Have
you ever wanted to go back to college and read some of the “great books”
of the West? Here is your chance to do so. In the first series of the Sunday
Forum class offerings this fall we will read some of the greatest books ever
written. We begin in September with Homer’s The Iliad.
On four Sundays, beginning September 9, Matthias Henze will read with us excerpts from this Greek classic. Please note that the rules of the Sunday Forum classes will change slightly. In order for this class to work, participants must read short sections from The Iliad before coming to class. The Iliad consists of 24 books. Below you find the dates of our four class meetings. The books listed behind each date will be discussed on that Sunday; this means that you will have to have read the assigned books before coming to class. You do not have to be able to attend all Sundays, but you have to have read the assigned readings to be able to follow the discussion.
Homer makes for a great summer reading (the ideal beach book?), so start reading now! English translations are easily available at every major book store in Houston and on-line. It does not matter which translation you use, though the paperback edition and translation by Robert Fagles in the Penguin Classics series is recommended. Make sure that you bring your copy of The Iliad to every class meeting. And please don’t be intimidated: we will go through the text slowly and will take plenty of time for questions. Most importantly, you will find reading Homer immensely rewarding and will come to appreciate why The Iliad is one of the greatest timeless classics ever written.
September 9, The Iliad, Books 1 and 4
September 16, The Iliad, Books 6 and 9
September 23, The Iliad, Books 15 and 16
September 30, The Iliad, Books 22 and 24