Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 5 hours ago
Discussion about the different approaches of Homeric and Hesiodic poetry. One of the primary questions was whether Homeric poetry addresses 'what is right' and 'what is wrong?' even if it doesn't answer questions of justice and injustice.
As Professor Nagy points out, an important subtlety for answering this question is to look at the distinctions between the Master Narrator and the speaker in the works of the Iliad and the Odyssey. A few occasions in either works include the scene of Nestor speaking in Odyssey 3, and the simile in the Iliad where the onslaught of Achaeans is likened to the onslaught of Zeus punishing a population with a thunderstorm. Other related themes include use of "dikē" and "hubris" (or lack thereof); death and its various shades of meaning, and the successful passage from one stage to another.
Recorded in Fall 2020 during v14 of the MOOC, The Ancient Greek Hero in 24 Hours, focusing on Hours 12 and 13, and responses to the Discussion Question.
With Gregory Nagy, Keith DeStone, and members of the HeroesX Team.
Discussion about the different approaches of Homeric and Hesiodic poetry. One of the primary questions was whether Homeric poetry addresses 'what is right' and 'what is wrong?' even if it doesn't answer questions of justice and injustice.
As Professor Nagy points out, an important subtlety for answering this question is to look at the distinctions between the Master Narrator and the speaker in the works of the Iliad and the Odyssey. A few occasions in either works include the scene of Nestor speaking in Odyssey 3, and the simile in the Iliad where the onslaught of Achaeans is likened to the onslaught of Zeus punishing a population with a thunderstorm. Other related themes include use of "dikē" and "hubris" (or lack thereof); death and its various shades of meaning, and the successful passage from one stage to another.
Recorded in Fall 2020 during v14 of the MOOC, The Ancient Greek Hero in 24 Hours, focusing on Hours 12 and 13, and responses to the Discussion Question.
With Gregory Nagy, Keith DeStone, and members of the HeroesX Team.
