Shame and Honour: Homer’s Iliad in the 21st Century

Jeff Richardson

Honour (τιμη) and shame (αισχηυνη) were driving forces in the Trojan War. Shame and the restitution of honour are the armatures of the Iliad; these ideas directly affected the behaviour and political decisions of the Athenians hundreds of years later. Were 5th century Athenians proud of their heritage? Just as they indeed were, we Australians are proud of ours. What does pride mean, however – in history, in literature, and in life? If we can feel pride, can we (ought we) to feel shame too? Hector and Paris are archetypes of honourable and dishonourable men, and their story speaks to us directly, as it did to the Athenian demos 2500 years ago.

Jeff Richardson

Jeff Richardson is a founding member of The Coodabeens Champions and a past Committee Member of Humanities 21. He is the producer of the ongoing theatrical project ‘Homer Prepares’. He produced Humanities 21’s inaugural Melbourne Festival of Homer in November 2016. In collaboration with the Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation, University of Melbourne, Humanities 21 held the renamed ‘Ancient World Festival’ in May 2021. The Festival explored the ancient Greek and Roman world and its relevance today, with a mix of academic talks, creative performances and moderated Q&A’s under the theme of Re-interpreting Myth for Modern Audiences.

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