Video Dialogue: Ancient Greek Brides, Death, and Exchange, with Olga Levaniouk

Our community recently welcomed Professor Olga Levaniouk of the University of Washington to the Hour 25 Chatroom. (We hope to share that transcript with you in the coming days.)

After the live chat, Professor Levaniouk joined us by video to share additional thoughts about her research on ancient Greek weddings. She was joined in this video dialogue by Janet Ozsolak, a participating member of Hour 25 and a Discussion Facilitator from the second session of HeroesX. Together they raise and discuss several provocative questions such as:

  • Why does the bride wish for death at one point in the ritual?
  • Why are young girls described as “ox-fetching”?
  • What are the suitors of Penelope really trying to get?

We invite members to continue this dialogue in the forum where Professor Levaniouk answered additional questions. Join the conversation now.

You may download a transcript of the video here:

H25_Olga Levaniouk_Ancient_Greek_Brides (PDF)

Levaniouk is an Associate Professor of Classics at the University of Washington. Her first book, Eve of the Festival: Making Myth in Odyssey 19, uses the first dialogue between Penelope and Odysseus as a means to explore myth in Homeric epic.

Upcoming Visiting Scholar

Muellner_headshotProfessor Leonard Muellner of Brandeis University will visit Hour 25 on Thursday, January 23 2014 to discuss the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite. Join us in the Hour 25 Project Chatroom between 2:00-2:45 EST (Boston, MA) for this special event.