Hesiod and the Homeric Hymns

This course is intended to provide a thorough introduction to the poetry of Hesiod’s Works and Days and the Homeric Hymns for students who have completed at least two semesters of Greek. Topics covered will include epic language and dialect, meter, formula, compositional technique and the historical and cultural background of Hesiodic and Homeric poetry. The course is paced for a gradual increase in reading per week, culminating at roughly 200 lines a week. Over the course of the semester students will become proficient in reading the Works and Days and The Homeric Hymns and will gain an understanding of the history, historical context, language, and linguistics of Hesiodic and Homeric poetry.