Homer - ENG00039H
Module summary
This module is primarily concerned with the two epics traditionally attributed to Homer, The Iliad and The Odyssey. The course considers what epic is, examining what is meant by oral composition and the nature of the epic tradition in both the ancient and the modern world. We will also explore what it means to be a hero in the Homeric world, ancient ideas of warfare, family, and politics, the role of the Gods, and much more!
The module will also look at the reception history of these epics. Exploring the literary and critical texts of writers such as Virgil, George Chapman, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Derek Walcott, Isidore Okpewho, Toni Morrison, Pat Barker, and Madeline Miller, we will trace how our engagement with Homeric texts has evolved over time. This part of the module will consider how engagement with Homer and Homeric texts is tied up in anxieties about modes of transmission, legitimacy, and value; the ways in which these epics have been deployed to aid colonial and nationalistic ventures; but also how writers use adaptation as a means of resistance, redeploying ancient texts (and the baggage they come with) to tackle pressing contemporary issues.
Students will be expected to have completed a preliminary reading of the two epics before starting the module. Please use Emily Wilson’s translations of both texts - The Odyssey from 2018 and The Iliad from 2024 (published by Norton).
Elective Pre-Requisites
These pre-requisites only apply to students taking this module as an elective.
A in English literature A-level or equivalent qualification
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 2 2025-26 |
Module aims
This module will give the students a firm understanding of The Iliad and The Odyssey. Students will engage with epic as a genre while developing an understanding of the critical discussions around Homer, these texts, and the reception history of ancient literature. Tackling such foundational texts, students will critically engage with discussions around the canon, literacy versus orality, textual transmission, and adaptation. By the end of the module students will have developed an understanding of the epic form, oral tradition, and an historical understanding of the values and traditions of the Homeric world. They will have engaged with a range of approaches to classical epic, as well as a range of global responses - from the classical to contemporary - to the Homeric texts.
Module learning outcomes
On successful completion of the module, you should be able to:
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Demonstrate an advanced understanding of and engagement with the Iliad and the Odyssey in English translation
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Demonstrate an advanced understanding of and engagement with the distinctive nature of oral epic
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Evaluate key debates within the relevant critical fields dealing with the literary, historical, and cultural contexts of the Homeric epics
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Produce independent arguments and ideas which demonstrate an advanced proficiency in critical thinking, research, and writing skills
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100.0 |
Special assessment rules
None
Additional assessment information
Throughout the module, you will have the opportunity to pitch, road-test, and develop essay ideas. Feedback will be integrated into your seminars or the ‘third hour’ (i.e. the lecture or workshop).
You will submit your summative essay via the VLE during the revision and assessment weeks at the end of the teaching semester (weeks 13-15). Feedback on your summative essay will be uploaded to e:Vision to meet the University’s marking deadlines
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100.0 |
Module feedback
You will receive feedback on all assessed work within the University deadline, and will often receive it more quickly. The purpose of feedback is to inform your future work; it is designed to help you to improve your work, and the Department also offers you help in learning from your feedback. If you do not understand your feedback or want to talk about your ideas further you can discuss it with your tutor or your supervisor, during their Consultation & Feedback Hours
For more information about the feedback you will receive for your work, see the department's Guide to Assessment
Indicative reading
The module is focused on Emily Wilson’s translations of both primary texts - The Odyssey from 2018 and The Iliad from 2024 (published by Norton). Other good modern editions (should you wish to compare different translations) are Robert Fagles’ (published by Penguin and often available cheap second-hand). All other materials will be provided for you on the VLE, but to get an idea of what we might look at and the approaches we might take:
Primary
Emily Wilson, The Iliad (Norton, 2024)
Emily Wilson, The Odyssey (Norton, 2018)
Virgil, Aeneid [selection]
George Chapman, The Iliad (1611) [selection]
Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Aurora Leigh (1856) [selection]
Derek Walcott, ‘Sea Grapes’, Omeros (1990), Odyssey: A stage version (1993) [selection]
Isidore Okpewho, African Oral Literature (1992), The Epic in Africa (1979) [selection]
Pat Barker, The Silence of the Girls (2018), The Women of Troy (2021), The Voyage Home (2024) [selection]
Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles (2011), Circe (2018) [selection]
Secondary
Barbara Graziosi, Homer (OUP, 2016)
Ian Morris and Barry Powell, A New Companion to Homer (Brill, 2011)
Robert Fowler, The Cambridge Companion to Homer (CUP, 2004)
Albert Bates Lord, Epic Singers and Oral Tradition (Cornell University Press, 1991)
For really up-to-date work on oral poetry have a look at the Oral Tradition Journal
Simon Dentith, Epic and Empire in Nineteenth Century Britain (CUP, 2006)
Eric Auerbach, ‘Chapter 1’, Mimesis (1946)