After we finish reading the last scroll of the Iliad, we might wonder what happens in Troy after Hector’s funeral. We have parts of what happens next in the Odyssey, in tragedies, and in fragments and plot-summaries. However, in his Description of Greece Pausanias writes an interesting description of a painting which depicted “Troy taken and the Greeks sailing away” (Pausanias 10.25.2)[1], and which was still at Delphi when he… Read more
Beauty: a concept of the mind that is intangible, culturally influenced, and fluid. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, say many. The realm of beauty is as old as humanity. The topic canvasses from philosophy to religion from natural to man-made. This is a huge topic, from which I will focus on the Homeric Iliad and Odyssey, and explore how people in antiquity thought about beauty. I have… Read more
One of the study groups has been working on Odyssey 22, and in December 2020 Kosmos Society performed this rhapsody as one of the groups taking part in the Reading Greek Tragedy Online: Odyssey ’Round the World event. You can watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bjdf99pofjo This Gallery features some visual depictions of this episode, also known as the Mnēstērophoníā, or Slaying of the Suitors. Odysseus has been absent for twenty… Read more
We were excited to welcome Zoe A. Kalamara for an Online Open House entitled “The Aeschylean “Odyssey”: A Journey in Fragments.” The event took place on Friday, November 12 at 11:00 a.m. EST and was recorded. To get ready for the event, you might like to read: Odyssey, Book 11 and Books 20–24, and the fragments in this PDF handout: Kosmos-Open-House_2021-11-12 You can watch the recording on our YouTube channel… Read more
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