The epic poems of Homer are undergoing a renaissance in contemporary culture with the novels of Pat Barker, Madeline Miller and Natalie Hanes. In this first lecture David Bellingham will introduce the world of Homer as seen through the lens of his first epic poem The Iliad. We will look at the archaeological evidence for Troy and its destruction as well as what excavated objects can tell us about the material culture of this ‘age of heroes’. We will also look at artistic responses to Homer’s text, focussing on the masculinities of characters such as Achilles, Ajax and Hektor and the fascinating character of Helen of Troy.
