Greek myths of gods and heroes, love and death, family and duty, have endured the test of time. Many stories that ancient writers took up – the Trojan War, the homecoming of Odysseus and Agamemnon, Pandora, the Oedipus cycle, and countless others – are now being revitalized by contemporary bestselling authors.

In this reading group, we will read some of these myths both in their ancient form and their modern retellings. Our focus will be the “Women of Myth” – female characters that were marginalized, vilified, victimized, or those who simply stayed silent in male-authored works. A big trend in the contemporary retellings and adaptations of myth is giving voice to these characters and allowing us to see the story from their perspective. We will ask: What is it that keeps drawing us to these stories? Are these myths worth retelling? How does the author engage in myth-making of their own? Can we relate, or is myth pure fanciful entertainment?

Please note this group meets virtually.

This reading group is virtual and meets on ZOOM. We will meet second Thursdays 5:30-7pm from September 2024 through May 2025. There will be two elective in-person social gatherings at the library, on September 14 and May 10.

Thurs, September 12
Homer’s Iliad (selections)
Optional: all of the Iliad

*Sat, September 14 11:30AM*
Elective social gathering meeting in the Athenæum’s Bound

Thurs, October 10
Silence of the Girls, Pat Barker
Optional: watch Troy (2004), Troy: Fall of a City (miniseries, 2018)

Thurs, November 14
The Trojan Women by Euripides (play)
A Thousand Ships, Natalie Haynes

Thurs, December 12
Homer’s Odyssey (selections from)
Optional: all of the Odyssey

*CANCELED* Thurs, January 9 (will discuss Circe at February meeting)
Circe, Madeline Miller

Thurs, February 13
Circe, Madeline Miller
Penelopiad, Margaret Atwood

Thurs, March 13
Agamemnon by Aeschylus (play)
Elektra by Sophocles (play)
Elektra, Jennifer Saint
Optional: Iphigenia at Aulis, Euripides (play)
Optional: Clytemnestra, Costanza Casati

Thurs, April 10
Oedipus Tyrannus, Sophocles (play)
Antigone, Sophocles (play)
The Children of Jocasta, Natalie Haynes

Thurs, May 8
Pandora, Susan Stokes-Chapman
Excerpts from Hesiod on Pandora

*Sat, May 10 4:00PM*
Elective social gathering meeting in the Athenæum’s Bound

Please note: We will read ancient works as well as modern. Ancient works now exist in many different translations and editions. You are welcome to pick whichever translation you like. There are also some free online translations available; these, however, are outdated in language. Here are the translations I am using, in case others want to follow along:
Iliad: Fagles’ translation
Odyssey: Fitzgerald’s translation
Euripides plays: University of Chicago Press series, Euripides III (browse the rest of the series for optional plays)
Aeschylus plays: University of Chicago Press series, Aeschylus II
Sophocles plays: University of Chicago Press series, Sophocles I and II.

Another note: Greek mythology is riddled with stories of interpersonal violence. While the ancient works whitewash and trivialize much of this violence, many contemporary retellings make a point to bring it into the light. This content may be sensitive and triggering. If you have any concerns, please feel free to reach out with questions.

If you want to brush up on myth:
Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes , Edith Hamilton: Good, concise overviews of Classical myths.
Classical Mythology, Morford, Lenardon, and Sham: For those who want more detailed overviews of myths. I have used it as a textbook in my classes before. Cons: it is pricey (but it’s easy to find gently used copies and older editions).
The Penguin Dictionary of Classical Mythology, Pierre Grimal: Excellent resource to look up quick bios of secondary characters that are mentioned. Other dictionaries and encyclopedias are also available.

Cicek Beeby is an academic and a multimedia visual artist. After a ridiculous number of degrees in art history, archaeology, and Classics, she has joined the Brown University as a research fellow. She has taught art and myth for many years, and she’s looking forward to discussing the modern reiterations of these myths with her fellow readers.