Greek 461: Odyssey 6
MW 2:30-4:20, Savery 140
Olga Levaniouk
olevan@uw.edu
Denny M262B (206) 543-2266
Office hours: MW 4:30-5:30 pm
This course will introduce the students to the Odyssey in the original. We’ll read Book 6 of the poem, the episode in which Odysseus meets Nausikaa, one of the most lyrical parts of the poem. This being so, we'll accompany the Odyssey by occasional forays into Geek lyric, focusing on poems that have points of contact with the Nausikaa episode (some Sappho, some Anacreon, possibly some Theocritus). As we read, we'll pursue two practical goals. The first one is to continue— or begin—introducing students to the grammar and vocabulary of Homeric language. We will look at the dialectal, traditional, and historical aspects of Homeric language and properties of Homeric poetry as spoken word. The second goal is to get a taste of the Odyssey as a work of poetry in general and oral traditional poetry in particular. Apart from translation, the work for the course will involve learning to enjoy the Odyssey in a new way, some hard thinking, and possibly a very modest amount of secondary reading. Evaluation will include two quizzes, a brief class presentation, and a short essay, which may take the form of a commentary on a passage.
Texts:
A.F. Garvie, Homer, Odyssey VI-VIII (Cambridge Greek and Latin Classics). Cambridge University Press 1995.
Recommended Books:
Cunliffe, R. A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect. Norman 2012.
Steadman, Homer's Odyssey 6-8. Greek Text with Facing Vocabulary and Commentary (freely available online)
Heubeck, A. et al. A Commentary on Homer's Odyssey, 3 vols. Oxford 1992.
Lord. A. The Singer of Tales. Cambridge, Mass. 1960/2000.
Evaluation:
First Quiz: 20%
Second Quiz: 20%
Essay, 5-7 pages: 25%
Presentation (on the subject of your essay, during the eleventh week of class): 10%
Participation: 25%
Policies and useful links:
Phones:Please put your phone on vibrate and keep it out of the way during class. Please NEVER RECORD, AUDIO OR VIDEO, ANYTHING IN THIS CLASSROOM without first requesting permission from me and you peers.
AI: For this course, please do NOT use ChatGPT, Large Language Models (LLMs), or any other AI tools to assist you in translating the text. Please do not use these tools for writing your essay either (this includes using these tools to generate ideas or to rephrase or paraphrase yours or others’ work) unless you have a specific idea for how to use AI to do something you wouldn't be able to do otherwise. In the latter case, please talk to me.
Student conduct: The University of Washington Student Conduct Code (WAC 478-121) defines prohibited academic and behavioral conduct and describes how the University holds students accountable as they pursue their academic goals. Allegations of misconduct by students may be referred to the appropriate campus office for investigation and resolution. More information can be found online at https://www.washington.edu/studentconduct/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Safe Campus (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.: Call SafeCampus at 206-685-7233 anytime – no matter where you work or study – to anonymously discuss safety and well-being concerns for yourself or others.
Disability Resources (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
If you have not yet established services through DRS, but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (conditions include but not limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), you are welcome to contact DRS at 206-543-8924 or uwdrs@uw.edu or uw.edu. DRS offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities and/or temporary health conditions. Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process between you, your instructor(s) and DRS. It is the policy and practice of the University of Washington to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law.
Religious accommodations
“Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy (https://registrar.washington.edu/staffandfaculty/religious-accommodations-policy/) (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form (https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious-accommodations-request/) (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..”
Learning Support:
- Many materials for the class are provided via canvas. If you do not have access to canvas please let me know and we'll find a way of getting the materials to you.
- Access and Accommodations: Your experience in this class is important to me. If you have already established accommodations with Disability Resources for Students (DRS), please communicate your approved accommodations to me so we can discuss your needs in this course.
- UW Academic Support: http://depts.washington.edu/aspuw/more/campus-resources/Links to an external site.Links to an external site.
- UW Counseling Center: http://www.washington.edu/counseling/Links to an external site.Links to an external site.
Land Acknowledgment:
I am a white person of Russian, Jewish, Ukrainian, Polish and Belorussian descent, and I am teaching this course on the Seattle campus of The University of Washington, which occupies the unceded lands of the Coast Salish Peoples, the lands which touch the shared waters of all tribes and bands within the Duwamish, Puyallup, Suquamish, Tulalip, and Muckleshoot nations, whose ancestors have dwelt here since time immemorial and who live here today.
You can learn more about the history and culture of the Duwamish people from the resources at duwamishtribe.org. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. Real Rent Duwamish (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. offers a collection of resources to learn more about the practices of Land Acknowledgement here (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..
If you have comments about this Land Acknowledgement, please let me know: olevan@uw.edu