Homerathon 2021

The University of Iowa Department of Classics and Eta Sigma Phi, the undergraduate honors society for classics students, will be hosting it's second virtual Homerathon on April 30! This year, 215 participants will read Homer's entire Iliad, with videos available through our departmental Department of Classics YouTube channel. Stay tuned for more information!

Department of Classics YouTube channel Homerathon Facebook Page

Virtual Homerathon 2020

The University of Iowa Department of Classics and Eta Sigma Phi, the undergraduate honors society for classics students, is proud to present a reading of Homer’s entire Odyssey in English translation through our Department of Classics YouTube channel (videos now included below).

Although some four thousand years have passed, Homer’s epic tale of adventure is still a cracking good read. After the Trojan War, the Greek warrior Odysseus sets off on a perilous journey home that ends up lasting ten years. Meanwhile, his son Telemachos comes of age and his wife Penelope uses her wiles to fend off a crowd of suitors determined to take Odysseus’s place.

Many thanks to our 135 volunteers for making Homerathon 2020 such a success! We've seen events cancelled, postponed, and rescheduled, and our calendars have never been so simultaneously packed and empty, but we all found time in our lives to read a little bit of a timeless tale to complete strangers, thousands of miles away. This year's Homerathon committee has been simply floored by the responses, enthusiasm, and creativity all of our participants showed. We have such diversity in terms of ages, genders, races, and nationalities - it is inspiring to see and really speaks to the universality of Classical literature. This entire endeavor has been a testament to human willpower during difficult times. Like our hero Odysseus, we have no doubt we'll get through this with plenty of stories to tell when it is over - except unlike Odysseus, we aren't alone in our journey.

If you have any questions or problems please contact the Homerathon committee:
Marcia Lindgren, marcia-lindgren@uiowa.edu
Debra Trusty, debra-trusty@uiowa.edu
Justin Vorhis, justin-vorhis@uiowa.edu
Lindsay Vella, lindsay-vella@uiowa.edu