07
April 2026

THE WORLD OF HOMER

Welcome to Hambleton Arts Society!
Tuesday, April 7, 2026 - 13:45
Online Event

Learn how these ancient tales influenced artists and witers ever since

We have all heard of Homer and his works - less so about the inpact through the ages of thes ancient tales.

This talk examines the history and cultural legacy of the two earliest works in the western literary canon: the Iliad and the Odyssey. After an outline of each plotline, the talk will focus on how and why these poems have cast such a spell on artists and writers ever since, from ancient Greek tragedy and vase painting, through renaissance artists such as Botticelli and Bernini, and up to modern authors such as James Joyce and Madeleine Miller. Understanding the world of Homer is an essential element for understanding the history of western art.

THE ARTS SOCIETY ACCREDITED LECTURER

Mr James Renshaw

Following a degree in Classics from Oxford University, I have taught Classics at secondary school level since 1998, and currently teach at Godolphin and Latymer in London; here I run the school’s Ancient World Breakfast Club, which has an ethos similar to that of The Arts Society. 

Since 1998, I have published a number of textbooks related to the classical world, including In Search of the Greeks and In Search of the Romans. In addition to my school teaching, I have also lectured for the V&A Academy, most recently on their Classical World and its Afterlife and Classicism from the Ancients to the Renaissance courses. I am a keen traveller, and am lucky enough to have taken many photos of ancient sites, a number of which have been used in my books.