Emily Austin
Areas of Study: Department of Classics Curriculum Vitae
Contact:
Email
Interests:
Homer, especially characterization and emotions in the Iliad, Greek literature, Emotions in the ancient world, Conceptions of solitude, Greek and Latin grammar, Classical tradition
Emily Austin writes on Homer, especially emotions, as well as literary depictions of solitude in ancient Greece. Her first book, Grief and the Hero: the Futility of Longing in the Iliad, explores the nexus of grief, longing and anger in the Iliad. This work begins with a verbal find—Achilles’ grief for Patroklos is uniquely described with the Greek word “longing” (ποθή)—and through this discovery, the book traces the relationship between grief and action, giving a narrative account for why Achilles’ anger is insatiable. Her current research projects include a second book, Solitude and its Powers in Ancient Greece (in progress), which identifies surprising moments when ancient Greek poetry conceives of solitude as a good thing. In addition, Austin has written articles on Homeric similes and their relation to the narrative; meaningful variation in Homeric formulae; and the power of inactivity in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter and the Iliad.
UChicago Classics scholars on why we keep returning to Homer.
What makes The Odyssey one of the world's most enduring stories—and why do artists keep reinventing it? Classics professors Emily Austin, Sarah Nooter, and Patrice Rankine explore what is gained and contested whenever an ancient epic is brought into a modern medium and historical moment. Together, they’ll consider how adaptations invite us to read Homer anew and ask whether fidelity to a classic matters for its continued relevance.
This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
Speaker(s): Emily Austin, Patrice Rankine, and Sarah Nooter