University of Arkansas. Spring, 2002. CLST 4003 H. Ancient Greek Religion.
Illustration: Symposium (drinking party) with kottabos game in progress. Red-figure Attic drinking cup. 5th century BCE. Goulandris Museum. Athens. Photo by J. Matthew Harrington.
Written Assignment #1 Religion in Select Passages from Homeric Greek Epic
We will begin the course by looking at early Greek representations of religion in epic, and writing about how they portray religious concepts.
Thursday, January 17
Read Homer Iliad Books 1, 15, 18 (lines 1-154), and 21. You may use any translation you have, or a text from the Library, or Perseus' on-line Iliad:
Make notes on the use of prayer, sacrifice, reciprocity, the nature of the gods, the relation of gods to mortals and to each other, funerary ritual, and other points of interest. We will discuss these in class.
Tuesday January 22
Read Homer Odyssey Books 1 (lines 1-119), 3, 11. You may use any translation you
have, or a text from the Library, or Perseus' on-line Odyssey:
·Make notes on the relations between gods and mortals, divine versus human responsibility, sacrifice, prayer, libations, prophecy, the nature of the dead, and heroes. We will discuss these in class.
Thursday January 24
There will be no class meeting this day, to allow you time to arrange your notes and thoughts into an essay.
Tuesday, 29 January.
Hand in essay on varieties of religious expression in Homer. This essay must not exceed five pages in length, and will be a summary of what you have learned about religion in the epic passages, with relevant citations of the texts you consult. It will be double-spaced, in 12-point type, and cover whatever aspects of religion you find of most interest in what you read. You should show that you have carefully read and thought about the religious aspects of Homeric epic.
The professor will not accept late essays.
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