University of Pennsylvania Department of Classical Studies

Welcome to the Department of Classical Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. For over two centuries Penn has offered a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs representing all aspects of the broad field of Classical Studies, from languages and literature to history, archaeology and cultural studies. The Department encourages interdisciplinary and comparative approaches to teaching and research and maintains productive ties with a variety of programs, including Religious Studies, English, Comparative Literature, Medieval Studies, Philosophy, Linguistics, Italian Studies, History of Art, and the Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.

Jeremy McInerney, Department Chair
Emily Wilson, Graduate Chair, Classical Studies
Cynthia Damon, Graduate Chair, Ancient History
James Ker, Undergraduate Chair
Julie Nishimura-Jensen, Director, Post-Baccalaureate Program

"Achilles vs. Odysseus: Staging Ethics in Athens and Rome."

colloquium

Speaker:

Joe Farrell, University of Pennsylvania

Homer's portrayal of Achilles and Odysseus in the Iliad and the Odyssey as opposite character types had an enormous influence on subsequent literary and critical discourse. Two extraordinarily rich contexts of reception between about 475 to 350 BC were Athenian dramatic and philosophical literature. These two genres share an overriding concern with the suitability of one or the other of these characters as models for ethical behavior in contemporary political and social circumstances.

Event Date:

02/09/2012

Event Time:

4:30 pm

Location:

Cohen Hall room 402