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UID:44@prometheustrust.co.uk
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250520T194500
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250520T211500
DTSTAMP:20250520T081012Z
URL:https://prometheustrust.co.uk/events/a-platonic-look-at-the-iliad-of-h
 omer/
SUMMARY:A Platonic look at the Iliad of Homer
DESCRIPTION:In the glittering and enduring stellium that was ancient Greece
 \, the two brightest stars were Plato and Homer: the former is known as th
 e founder of the West's philosophic approach to truth\, the latter as the 
 founder of the West's literary tradition. But perhaps the simple division 
 of philosopher on the one hand\, and epic fiction writer on the other fail
 s to capture the range of either: Plato's use of myth and story\, and his 
 power to move the reader in the drama of his dialogues\, along with his ab
 ility to elevate and initiate those who follow him along the path of philo
 sophy is there for any who are open to such possibilities. And Homer\, who
 se understanding of the human condition and the divine stage upon which we
  are required to unfold our mysterious nature has rarely been surpassed\, 
 has perhaps obscured his wide-ranging wisdom by hiding it in symbolic and 
 mythic language.\n\nCan we draw the two together by reading Homer with Pla
 tonic eyes? Will Platonic concepts help us to gain a deeper understanding 
 of the two great epics attributed to Homer\, and will his verses give us i
 nsights into the narrative which Plato offers us\, scattered through vario
 us dialogues\, of the soul's journey? This is the first of two open sessio
 ns\, this one on the Iliad (with a session on the Odyssey in June).\n\nThi
 s session will use this paper as our starting point: Platonic perspective 
 on Homers Iliad\n\nThese open sessions usually run twice on the same day t
 o accommodate different time zones- - see the link below. These sessions t
 ake particular topics or passages from Plato and other writers in the trad
 ition - these are open to anyone interested\, and they attract a wide rang
 e of participants. We usually begin with a short 5 or 10 minute introducti
 on to the subject in hand and (when appropriate) a reading of a short text
 : this leaves a good hour or so to discuss the ideas which arise.\n\nThere
  are no fees payable. The Trust sees the Platonic tradition as a spiritual
  one: not only a guide for the outer life\, but especially to be treasured
  for its assistance in the cultivation of the inner self - the soul - for\
 , says Plato in the Timeaus\, “we are not terrestrial plants\, but blos
 soms of heaven.” We understand the tradition to be profound and cohesiv
 e\, and one that repays the long-term effort required to truly embed onese
 lf in it. Our approach is not exclusive - we value other traditions for t
 heir insights - nor is it dogmatic or an attempt to proselytise: however w
 e are serious in our attempts to fathom the depths of the tradition\, to i
 dentify its foundations\, and where its teachings seem to run counter to a
 ccepted thinking to investigate them thoroughly rather than rejecting them
  prematurely. Thus our point of focus is on the teachings of the tradition
  and most especially our own inner response to them.\n\nBy joining our stu
 dies you are making no commitment beyond that of co-operating with us in o
 ur exploration of those truths which have inspired a company of men and wo
 men most luminous in their understanding\, and unsparingly generous in the
 ir teaching.\n\nYou can register for the UK timed session via zoom by clic
 king on the link above or here.\n\nAnd for the US-timed session click here
 .
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://prometheustrust.co.uk/wp-content/uploads
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CATEGORIES:Open session
LOCATION:https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tL1n9OTaR1mXMzesP50yEweet
 ing/register/SRL5FZihSuqtf3ipV9ykpQ
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