Praising the Gods: Greek Hymnic Poetry and Its Context

Undergraduate / Graduate

In this course we will read a broad range of Greek hymnic poetry, starting with Hesiod's invocation to the Muses in the Theogony, followed by a selection from the Homeric Hymns, the Orphic hymns, and later literary or philosophical hymns by Callimachus and Proclus. Close readings will explore matters of language, genre, and literary tropes, as well as the evolving religious and cultural context of the hymns through the long chronological span in which the genre was productive in Greek antiquity.