Odysseus: Homecoming King

This course explores the timeless values that are at the core of Homer's Odyssey. Students will discover The Odyssey's context within ancient Greek culture, its medium - that of oral-traditional poetic performance - and its messages for a modern listener. Homer's Odyssey is more than a mere primitive fantasy. This highly literary masterpiece forces the reader to wrestle with profound personal, social and political issues: identity, ethical behavior, justice, the importance of home and family, the relationship of survival to self-defense and aggression, the proper use of language, and the role of the divine in human life. The voice behind the poem gently moves readers to pay attention to their own circumstances, which turn out to be not so distant from those in the ancient world.

The next session begins January 28^th, 2005. Tuition is US$695.

Selected Topics Include

• Introduction: Defining the Modern World
• Homer's Odyssey and the Oral Tradition
• Song: The Kikones and the Lotus Eaters
• Justice: The Cyclops' Cave
• Clothing: Aiolos and the Laestrygonians
• Cunning Intelligence: Circe's Island
• Hospitality: Descent to the Underworld
• Strong Women: The Sirens and Scylla and Charybdis
• Divine Intervention: The Island of Helios
• Homecoming: Calypso's Island

Course Requirements

In this course students will be expected to complete extended readings and to write regular essays. Students will interact with each other and with the instructor via an asynchronous discussion board and synchronous chat sessions.

Prerequisites

The Humanities courses are open to students who are presently Juniors or Seniors in High Schools. Younger students who have successfully completed two EPGY writing courses at the W11 level or higher may also register.