L E C T U R E
H A L L
NEW! Extra video lectures for those whose equipment can handle longer videos.
The following lectures were taped during Greg Nagy's "The Concept of the Hero in Greek Civilization" course in Fall 1998. They touch on similar points as the video clips provided for this series, but also make use of parallels in modern media, such as film clips that have been incorporated into the lectures. Each lecture is about an hour long.
Copyright 1999, President and Fellows of Harvard College
For viewing the video clips, you need the free software available from RealVideo. It's available as a download for PC, and Macintosh.
Homeric Odyssey and the Cultivation of Justice has concluded. This site will remain accessible for those of you who have come upon the series after its conclusion. Units One, Two, Three and Four have been archived. On those pages you'll find reading assignments, lecture notes, and discussion questions.
Lecture II: Odysseus As an Alternative Type of Hero
Lecture III: The Homeric Concepts of Heroic noos ('mind') and nostos ('return') in the Odyssey
Lecture IV: The Ship of State: The Odyssey as a Metaphor for Governing the Polis