Humanities & the Hero: Homer's Iliad

Time: 1-3pm

Dates: January 17, January 24, January 31, February 7, February 14, February 21, February 28, March 6, March 20, March 27, April 3, April 10.

Instructor: Seemee Ali, PhD

What is a hero? The word itself comes to us from Greek and is related both to the idea of time (our English word "hour" derives from the same linguistic root) and also the name of the mighty goddess Hera, who oversees the hour of our birth.

With ideas as with texts, "each generation must translate for itself," as the poet T.S. Eliot once urged. Emily Wilson's widely celebrated renditions of Homer's Odyssey and Iliad mark something of a generational achievement -- albeit Wilson is not the first woman to translate Homer.

(Her predecessors include Caroline Alexander in 2016 and Ann le Fevre Dacier in 1716.)How does the ancient idea of heroism compare with our modern understanding? Can translation challenge our contemporary ideas about heroism -- and can it do so any more than the "original" Homeric text already does? In lively sessions, we will read the Iliad carefully. We will consider Wilson's translation of the Iliad alongside other translations. Under the guidance of a practiced reader of Homer's Greek, we will also reference the original Greek as it has been handed down to us. All the while, we will be seeking the deepest wisdom of the great epic and asking how the Iliad continues to inform and deepen our hunger for heroism today.

**Please note that parking is not included in the price of the course. Free street parking is available along Routh Street or for purchase in the lot located at 2711 Routh Street.