We will start the term by reading Homer's 'Iliad' (8th century B.C.) for three weeks. It's a strange, often disconnected, and violent poem, to the point that you may wonder why it's a widely revered classic at all.  The answer is that being a "classic" is an ongoing process which every generation has to reapply and reaffirm for itself.  We will watch centuries of Homer's readers in action celebrating, defending, and recycling the 'Iliad' as we study ancient Greek philosophical interpretations, a medieval romance by Geoffrey Chaucer, a fake Scottish epic poem, and Chuck Palahniuk's novel 'Fight Club' (1996). Not offered 2026-27.