This class compares the depiction of warfare in Homer’s Iliad with experiences of the U.S. combat soldier in Vietnam. By studying essential selections from Homer’s epic alongside accounts of the Vietnam War from the soldiers who fought in it, students will gain an understanding of how the uniquely difficult circumstances of the Vietnam War were damaging to those who served in the front lines of this conflict. Students will also study the significance of race and class divisions in the conflict both at home and overseas and how the Vietnam War is portrayed in film, literature and television. Recommended: AMS 1060.