The Iliad

(CLA 118)

This course is the first in a three-year sequence in which we will study the three greatest epic poems from ancient Greece and Rome: the Iliad, Odyssey, and Aeneid. The Iliad is a monumental poem of war, heroism, loss, and death, in which many of the profoundest issues of the human condition are explored in poetry that is both beautiful and brutal. We will learn about the epic tradition, the question of Homer’s very existence, and the ways in which the poem has survived to our age. The absolute central purpose of our course, however, is to become as deeply familiar with the characters and themes of the poem as possible. The Iliad has defied any final interpretation since it was created, but we will do our best to get as close to this towering text as we can. Students will read from the Lattimore and Fagles translations.

Marsh McCall, Professor of Classics, Emeritus; Dean of Continuing Studies, Emeritus

Marsh McCall has taught at Stanford for more than thirty years and was the founding Dean of Stanford Continuing Studies. He has taught a number of popular Continuing Studies courses and Master of Liberal Arts seminars. He has received the Lloyd W. Dinkelspiel Award for Distinctive Contributions to Undergraduate Education, the annual Phi Beta Kappa Undergraduate Teaching Award, and the Alumni Association’s Richard W. Lyman award for exceptional volunteer service to the University.