos. Because Aphrodite’s and Thetis’ sons have mortal fathers, their sons are also mortal, and will die. Both these mothers… Read more

Open House | Recall Strategies in the Iliad, with Lynn Kozak

For the first Open House discussion of Fall 2019, we were delighted to welcome Lynn Kozak, McGill University, to discuss ‘Recall Strategies in the Iliad‘. The event took place on Thursday, September 12, at 11 a.m. EDT and was recorded. In connection with this discussion, you might like to read Iliad 16; Iliad 22 https://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/Greek/Ilhome.php You can watch it on our YouTube channel, or in the frame below. Lynn Kozak… Read more

Homeric Greek | Odyssey 1.221–229: What’s the feast? It’s not a potluck

We are pleased to share this segment in the ries of videos 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… Read more

Homeric Greek | Odyssey 1.213–220: Inspiring Telemachus

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