The gods and fate continue to control mankind, but The Odyssey will now add a third element: human folly. Together, we’ll answer the following questions:

1. Why would Odysseus have chosen to go home instead of possibly becoming immortal?
2. What role does Telemachus, Odysseus’ son, play in bringing Odysseus home?
3. How does Odysseus model a different version of Greek heroism than Achilles and Hector?

Recommended Reading: Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin, 1996.

Rage, honor, and fate continue to drive The Iliad to its ultimate, tragic end. As we read, we’ll explore the following questions:

1. What is it about beauty that would have made the Greeks go to war over a beautiful woman?
2. How does The Iliad highlight the values of the Greek gods that the heros then personify?
3. How does Homer attempt to resolve the conflict between loyalty to the family and loyalty to the city?

Recommended Reading: Homer. The Iliad. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin, 1990.

We turn our attention now to The Iliad, which is one of the most fundamental texts in western civilization. We’ll discover answers to the following questions:

1. Who was Homer, what is The Iliad, and why are we reading it?
2. How do rage and honor drive the story as much as the gods do?
3. Why are the gods so heavily involved in Homer’s recounting the story of a human war?

Recommended Reading: Homer. The Iliad. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin, 1990.

The way in which we choose to live will be affected by whether we live with Greek outlook or a Jewish one. Together, we’ll discover answers to the following questions:

1. According to the pagan mentality, why do people suffer? What does the Bible say about suffering?
2. How did the pagans define good and evil and how does that impact the ways in which they conducted their lives?
3. How does the Greek notion of tragedy give rise to the idea that man should take responsibility for his own life?

Recommended Reading: D’Aulaire, Ingri & D’Aulaire, Edgar. D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths. New York: Delacorte, 1992.

The concept of sacrifice is one that differs sharply from the pagan to the covenantal setting. Today, Rabbi Rocklin will address the following questions:

1. How does the cult of Dionysus uniquely position Greece—and eventually Rome—to be open to the notion of the covenant?
2. What is the difference between the Jewish and Greek aversion to human sacrifice?
3. Why must the Greek gods follow through on all prophecies in contrast to the God of Bible who can be persuaded to change his mind?

Recommended Reading: D’Aulaire, Ingri & D’Aulaire, Edgar. D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths. New York: Delacorte, 1992.

The difference between the Jewish and Greek worldviews come into even sharper focus with a careful study of the ancient Greek myths. Together, we’ll explore the following the questions:

1. Why do shepherds feature so prominently in both Jewish and Greek hero-figures?
2. How do the Jews and the Greeks differ in the way they relate to the animating spirits of the world?
3. What is the difference between the Greek notion that man was created in the shape of the gods and the Jewish perception that man was created “in the image of God”?

Recommended Reading: D’Aulaire, Ingri & D’Aulaire, Edgar. D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths. New York: Delacorte, 1992.

The earliest Greek mythologies come to us from Hesiod, to whom we turn for a glimpse into the Ancient Greek psyche. Rabbi Rocklin will address the following questions:

1. Who was Hesiod and why do we need to study his works?
2. According to Hesiod, why was woman created? How does that compare to the Biblical account of the creation of woman?
3. How does Hesiod’s Fable of the Hawk highlight the pagan perspective on being moral and just?
   Recommended Reading: Hesiod’s Theogony and Works and Days (available online)"

Today, we step back in time to explore the earliest Greek civilizations. Rabbi Rocklin will help us answer the following questions:

1. How did the Olympic games begin, and why did the athletes compete naked?
2. Why did the rise of the polis lead to the development of different types of government?
3. How did the Greeks develop a culture that valued other cultures?