You are not signed in. Sign In  
Great Books Reading and Discussion Group
  Odysseus and the Sirens, eponymous vase of the Siren Painter, ca. 480-470 BC, (British Museum)  
Alumni meet monthly to discuss one of the classics of literature.

Cost: Free, apart from the cost of food and drink
No Registration Required
The Great Books Reading Group continues its exploration of the character of Odysseus throughout literature from Homer to the present. This month we read The Odyssey, the classic tale of Odysseus' ten-year journey home to Ithaca after the ten-year-long Trojan War. These tales have become a fundamental part of our culture, from Odysseus' captivity at the hands of the sea-nymph Calypso, to the blinding of the Cyclops Polyphemous to the siren songs and ultimately Odysseus defeat of the suitors for his faithful wife Penelope. Scylla and Charybdis have become an adage for having to choose between two evils, and the wisdom and cleverness, combined with arrogance of Odysseus, serve as a classic study of the strengths and weaknesses of mankind. And the story itself has influenced writers from Virgil and Ovid to James Joyce and Virginia Wolfe. For an overview of the proposed long-term schedule for our study of Odysseus, please see Odysseus in Literature (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nC0FlxFoGB9rFsXu_JbjVxfHP_kR64eYmUu_kC3XkMo/edit#gid=0).
Event Contact
Larry Brown PhD, 1992


Staff Liaison


+1.773.702.8955

 Facebook  Twitter

Event Information
EVENT DATE:
Monday, Mar 23 2015 at 6:15pm - 8:00pm [ iCal ]
LOCATION:
Agora Restaurant
1527 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036 USA
[ Get Directions ]