High School Literature: Homer's Iliad

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Literature: The Iliad: Glory and the Will of God
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Class dates: Tuesdays, September 14 to November 2, 2010 (no class Oct. 19th)
Total classes: 7
Starting time: 10:00 am Eastern (9:00 am Central)
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
Fee: $140 for entire 7-week course. $20 Early Registration Discount before August 1, 2010
Instructor: Henry Russell, Ph.D.
Prerequisite: The ability to read, understand, and enjoy The Iliad
Suggested grade level: 10th to 12th
High school credit: 1/2 semester credit. Follow up with Dr. Russell’s Sophocles course for a full semester credit.

Course description:
Homer’s Iliad, the ultimate epic of war and the warrior, examines the problem of men who seek individual glory but who must unite to fulfill the will of Zeus. How do they subordinate their own wills to a greater cause, and how much suffering will it take before they learn to do so? On an even greater level, how can a city resist God’s gift of an ultimate beauty, even when that beauty comes to them by an act of evil? But what price must even the best of men pay when the community agrees not to punish such evil?

Course outline:
Class 1: Introduction to the Epic
Class 2: Books 1 – 4
Class 3: Books 5 – 8
Class 4: Books 9 – 12
Class 5: Book 13 to 16
Class 6: Books 17 – 20
Class 7: Books 21 – 24

Homework: Dr. Russell will provide quizzes, essay topics, and a midterm and final exam to be graded by parents.
Course materials: The Iliad, Robert Fitzgerald translation
Equipment requirements:
Students are required to have high-speed internet and a headset with microphone.
Misc:
Dr. Russell will be available via email in between classes for questions and comments.
Recordings of classes are provided to students within 24 hours and available for 6 months.
Homeschool Connections does not provide record keeping services.

Literature: The Iliad: Glory and the Will of God
(Click above for registration)