The Great Books

Any class about The Great Books of the Western World must start with Homer. The tradition of western thought begins with the Greeks and moves forward from there.

We don’t know much about Homer, but his two epics, The Iliad and The Odyssey, speak for themselves. To understand the great conversation that is western literature, we have to start at the beginning.

That word ‘conversation’ is important for this class. As we will see, characters from these great epics will continue to weave in and out of the subsequent millennia of writers, from Dante to Dostoyevsky.

Fall Semester

Reading Guidance:

The Iliad by Homer

The Iliad is the beginning of western culture, the start of the conversation. The Iliad is considered the Greek Bible, in that it is as much an explanation of the behavior and personalities of the gods, than a story of Greek heroes. Around 1250 B.C., the Myceneans (modern Greece) sacked the city of Troy (coast of Turkey). The Iliad is the telling of that story. 

Main Characters / Virtues or Vices: 

  • Greek King Agamemnon (Pride, Greed)
  • Greek warrior Achilles (Pride, Wrath)
  • Trojan Prince Paris (Pride, Envy, Lust)
  • Trojan Prince Hector (Fortitude, Justice). 

The irony of the Iliad is that the honorable hero, Hector, is a Trojan, not a Greek. Of note, Aeneus will play a minor role in the Iliad as a Greek warrior, but he will be the future founder of Rome (Virgil’s Aeneid).  

The Odyssey by Homer

The Odyssey is the continuation of the siege of Troy, but focused now on the Greek warrior Odysseus. Odysseus is clever (like Zeus) and brave, but not always virtuous. He is a flawed hero, as he is smart and determined, but also brash and boastful. The Odyssey has many memorable stories that make it an entertaining read.  

Main Characters / Virtues or Vices: 

  • Greek Warrior/King Odysseus (Fortitude, Justice, Pride)
  • Odysseus’ son, Prince Telemachus (Justice, Fortitude)
  • Odysseus’ wife, Queen Penelope (Fortitude, Prudence)

The Oedipus Trilogy by Sophocles

The Oedipus Trilogy is the story of King Laius and Queen Jocasta of Thebes, who received a terrible prophecy from the Oracle of Delphi, where they make a regrettable choice. These plays are a study of free will and destiny. Do we have choice in our lives? And how do the actions of parents affect their children through the generations? What responsibilities do parents have to their kids? Kids to their parents?

Main Characters / Virtues or Vices: 

  • King Laius and Queen Jocasta (Wrath, Envy, Pride)
  • Oedipus (Temperance, Faith, Despair)
  • Antigone (Prudence, Justice, Fortitude)

The Histories by Herodotus

Herodotus was an ancient Greek historian who lived in the fifth century BC (c.484 – 425 BC). Often called the “Father of History”, he was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically, test their accuracy to a certain extent, and arrange them in a well-constructed and vivid narrative.

The Histories is one of the most revered books ever written, as it is a rare historical account of the rise and fall of Greece, but with fascinating insight to the surrounding empires. Book 7 is the story of the Battle of Thermopylae, one of the most famous battles in all of human history. It is a testament to the Fortitude of the Spartan Army. Book 9 is the final battle between the Greeks and Persians, where the Persians are finally expelled from Greece. Herodotus finishes the book with an explanation about the Pride and Hubris of the Persian emperors, compared to the fortitude of the Greeks. 

Recommended Translations:

Mortimer Adler How to Mark a Book. (Free PDF download)

The Iliad by Homer, Translated by Robert Fitzgerald

Other Translation by Emily Wilson

The Odyssey by Homer, Translated by Robert Fitzgerald

Other Translation by Emily Wilson

 Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone by Sophocles, Translated by Fitts & Fitzgerald

  • Other good translations: Francis Storr, Robert Fagles

 The Histories by Herodotus, Translated by de Sélincourt & Marincola. 

Course Assignments: 

For students receiving credit, three grades will be assigned.

1. Class Participation. (30%) This will be based on how well the student engaged with the material and contributed to the conversation. 

2.  Book Journal. (30%) Students will journal throughout the semester, recording the Author, Setting, Themes, Main Characters, and Examples of Virtues and Vices. 

3. Term Paper. (40%) Students will turn in a 3-5 page (double spaced, Times New Roman, 12 pt) paper on one of the following prompts: 

1) Compare and contrast the virtues and vices of Hector with Achilles. 

2) Describe the character of Odysseus. In what ways did he show virtue? In what ways did he show vice?

3) Describe the character of Oedipus’ parents, King Laius and Queen Jocasta.             How did their actions affect their family down the generations?

Spring Semester

Greek Lives by Plutarch, Translated by Robin Waterfield (Oxford World Classics)

Five Dialogues by Plato, Translated by Benjamin Jowett  

The Republic by Plato, Translated by Lee & Lang

      Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle, Translated by Bartlett & Collins

      Course Assignments: For students receiving credit, three grades will be assigned.

      1. Class Participation. (30%) This will be based on how well the student engaged with the material and contributed to the conversation. 

      2.  Book Journal. (30%) Students will journal throughout the semester, recording the Author, Setting, Themes, Main Characters, and Examples of Virtues and Vices (Select only 2 of Plato’s Dialogues for analysis).            

      3. Term Paper. (40%) Students will turn in a 2-4 page (double spaced, Times New Roman, 12 pt) paper on one of the following prompts:             

      1. Describe the character of Alcibiades. How does Plato’s dialogue help explain his actions in Plutarch’s Lives?
      2. Select two of the virtues from Aristotle’s Ethics, and explain how excess and defect affects these virtues. 
      3. Explain the role of Philosopher Kings in Plato’s Republic. Why did Plato distrust the democratic mobs in Athens?

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