This summer, 28 CIC faculty members will participate in a seminar on Ancient Greece in the Modern College Classroom intended to broaden their knowledge of ancient Greek texts and help them develop strategies for incorporating them into their courses. The focus is on the teaching of the Odyssey; last year, the Iliad was the text. The seminar, cosponsored by the Center for Hellenic Studies and CIC, will be held July 9–13 at the Center’s Washington, DC campus. The seminars are made possible through the generous support of the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation.

The seminar will be directed by Gregory Nagy, Francis Jones Professor of Classical Greek Literature and professor of comparative literature at Harvard University and Kenneth Scott Morrell, associate professor of classics at Rhodes College. Participants will explore ways the Odyssey can contribute to courses in a variety of disciplines and inform discussions on topics as diverse as the exchange of luxury goods to the adjudication of disputes arising from athletic contests.

Homeric poetry occupies a unique position in the evolution of ancient Mediterranean civilizations, playing a formative role both in the development of the epic and other performance and literary genres, as well as artistic, political, religious, and even economic conventions in the Greco-Roman world. Many of these features have found their way into our modern cultural contexts. Participants will also work collaboratively on materials for their courses and have access to the Center’s renowned library.

The Center for Hellenic Studies is a world-class research institute affiliated with Harvard University. Since its founding in 1962 as an “educational center...designed to rediscover the humanism of the Hellenic Greeks,” the Center has brought together people and resources in a variety of contexts to support the study of Hellenic civilization. In 2006 the Center was awarded the Onassis International Prize for its ongoing commitment to the promotion of Hellenic studies throughout the world.