24 M

• Course Introduction
• Lecture Preliminary to Homer. (Read this before class.)
• Documentary Film Series Recommendation:
  In Search of the Trojan War,
  (1985; DVR 2004) Dir. Bill Lyons.
• Homework:
  • As discussed in the preliminary lecture, the Iliad is part of a much larger Epic Cycle, which begins with the Cypria. Read this linked summary before beginning the Iliad. (Note also the pertinent Extra-Credit assignment for this course.)
  • Carefully read the material scheduled for discussion on Wednesday. If you have never before read the Iliad, it can at first seem quite confusing. Take notes. Refer to the maps (pp. 68-73), the "Pronouncing Glossary" (pp. 639-83), and these Genealogical Charts. Don't despair! You'll quickly get a good sense of the main characters and gods, their relations, and their respective loyalties.