The Odyssey of Homer: a Close Reading

  Brought to you by Hopkins at Home

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August 19, 2021 - September 2, 2021 (3 sessions)

Thursdays, 6:00 - 7:00 PM ET

This Hopkins at Home course invites you to make your own discoveries as you read and discuss this classic of ancient culture. We will begin by reviewing the encapsulated plot summary, which is supplied by the Homeric poet in book one, at a Council of the gods on Mount Olympus. This council takes place ten years after the end of the Trojan War, which had itself lasted ten years. By this time, all of the surviving Greek heroes have achieved their “nostos” or homecoming with the exception of Odysseus, who has been languishing for the past seven years on the island of the sea nymph Kalypso. The goddess Athena, however, has decided it is now time to set in motion a series of events that will bring Odysseus home. Decisions made at the opening Council of the gods on Olympus set the stage for the interconnected adventures of Odysseus, his wife Penelope, and their son Telemachus—who was an infant when his father left but is now about twenty. We will follow these three plot lines as they play out across all 24 books of the Odyssey. For each of our three discussion sections, you will have the option of writing a close reading of a pre-selected passage of text, about 15-20 lines in length. Participants who choose to do so can share some of their observations in the weekly discussion sections. 

Course text: The Odyssey of Homer, translated by Richmond Lattimore (Harper Collins). 

https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-odyssey-of-homer-richmond-lattimore?variant=32123208826914 

Please note that there are many used copies of Lattimore’s translation of The Odyssey available from Amazon and other vendors. The year of publication does not matter, and cover images may vary; just keep in mind that you are strongly encouraged to use only Richmond Lattimore’s translation for this class. We will be looking closely at the text, and there may be significant variations in the phrasing of different translations. You may also find it helpful to have the paper text at hand to write your own notes in.

There will be three pre-recorded lectures for this class, plus an introductory review of oral poetry (e.g., the “ring structure” of oral-formulaic composition, the dactylic hexameter line, and the oral poet’s use of epithets such as “much enduring Odysseus,” “circumspect Penelope,” and “thoughtful Telemachus”). This introductory overview will also include a step-by-step guide to the close-reading process. The three class lectures, each of which is followed by a discussion section, are designed to guide your reading of the twenty-four books of The Odyssey.