October 19, 2016 at 12:26 pm
We know what you’re thinking. Gilgamesh… sung? No, it’s not the newest historical musical, hoping to capitalize on the hysteria for history-themed performances catalyzed by Hamilton. We’re talked here aboutthe opening lines of the Epic of Gilgamesh performed by musician Peter Pringle. The piece is not only played on a Sumerian lute called a “gish-gu-di” […]
August 5, 2015 at 5:13 pm
“Justice” is something of a buzz word in the Core: what it means, how it should be administered, and what constitutes a crime are just a few of the topics that are addressed by writers like Plato, Aristotle, Confucius, and Dante. For the most part, these great thinkers propose systems wherein criminals are punished retroactively […]
January 5, 2015 at 12:01 pm
Homer is known to CC 101 students as the author of the Odyssey, but surprisingly enough, not much more is known about his life story. A recent article published in the National Geographic suggests that Homer wasn’t a person, but a tradition.
September 12, 2014 at 9:47 am
This past Tuesday, September 9th, Prof. Michael Zank of the Department of Religion lectured to students in the first-year Humanities about the Hebrew Bible. His talk was introduced with some very moving comments by Prof. Stephen Esposito (Classics), the course coordinator. Prof. Esposito has agreed to let us republish his introduction here on the Core […]
Summer’s in full swing, and we’ve all settled into our lazy summer habits, which include the constant struggle trying to keep warm for those of us staying in Boston. For those of you missing the Core office, don’t worry, we miss all of you too. To keep your spirits up, we found this wonderful comedic […]
January 17, 2014 at 3:39 pm
Welcome back after the break! In relation to CC101’s study of The Odyssey is a poem by celebrated Russian poet laureate Joseph Brodsky, titled Odysseus to Telemachus: My dear Telemachus, The Trojan War is over now; I don’t recall who won it. The Greeks, no doubt, for only they would leave so many dead so far […]
October 15, 2013 at 3:53 pm
Related to Prof. Roochnik’s CC101 lecture on Plato and maths, is a post from Gizmodo titled ‘Wait a Minute: Does Math actually exist?’. Here is a sample: PBS Idea Channel tackles the subject of whether math really exists or not. It’s a legitimate question because math, unlike physics or chemistry or biology, can’t be seen or smelled […]
August 25, 2013 at 9:20 pm
Relating to CC101’s study of Greek tragedy, Core humanities Professor Hamill published an article earlier this month for the Theatre Commons’ HowlRound on the Trojan War on Boston’s stages and it’s relation to our understanding of modern warfare. She writes: Homer’s epic, the Iliad, has become the standard-bearer for the theater’s understanding of war […]
