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Homer’s Iliad: A Three-Part Course with Dr. Joseph Luzzi

Homer’s Iliad: A Three-Part Course with Dr. Joseph Luzzi


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Can't make this time? A video recording will be sent to all participants after each event.

Why do many believe that Homer’s magnificent epic The Iliad “inaugurates” the Western literary tradition and even establishes an artistic gold standard that has proven remarkably difficult to rival in the centuries to come? How did this ancient oral poem make the transition into the “reading” cultures of modernity, and what valuable lessons have the book offered its imitators, both in the epic genre and in literature writ large?
In this three-part series, led by award-winner author, scholar, and teacher Joseph Luzzi, Professor of Comparative Literature at Bard College, we will discover what makes Homer’s great work “tick” by exploring the essential formal and thematic elements that give the Iliad its unusual force, even today, nearly three millennia after it was composed. 
Recommended book edition: Homer, The Iliad (Trans. Robert Fagles; Penguin, 1998)

Lecture 1: The Wrath of Achilles
Our first session will set the stage, introduce us to Achilles and the source of his deep anger as we focus on The Iliad, Books 1–8. 
Lecture 2: The Fog of War
Our second session will take us through the tactical choices and results of battle when we focus on The Iliad, Books 9–16. 
Lecture 3: The Death of Hector
Our third and final session will explore the events that lead to the slaughter of Hector and the aftermath when we focus on The Iliad, Books 17–24.

Joseph Luzzi received his Ph.D. from Yale University and is a Professor of Comparative Literature and Faculty Member in Italian Studies at Bard College, where he has taught since 2002 after being a visiting faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania. A frequent contributor to publications including the New York Times, TLS, and Chronicle of Higher Education, he is the author of 5 books, including "My Two Italies," a New York Times Editors' Choice selection and "In a Dark Wood: What Dante Taught Me About Grief, Healing, and the Mysteries of Love," a Vanity Fair “Must-Read” selection. His work has been translated into multiple languages and his many awards include a Yale College Teaching Prize, Dante Society of America Essay Prize, and Wallace Fellowship at Villa I Tatti, Harvard's Center for Italian Renaissance Studies. In 2017 he was named Cittadino Onorario/Honorary Citizen in Acri, Calabria, his Italian parents' birthplace. His next book is "Botticelli's Secret: The Lost Drawings and the Rediscovery of the Renaissance," which will be published by W. W. Norton. Professor Luzzi is the founder of the Virtual Book Club, an online community of readers dedicated to exploring some of the best books ever written. Learn more at JosephLuzzi.com.

How does it work?
This is a three-part series held weekly and hosted on Zoom. Please check the schedule for the specific dates and times for each lecture.
Is there a reading list in advance?
Though the course is open to participants with no background on this topic, there are suggested readings for further investigation. You will receive this soon after course registration.
How long are the lectures?
Each lecture is 90 minutes long with time for Q&A.
How much is the course?
The course is $105 for three lectures.
Is a recording available?
Yes. If you need to miss a lecture, you will be sent a recording after the event.

This conversation is suitable for all ages.

60 minutes, including a 30 minute Q&A.

Customer Reviews

Based on 18 reviews
89%
(16)
11%
(2)
0%
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0%
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C
C. (Darmstadt, DE)
Outstanding

Guest did not leave comment

B
B.M. (Victoria, CA)

Dr. Luzzi is enthusiastic and inspirational as he brings The Iliad to life and into the contemporary world to show us why this story is still so relevant and powerful. An excellent series - highly recommended.

J
J.R. (Chicago, US)
Excellent Course and Teacher

This is one of the best on-line courses I've taken, and I've taken quite a few.. Dr. Luzzi is an extraordinary teacher whose enthusiasm for his subject is infectious. His knowledge of his subject is deep, and his exploration of it is breathtakingly good.

G
G. (Montreal, CA)
The Iliad

Of course I knew of the Iliad and of Achilles but this was my first encounter with the text. It was time well spent and Dr Luzzi was a wonderful guide. Book 24 couldnt have its power without the gore and ferociousness of the earlier part of the song. That last book , as Dr Luzzi says, is a high point in Western literature - so moving and so human.
I look forward to the Odyssey - another poem I've not encountered textually , though well known in its plot and charaterization.
Thank you for a remarkable journey

J
J.B. (Los Angeles, US)
Immensely enjoyable exploration of the Iliad

Anyone who has not read the Iliad or read it ages ago should take Prof. Luzzi’s passionate, entertaining, knowledgeable, and relevant walk through the Iliad.

Customer Reviews

Based on 18 reviews
89%
(16)
11%
(2)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
C
C. (Darmstadt, DE)
Outstanding

Guest did not leave comment

B
B.M. (Victoria, CA)

Dr. Luzzi is enthusiastic and inspirational as he brings The Iliad to life and into the contemporary world to show us why this story is still so relevant and powerful. An excellent series - highly recommended.

J
J.R. (Chicago, US)
Excellent Course and Teacher

This is one of the best on-line courses I've taken, and I've taken quite a few.. Dr. Luzzi is an extraordinary teacher whose enthusiasm for his subject is infectious. His knowledge of his subject is deep, and his exploration of it is breathtakingly good.

G
G. (Montreal, CA)
The Iliad

Of course I knew of the Iliad and of Achilles but this was my first encounter with the text. It was time well spent and Dr Luzzi was a wonderful guide. Book 24 couldnt have its power without the gore and ferociousness of the earlier part of the song. That last book , as Dr Luzzi says, is a high point in Western literature - so moving and so human.
I look forward to the Odyssey - another poem I've not encountered textually , though well known in its plot and charaterization.
Thank you for a remarkable journey

J
J.B. (Los Angeles, US)
Immensely enjoyable exploration of the Iliad

Anyone who has not read the Iliad or read it ages ago should take Prof. Luzzi’s passionate, entertaining, knowledgeable, and relevant walk through the Iliad.