If Homer spoke first to the Muse, Sappho confided in Aphrodite, and Ovid described trees that used to be human lovers, it is not because the Muse and Aphrodite were familiar, physical entities Homer or Sappho had encountered. We, moderns, might be tempted to call these stories and figures “make-believe” or, even, “fake;” even so, for these ancient writers, these figures and stories were very “real.” Yet, what was” real” in antiquity was broader and, indeed, stranger.
The purpose of this reading group is to encounter and understand various worldviews prominent in antiquity, from the quasi-surrealism of Ovid to the quotidian poems of Catullus. We will come to understand their view of things by seeing briefly through their eyes, as we read their poems, myths, and stories. Ultimately, we will hope to see the world around and within us more truly.
All undergraduate, graduate, and medical students are welcome.
Email jprather@houstoninstitute.org to RSVP.
