"A Healer is Worth Troop of Men"

In Book 11, we learn how important it is to have a healer in your ranks. "A healer is worth a troop of men," says Homer (line 607). By the end of Book 11, we learn just how true that statement is. But healers weren't generally leaders. One can hardly imagine Agamemnon having the kindness, even the condescension, to heal his men. And yet the idea of a "healing king" goes back to the middle ages, to Christian civilization. This is because Christ himself was the healing King.

Another prayer for the season of Epiphany:

O Lord, our heavenly Father, keep your household the Church continually in your true religion, that we who trust in the hope of your heavenly grace may always be defended by your mighty power; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

Agenda for Monday:

1. Prayer

2. Begin new additions to the Catechism

3. Final Exam Business

4. Final Exam Sign-ups will be conducted

5. Final Study Guide

6. Continue reading the Iliad, Book XII together

7. Complete your 3 Harkness Questions

Agenda for Tuesday:

1. Prayer

2. Begin new additions to the Catechism

3. Harkness Discussion

4. Read Book XIII in the Iliad

Agenda for Wednesday:

1. Prayer

2. Begin new additions to the Catechism

3. Bible: Read in the Exodus packets pp. 81-83

4. Review of Harkness Discussions from yesterday

5. The Decorum of Harkness discussion

6. Don't interrupt but don't remain silent; don't dominate the conversation but don't simply be passive; et cetera.

7. The Substance of Harkness discussion

8. Narrow questions and focus on the Iliad text. For example: "Does Homer describe battle imagery in positive or negative terms?" or "Where and how does Homer communicate the "warrior ethos" of the ancient heroic world? or "How does Homer contrast the characters of Paris, Achilles, and Hector?"

9. The language and speech of conversation should have an elevated voice, where the tone and substance of the dialogue is more formal and eschews flippancy.

10. Read Book XIII in the Iliad

11. Read up to line 775 in Book 13

REVIEW HW:

1. Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect. Pray, that you may not stumble.

2. Bring Iliad books everyday (We read Homer!)

3. Read Book XIII in the Iliad, up to line 775

4. Final Exam Business

5. Final Exam Sign-ups will be conducted

6. Final Study Guide

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Consider the culture of Greek civilization. A culture is what a people makes of their life. Here, on a common vase, we see fragments and scenes of the great stories represented on the artifacts of daily life.