5-Week SASA Continuing Education Reading Group- From Homer To Hollywood: The Ancient World in Film

From Homer to Hollywood will examine the ways in which aspects of the classical world have been depicted in film, and what the filmmaker’s usage (and abusage) of this ancient material can say to us about our own experiences and knowledge of the classical world.

Using a variety of cinematic sources, we delve into the insights these give us about ancient society, uncovering how core ideas – including kleos, timé, arête, furor, pietas, and other ancient notions about gender, sexuality, and community – can be observed through the prism of modern cinema.

Discussion then turns to how successfully these ancient ideals have been reframed for modern society. Learners will be encouraged to share their own cinematic proclivities, which provides agency, and promotes a practical chance to apply the skills that this course aims to develop.

This Reading Group is primarily designed for educators, but anyone interested is welcome to attend!