The written word has the power to generate ideas, inspire revolutions, and change the way we view ourselves and our place in history.

This series from the University of Auckland looks at the life history of influential authors, their style and beliefs, and the works they created.

Thursday 4 August

Homer’s Iliad

Presented by Dr Matthew Trundle 
PhD, MA, BA

The first great piece of literature of western tradition, the Iliad tells the story of a quarrel between the Greek leader Agamemnon and one of his allied chieftains Achilles in the final year of the siege of Troy.  It is part of a cycle of stories about the war and its participants.

It was composed through oral tradition, elements of it certainly reach back to Mycenaean times, but much of it reflects the later world of seventh and sixth century Greece when it finally was written down.

Its richness lies in the beauty of the poetry, the depth of its emotion, its pathos and the complexity of its detail and its multifaceted characters.

This lecture explores the Iliad from different perspectives from history to myth, to its language and style to its literary legacy and enduring power.

For more information, and to register, click here.