Homer's Odyssey: The World Without Fathers

Why Should a Catholic Study Homer? 

Join us on a journey of learning with Dr. Henry Russell’s course Homer’s Odyssey: The World Without Fathers. Dr. Henry Russell is headmaster of St. Augustine Homeschool Enrichment Program and author of The Catholic Shakespeare Audio Series.

These ancient texts and the worldview they represent are part of the pre-Christian era and so lack the revelation of Jesus Christ. However, because men of all times and places are made for God, all civilizations reveal the pursuit of truth and represent it in partial glimpses. Ancient Greek texts such as the Odyssey often transcend their time and even pave the way for the fullness of truth found in the Catholic faith. 

This course explores those partial truths in the light of Christ, which allows us to deepen our understanding of the ancient world from which Western Civilization sprang. Not only are the core philosophies of this course Catholic, and the aim of its exploration aligned with the Faith and revelation, but Dr. Russell also begins every lecture in prayer. Through this ancient text, the course forms students in both mind and heart for a deeper love and appreciation of God’s promise of the Redeemer and his incarnation as man.

In-Depth Analysis

Dr. Russell trains students in the art of rigorous conversation with literary texts. The course covers Homer’s Odyssey in its entirety while analyzing key themes such as:

• • What makes an epic and an epic’s characteristics
  • Universal human questions as explored in the story of The Odyssey
  • The necessity of fatherhood and the family 

You don’t want to miss this deeply Catholic journey into classical literature. 

1. 1. Introduction to the Epics
   2. Quest, Justice, and Conquest
   3. Agon, Kingship, and Kinship
   4. The King's House and the Making of a Hero
   5. The Polis and Fathered Society
   6. The Glory of Marriage
   7. Divine Kalypso & The Second Temptation
   8. Phaiakia, Songs and Games
   9. Bad Habits and Adventure
   10. Men Earn Their Doom
   11. Lessons of the Dead & More Gifts of Circe
   12. Homecoming and The Last Shall Be First
   13. The Son, Heroic Courtesy and Humiliations
   14. Selfish Beggar, Disgraceful Masters, & Intuitions
   15. The Test of the Bow and Slaying of Suitors
   16. Penelope's Test and Divine Justice

• • Lesson Plan
  • Quizzes
  • Final Essay
  • Lecture Notes
  • Answer Key