Odyssey

Homeric Greek | Odyssey 1.252–256: At the front gates

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

Book Club | April 2020: Barker/Christensen Homer’s Thebes

The city of Thebes has always been of interest to scholars working within mythographical and literary traditions, precisely because its presence looms large in our corpus of extant textual and especially non-textual sources. Looming even larger is the absence of a monumental epic to encapsulate its story in the manner that the Iliad and Odyssey do for the Troy story. Myths set in Thebes or involving Theban characters occupy a… Read more

Troy: Myth and Reality, The British Museum | Part 2: Frescos, the Horse, Odysseus, and written transmission

When I first heard that the British Museum was putting on an exhibition “Troy: Myth and Reality” I knew I had to go, and I was so happy that friends from the Kosmos Society were able to visit at the same time so we could share the experience with each other. In this post we continue our series of impressions and highlights. Upon entering the first part of the exhibition… Read more

Open House | Homer’s Thebes: Epic Rivalries and the Appropriation of Mythical Pasts, with Joel Christensen

We were excited to welcome Joel Christensen for an Open House. The title of the discussion is “Homer’s Thebes: Epic Rivalries and the Appropriation of Mythical Pasts,” based on his research and collaboration with Elton T. E. Barker. The event took place on Friday, March 6 at 11:00 a.m. EST. It was live-streamed and recorded. In preparation, you might like to read Iliad 4.1–421 and Odyssey 11.225–332, as well as… Read more

Open House | Confessions of Murder in the Odyssey, with Eunice Kim

We were excited to welcome Eunice Kim of Furman University for an Open House. The title of the discussion is: ‘Confessions of Murder in the Odyssey’. The session was live-streamed and recorded. The event took place on Thursday, February 6 at 11:00 a.m. EST. In preparation for this event, you might like to read the following passages: Iliad 24.480–484 Odyssey 13.256–286 Odyssey 14.378–385 Odyssey 15.221–278 Odyssey 22.27–59 Odyssey 23.113–122 Odyssey 24.… Read more