Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
A dynamic conversation ranging from a discussion of female characters and narrators in the Iliad, to the likeability of the hero Achilles. Participants discussed ways in which Andromache and Kleopatra differed such as in their lamentation (Greg's functionalist definition of a lament: singing while you cry, crying while you sing) and differences in the pleas they make of other heroic characters. Discussion also turned to Hector and the importance of his given name in guiding his actions and destiny. Finally, participants explored the likeability of Achilles, his dual and often contradicting stature as a 'killing machine' on the one hand, and as a nurturing figure sensitive to the sorrows of life on the other. Other topics included the role and significance of Sappho as a female intellectual, the Trojans, and the Amazons.
Mentioned in the discussion:
Jean de Sainte-Colombe: “Tombeau les regrets”
Various recordings on YouTube, for example:
youtube.com/watch?v=L_wggZwDCTM
Nagy, Gregory. 2008. Homer the Classic. Hellenic Studies Series 36. Washington, DC: Center for Hellenic Studies. Available online at: https://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:hul.ebook:CHS_Nagy.Homer_the_Classic.2008
Nagy, Gregory. 2009. Homer the Preclassic. California. Available online at:
https://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:hul.ebook:CHS_Nagy.Homer_the_Preclassic.2009
Movie: “Tous les matins du monde,” 1991. Information at IMDB:
imdb.com/title/tt0103110
Roberta Flack song: "Killing me Softly"
Recorded in Fall 2021 during v16 of the MOOC, The Ancient Greek Hero in 24 Hours, focussing on Hours 3 and 4, and responses to the Discussion Questions.
With Gregory Nagy, Keith Destone, and members of the HeroesX Team.
A dynamic conversation ranging from a discussion of female characters and narrators in the Iliad, to the likeability of the hero Achilles. Participants discussed ways in which Andromache and Kleopatra differed such as in their lamentation (Greg's functionalist definition of a lament: singing while you cry, crying while you sing) and differences in the pleas they make of other heroic characters. Discussion also turned to Hector and the importance of his given name in guiding his actions and destiny. Finally, participants explored the likeability of Achilles, his dual and often contradicting stature as a 'killing machine' on the one hand, and as a nurturing figure sensitive to the sorrows of life on the other. Other topics included the role and significance of Sappho as a female intellectual, the Trojans, and the Amazons.
Mentioned in the discussion:
Jean de Sainte-Colombe: “Tombeau les regrets”
Various recordings on YouTube, for example:
youtube.com/watch?v=L_wggZwDCTM
Nagy, Gregory. 2008. Homer the Classic. Hellenic Studies Series 36. Washington, DC: Center for Hellenic Studies. Available online at: https://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:hul.ebook:CHS_Nagy.Homer_the_Classic.2008
Nagy, Gregory. 2009. Homer the Preclassic. California. Available online at:
https://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:hul.ebook:CHS_Nagy.Homer_the_Preclassic.2009
Movie: “Tous les matins du monde,” 1991. Information at IMDB:
imdb.com/title/tt0103110
Roberta Flack song: "Killing me Softly"
Recorded in Fall 2021 during v16 of the MOOC, The Ancient Greek Hero in 24 Hours, focussing on Hours 3 and 4, and responses to the Discussion Questions.
With Gregory Nagy, Keith Destone, and members of the HeroesX Team.
