War and the Hero: The Epics of Homer and Virgil

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Homer's Iliad and Odyssey (c. 700 BC), dealing with the mythical Trojan war, are the foundation of Greek and Western literature. The lectures will discuss the structure, characters, and main themes of the two works, with special reference to the epic heroes Achilles and Odysseus. When Virgil began writing his epic poem the Aeneid in the 20s BC, Augustus was establishing his imperial rule. While Virgil's contemporaries and generations-to-come greeted the Aeneid as a celebration of Augustan Rome, many modern readers view it as a powerful denunciation of war and imperialism. This module explores the ways in which the text engages with both political ideologies and the literary tradition. Tutorial classes will encourage students to develop their skills in analysis and evaluation of the texts. The module requires no previous knowledge of Homer or Virgil, and all three texts are studied in translation.