Our Mythical Childhood...
The Reception of Classical Antiquity in Children’s and Young Adults’ Culture in Response to Regional and Global Challenges
Homer in Bologna (2019)
On the 21st of March 2019 we met in the marvellous Aula Magna of the University Library (Biblioteca Universitaria di Bologna): many young students saw this ψυχῆς ἰατρεῖον (“healing place of the soul”) for the first time. There, generations of students were educated, developed new ideas, beheld the legacy of Knowledge as the result of collective work to which we are all called to contribute.
In that hall, we were surrounded not only by many precious books, but also by busts of ancient writers, philosophers, scientists: among them Homer. Under his gaze we gave a new voice to the everlasting words of Iliad 6, believing that they can heal our souls better than anything else.
Iliad 6, with the touching farewell between Hector and Andromache, was offered in its entirety: some parts were summarized, other parts were read in translation, some were even performed in the original Greek. Translations and paraphrases were made by the students of Bologna University, “Luigi Galvani” Classical High School, and “Marco Minghetti” Classical High School.
This event was organized within the Festival Européen Latin Grec (Lyon), the International Research and Educational Programme Cluster The Past for the Present (Alma mater studiorum–Università di Bologna, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, University of Warsaw), with the support and cooperation of the Department of Classical Philology and Italian Studies of Bologna University, of the Associazione Italiana di Cultura Classica (Bologna), of the Patto per la Lettura of the municipality of Bologna, and of the Biblioteca Universitaria di Bologna.
The public reading was joined by Prof. Katarzyna Marciniak, who at that occasion shared a video of a parallel event which took place in Warsaw, by Dr. Giacomo Nerozzi, Director of the University Library, and by many students of the two schools, we are happy to cooperate with: “Luigi Galvani” Classical High School, “Marco Minghetti” Classical High School.
A special thank to Professors Maria Carlotta Bendandi, Pietro Rosa, and Stefania Vita Finzi, the high school teachers, who offered their time, energy, and enthusiasm to instill in them the desire to understand and to get involved.
Prof. Valentina Garulli
Alma mater studiorum–Università di Bologna