Homer, with a Thousand Faces. A Cultural History of the Homeric Epics between Italy and Germany

Undergraduate / Graduate

This course takes you on a journey through the many ways Homer's "Iliad" and "Odyssey" have been read over time. We begin in classical Greece: Plato criticizes Homer's fantasies and excludes poets from his ideal city, while Aristotle, in his "Poetics," praises Homer's skills but also adds that he is a master at telling lies. In the Middle Ages, Homer largely disappears from the Western cultural landscape, only to re-emerge in the 18th century with the rise of the Homeric Question. Thinkers like Vico and Foscolo reopen the debate, reflecting on Homer's role in the formation of cultural identity and the origins of poetry. In the 19th century, Hegel, in his "Aesthetics," devotes significant attention to Homer, seeing his epics as foundational texts for Greek culture. Around the same time, Leopardi, in his "Zibaldone," offers sharp and original insights into Homer's enduring relevance. Nietzsche, in "The Birth of Tragedy" (1876), interprets Homer's role in Greek culture through an artistic metaphor, linking him to the dreamlike quality captured in Raphael's "Transfiguration." In the 20th century, we explore Milman Perry's groundbreaking work on oral poetry, Havelock's analysis of Homeric justice, and Carlo Diano's philosophical reading in "Form and Event" (1952). At each stage, Homer is rediscovered, reinterpreted, and reimagined - revealing the lasting power of his poetry across time.