IN PERSON: This 10-session course invites participants to journey into the heart of Homer’s "Iliad," one of the foundational works of Western literature. Through a combination of short lectures and open, guided discussions, we will explore two to three books (sections) of the epic each week, examining its poetic form through English translation, historical backdrop, characters, and enduring themes of honor, wrath, mortality, and fate. We’ll also address the mysteries surrounding Homer himself, asking what we truly know about the poet and why the term "Homeric" has come to describe a world of grandeur, moral testing, and mythic scale. Using Richmond Lattimore's translation, we will uncover how this centuries-old poem continues to resonate with modern experience and the cultural imagination. No prior knowledge of Greek literature is required, only curiosity and a willingness to engage with timeless questions. | Facilitated discussion.
Max enrollment: 25.
Location: Judea Reform Congregation, 1933 W. Cornwallis Rd, Durham NC 27705
