HFC–Nicosia held a well attended seminar on the Homeric Epics at the Pan-Cypriot High School in Nicosia on February 5. The event was organized in cooperation with Ministry of Education and Culture in Cyprus.
The unique features of Homeric poetry were the theme of the seminar, which was attended by 200 students from across Cyprus.
Claire Angelidou, president of HFC–Nicosia, emphasized in her opening remarks the importance of the Homeric Epics as foundational texts in the cultural heritage of Hellenism and the world. She quoted one of her professors, Ioannis Kakridis, who said, when asked what students should read to understand Ancient Greek culture, “Read Homer, read Homer again, then read Homer once more.”
The Director of Secondary Education, Dr. Cyprian Louis, also greeted the assembled students, while Assistant Professor of Classical Philology at the University of Cyprus, Dr. Giorgios A. Xenis, gave a talk on “the unique features of the Homeric Epics and their cultural influence.”
Lastly, students from St. Barnabas School in Nicosia, with the guidance of their teachers, dramatized the conversation between Hector and Andromache in The Iliad, where Andromache tries to convince Hector to stay out of the battle, lest he be killed. The performance was received with great applause.
