Homer's Odyssey

The Odyssey is a story that never loses its relevance, and with Christopher Nolan's ambitious film adaptation as this year's major talking point, young Danish scholar Sophus Helle comes to Holstebro to discuss how literature's oldest epic portrays war and the trauma it leaves behind. The lecture is titled "The People's Pain" - a direct translation of the Greek hero Achilles' name.

Both the Iliad and the Odyssey emerged around 700 BCE with a 20-30 year gap between them. The two narratives are bound together by the Trojan War: the Iliad ends with its fall, while the Odyssey follows Odysseus' journey home to Ithaca - and explores equally what war does to those who survived it. As Sophus Helle puts it: "The Iliad explains how the heroes reach a mental place where they can slaughter innocent people and destroy Troy, while the Odyssey explores what that experience does to the victors - and as we will see, it leaves deep marks on their minds." The lecture will also touch on how the Greek concept of heroism differs from ours: the heroes are ambiguous, tricky characters, and Odysseus is the prime example.

Sophus Helle is a translator and cultural historian specializing in ancient poetry. He holds a PhD in literary history from Aarhus University and is affiliated with Princeton University as a postdoc. He has translated, among other works, the Babylonian epic Gilgamesh and poetry by Enheduana, the oldest author we know of.

The event takes place in the Library Hall and is a collaboration between Holstebro Folk University and Holstebro Library. Admission is 50 kr. Folk University members and students can collect free tickets via holstebrofolkeuniversitet.dk.