RLS026 Reading Homer's Odyssey

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2025

The course is not taught in Spring 2025

Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. et Mgr. Juraj Franek, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. et Mgr. Juraj Franek, Ph.D.
Department of Classical Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Jitka Erlebachová
Supplier department: Department of Classical Studies – Faculty of Arts
Prerequisites
! KR026 Reading Homer's Odyssey
Working knowledge of English. The completion of the course KR025 Reading Homer's Iliad is a plus, but by no means a necessary prerequiste.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 60 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/60, only registered: 0/60, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/60
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 31 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The course "Reading Homer's Odyssey" introduces students to the Homeric world by close reading of selected portions of the foundational text of Western literature, ancient Greek epic Odyssey. Following the completion of the course, students will become familiar with the contents and the genesis of the work ("Homeric question"), its metrical and linguistic features, as well as basic notions of Homeric society, morality, religion, warfare and politics.
Given the influence Odyssey exerted in European culture, good knowledge of its contents will benefit not only classicists, but also students of European national literatures, students of religion and art historians.
Lectures are held in English, the course is therefore well suited for incoming Erasmus students.
Learning outcomes
Following the successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
- identify central isses of Homeric scholarship;
- present a detailed overview of Homer's Odyssey;
- describe the society depicted in Homeric epics and evaluate its relation to various periods of Ancient Greek history (Mycenaean culture, "Dark ages", archaic period);
- identify the influence of Homeric epics on the subsequent development of European literature.
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction.
  • 2. What happened so far: The Story of Iliad.
  • 3. Metrical, stylistical and linguistic features.
  • 4.-10. Close reading of selected portions of the Odyssey with commentary.
  • 11. From Odysseus to Ulysses.
  • 12.–13. Concluding remarks.
Literature
    required literature
  • Lattimore, Richmond (trans.) (2007). The Odyssey of Homer. New York - London: Harper Perennial.
    recommended literature
  • Wace, Alan J.B. - Stubbings, Frank H.A. (eds.) (1962). Companion to Homer. London: Macmillan.
  • Vidal-Naquet, Pierre (2000). Le monde d’Homère. Paris: Perrin.
  • Fowler, Robert (ed.) (2004). The Cambridge Companion to Homer. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Rengakos, Antonios - Zimmermann, Bernhard (eds.) (2011). Homer-Handbuch: Leben - Werk - Wirkung. Stuttgart: J.B. Metzler.
  • Morris, Ian - Powell, Barry (eds.) (2011). A New Companion to Homer. Leiden - New York: Brill.
  • Slezák, Thomas A. (2012). Homer oder Die Geburt der abendländischen Dichtung. München: C.H. Beck.
  • Finley, Moses I. (2002). The World of Odysseus. New York: New York Review Books.
  • Saïd, Suzanne (2010). Homère et l'Odyssée. Paris: Belin.
  • Nicolson, Adam (2014). The Mighty Dead: Why Homer Matters. London: William Collins.
Teaching methods
Reading, lectures and class discussions.
Assessment methods
Multiple choice test, a minimum of 70% is required to pass.
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
The course is taught once in two years.
The course is taught: every week.
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