Animals in ancient Egypt were worshiped as deities, Anubis, a dog and jackal, Horus, a falcon, Bastet, a cat, Sekhmet, a lion, Sobek, a crocodile, Toth, a baboon and ibis. In ancient Greece they were the companions or theomorphic stand-ins for gods and goddesses such as Athena and her owl, Hera and her peacock, Artemis and her deer, Aphrodite and her swan, and Zeus and his eagle. Many animals were… Read more
Modern classical scholarship has only recently begun to examine the subject of animals in antiquity (along with research on women, “barbarians,” slaves, disabled people, and other “marginal” groups). This in spite of the fact that animals abound in ancient art and literature. In ancient Egypt, animals were worshiped as deities. In ancient Greece, they were the companions or theomorphic stand-ins for gods and goddesses. Ancient authors from Plato, Aristotle, Plutarch,… Read more
This initiative offers an exciting opportunity for high school students from the DMV area who are interested in exploring the humanities through the study of Greco-Roman antiquity. Read more
On Thursday, December 4, 2025, the CHS was honored to host Dr. Lina Mendoni, the Minister of Culture of Greece for "An Evening on Greek Cultural Heritage: Preservation, Repatriation, and the Future." Read more
On Thursday, March 19, 2026, Deborah Blocker (Berkeley) and Anthony Grafton (Princeton) will discuss rare books donated by John Van Sickle. Read more
On Tuesday, March 31, 2026 at 6:30 p.m., Nina Papathanasopoulou (CYA Athens) examines Graham’s engagement with Greek myth and with the ancient sources that served as her inspiration. Read more
On Thursday, April 16, 2026, at 6:30 p.m., please join us for an episode of Ancient Greece Today, a new podcast to be launched by CHS in Spring 2026! Hosted by Naomi Weiss (Professor of the Classics, Harvard University). Read more
The Library of the Center for Hellenic Studies of Harvard University is happy to accept both monetary donations and gifts-in-kind, or non-monetary donations, which are compatible with the Library’s areas of collecting. We are particularly interested in rare and antiquarian materials but will also accept modern items as long as they are not already in our Library’s collection. To check our holdings, please search the Harvard Library Catalog,… Read more
A coy tease, enchantress, adulteress, irresponsible mother, hard-hearted wife—such are the possible images of Penelope that Homer playfully presents to listeners and readers of the Odyssey, and that his narration ultimately contradicts or fails to confirm. In this updated and expanded second edition of Regarding Penelope, Nancy Felson explores the relationship between Homer’s construction of Penelope and his more general approach to poetic production and reception. Felson begins by considering Penelope as… Read more
Harvard University’s Center for Hellenic Studies (CHS) offers an exciting opportunity for high school students from the DMV area who are interested in exploring the humanities through the study of Greco-Roman antiquity. Accepted students will take an introductory course (non-credit) to the Ancient Greek language, explore different aspects of classical studies in the twenty-first century, and take part in professional development workshops. The Scholars-in-Training Summer Program will be held in person at the CHS… Read more
Harvard’s Center for Hellenic Studies (CHS) and the École Normale Supérieure – Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (ENS–PSL) are pleased to invite researchers to contribute to the program “Humanities in the Text.” Initiated by ENS–PSL with the support of the École Universitaire de recherche Translitterae, and organized in collaboration with the French Ministry of Education and Youth, CNARELA, and APLAES, and now supported by CHS, this program seeks to create a digital anthology of Greek and… Read more
This event explores the current state of cultural affairs in Greece, with insights from the Minister of Culture. Read more
