Registration is now open for the latest session of “The Ancient Greek Hero in 24 Hours,” a groundbreaking open, online project from HarvardX that uses Massively Open Online Course (MOOC) technology to introduce participants to the literature and heroes of ancient Greece. The project is directed by Gregory Nagy, Francis Jones Professor of Classical Greek Literature and Professor of Comparative Literature at Harvard University.
Based upon one of Harvard College’s longest running residential courses, “HeroesX,” invites learners to experience, in English translation, some of the most beautiful works of ancient Greek literature and songmaking: the Homeric Iliad and Odyssey; tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides; songs of Sappho and Pindar; dialogues of Plato, and On Heroes by Philostratus.
Throughout the project, Nagy and his Board of Readers, chaired by Professor Leonard Muellner, model techniques for “reading out” of these ancient works instead of “reading into” them, all the while referencing a wide variety of cultures, popular as well as canonical, modern as well as ancient. Ultimately, even participants with little experience in the subject can gain an understanding how classical literature serves as an exquisite system of communication, revealing what it means to be human today through the lens of the Greek heroes of the past.
The project begins on August 15, 2016. Registration via edX is open to all. HarvardX learners may explore the content (free) or pursue a verified-ID certificate (additional fee applies). The Harvard Extension School also offers a traditional for-credit version of the course (additional fee applies).
