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Homer and the Alphabet

In his new book, which was published by the Hellenic American Union in December 2010, Nanos Valaoritis analyses how the two Homericepics were probably written using the alphabet as a rhetorical and symbolic thread and part of the text. It is otherwise impossible to explain the length of the poems and the use of the alphabetical letters as merely separating marks. Using a method of thematic acrophony, (naming letters in an alphabetic writing system using words whose initial sounds are represented by the respective letters) the poet chose words which began with the letters of the titles in order to draw up the main topics of each rhapsody. For instance words which began with the letter A define the main topics of the rhapsody A in the Iliad or in the Odyssey, with B in the rhapsodies B and so forth.
Speakers:
Nanos Valaoritis, Author of the book
Panayiotis Vouzis, Doctor of Classical Literature, School of Philosophy, Athens University
Maria Kakavoulia, Associate Professor at the Department of Communication, Media and Culture, Panteion University of Social & Political Sciences
Dimitris Kalokiris, Writer
Manos Stefanidis, Adjunct Professor, Department of Theater Studies, Athens University 
Leonidas-Phoebus Koskos, Executive Director of the Hellenic American Union coordinates the discussion 

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