Explore the enduring mystery: did Homer's Iliad and Odyssey preserve genuine history from the Bronze Age, or did centuries of oral tradition blur the line between memory and myth? Associate Professor Jan Haywood examines how the earliest surviving Greek literary works—composed around the eighth century BCE but drawing on stories from circa 1200 BCE—evoke the ancient world through armour, tombs, and social life, while also reflecting the later Greek culture of their audiences.
Beyond Homer's familiar epics, discover the wider cycle of Trojan War narratives and traditions that shaped ancient Greek culture. This talk considers how and why these foundational stories remain creatively powerful even when historical evidence remains elusive. Jan Haywood, Associate Professor in Ancient History at the University of Leicester, is co-author of Homer's Iliad and the Trojan War: Dialogues on Tradition and co-founded the Herodotus Helpline, a free online seminar series dedicated to making Classics accessible to all.
Doors open at 7pm; the talk begins at 7:30pm. Arrive early for a good seat.
