An Epic for the Ages: The Odyssey from Homer to Nolan

Description

The second of two foundational epic poems attributed to Homer, the Odyssey has greatly influenced western civilization’s views of home, determination and character. This film and classics discussion-based course will use a close reading of the new Mendelsohn translation to examine what has made this literary work so enduring and meaningful, and compare it with Nolan’s film adaptation, which participants will be expected to watch. We will focus on what the Odyssey can tell us about the time and society in which it was composed and first read, with particular attention near the end of the course on what re-interpretations of the story can tell us about our own time and society.

We will ask questions such as: How can we read epic poems with an eye to better understanding the history and culture that produces them? In what ways and why is Odysseus considered a hero? What are the values and cultural norms that influence Odysseus’ portrayal? How does the translation of the text impact our reading of it? What makes this story so meaningful and enduring (and fun!) that it is the subject of an enormous blockbuster movie? 

Lauren Kaplow is an ancient historian and classicist who teaches history and Latin at Concordia University. She received her BA from McGill (2005) and her MA (2007) and PhD (2013) from Penn State University in History/Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies. Her research focuses on Republican Roman political history, ancient Mediterranean religion and myth, and animals in the ancient Mediterranean world, but her teaching interests also include gender and sexuality, ancient disease and biology, and critical reading of primary sources.

Required texts:

• *The Odyssey (book) by Homer, translated by Daniel Mendelsohn.
• *The Odyssey (film), directed by Christopher Nolan.

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