By Virginia Rufina Marquez-Pacheco – Contributor

An epic poem is a lengthy narrative poem which recounts the great deeds of extraordinary individuals, typically of mythical figures like heroes and gods. Epic poetry is one of the oldest forms of literature that survives to this day. Famously, the Epic of Gilgamesh is the oldest piece of literature that we know of, found on a cuneiform tablet from ancient Mesopotamia. Other epic poems from the Graeco-Roman tradition include the Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer and the Aeneid by the Roman author Virgil. 

A key aspect of epic poetry is that it was meant to be recited or sung, not read off the pages of a book, just like much of modern poetry. For example, it is thought that the writing forms of Homer’s epic poems that came down to us might be a compilation of many tales that would have been sung in the hall of ancient Greece. Thus, to honour this oral tradition, on Friday September 27, the Classical Studies Department hosted its annual reading of an epic poem.

Though in the past readings of the other epic poems were organized, this year, the department chose to conduct a reading of Homer’s Odyssey. This epic poem recounts the story of the Greek hero Odysseus as he attempts to journey home after the ten year-long war against Troy. Encountering lotus-eaters, the cyclops Polyphemus, the infamous Circe, gods and other monsters, Odysseus’ journey home to his wife Penelope and son Telemachus takes him ten years. This tale is undoubtedly one to captivate audiences.

This enterprise was organised by Dr Jenn Cianca, Chair of the Classical Studies Department and it involved the efforts of several volunteers. The epic reading marathon started at 6:30am in the Cleghorn room with Dr Jenn Cianca reading the first book. Each volunteer read for shifts of thirty minutes, each one taking over from the last reader with no break in between. The reading ended around 4:30pm. While some students remained during the entirety of the marathon, others dropped in and out.