 Lombardo Brings Ancient Times to Life  |
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(Back row, left to right) Bill Gatzoulis, President of Paideia of New Hampshire; Penelope Salmons; Dino Siotis, Director of the Press Office of the Consulate General of Greece in Boston and Editor of MondoGreco literary magazine; (front row, left to right) Christos and Mary Papoutsy, series benefactors and members of the advisory board; Dr. John C. Rouman, Professor Emeritus of the Classics Department of the University of New Hampshire; Dr. Stanley Lombardo, guest performer and lecturer; Prof. Nina Gatzoulis of the Modern Greek Program of the University of New Hampshire.
Durham and Portsmouth, NH—On Wednesday evening, April 24, 2002, Dr. Stanley Lombardo, an internationally recognized Classical scholar and artist, thrilled a standing-room-only crowd at the University of New Hampshire in Durham with a performance of selected passages from Homer's Odyssey.
Modulating his sonorous voice and effectively using drumbeats, Lombardo dramatized sections of Odysseus' stay with the nymph, Calypso, and of his triumphant homecoming to Ithaca. Through the skill and talent of this master scholar and performer, the words of Homer came alive for a few hours, transforming modern listeners, just as in ancient times. Accompanying Dr. Lombardo were violinist Frederick Elias and santouri-player Christos Papoutsy. The performance concluded with a thunderous standing ovation and calls for encores from an audience spellbound by the dramatic presentations. Following the performance, Dr. Lombardo led an extensive question-and-answer period during which many aspects of Homeric epic and its performance in ancient settings were discussed. Members of the audience and faculty raised the issue of Homer's identity, techniques of translating, and composition of the epics, to cite just a few topics of the post-performance discussion. Professor of Classics at the University of Kansas, Lombardo teaches Greek and Latin at all levels, as well as courses on Classical mythology, and Greek literature and culture. He has been has given dramatic readings of his translations on campuses throughout the country, as well as at such venues as the Smithsonian Institution and the Chicago Poetry Center as well as on National Public Radio and national television (C-SPAN). Although the dramatic skill of Lombardo clearly rivals his scholarly work, he is perhaps best known for his acclaimed contemporary translations of Homer's works--translations which are utilized in classrooms throughout the nation. Among these are Homer's Iliad (Hackett, 1997), recipient of the Byron Caldwell Book Award and performed by the Aquila Theatre Company at Lincoln Center in 1999; Homer's Odyssey (Hackett, 2000); Hesiod's Works and Days and Theogony (Hackett, 1993), winner of a National Translation Center Award; Sappho's Poems and Fragments (Hackett, 2002); Callimachus' Hymns, Epigrams and Select Fragments (Johns Hopkins, 1988); Aratus' Phaenomena (North Atlantic, 1982); Parmenides and Empedocles, The Fragments in Verse Translation (Grey Fox, 1979); translations of Plato's Protagoras and Lysis (Hackett); a selection of Horace's Odes in Latin Lyric and Elegiac Poetry (Garland, 1995); Dr. Lombardo maintains an interest in Greek astronomy, on which he has published several articles and taught courses. He is also interested in Asian philosophy and has co-authored a translation of the Tao Te Ching (Hackett, 1993). The dramatic presentation of Dr. Lombardo is the fifth in the John C. Rouman Classical Lecture Series at the University of New Hampshire. Named for a highly regarded professor emeritus of the Classics Department, a fine scholar who still teaches at the university, the lecture series strives to enhance awareness of the Classics by bringing internationally known lecturers and performers to the Durham campus. Among the past lecturers have been Dr. John Silber, Dr. Bernard Knox, Dr. Brunilde Ridgway, and Dr. Anna Marguerite McCann, all of whose speeches can be found online on webpages hosted by Hellenic Communication Service at http://www.HellenicComServe.com under the Classics section. For more information about the lecture series, contact the Classics Program of the University of New Hampshire at tss@christa.unh.edu or 603-862-3190, or contact Dianne Hopkins of Hellenic Communication Service at PapcoHolding@aol.com or 603-431-7030. |
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 (Back row, left to right) Dr. John T. Kirkpatrick, Acting Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts of UNH and member of the advisory board; Dr. Paul Properzio of Boston Latin School and member of the advisory board; Dr. Richard Clairmont of the Classics Department at the University of New Hampshire; Dr. C. Douglas Marshall of St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire; (front row, left to right) Christos and Mary Papoutsy, series benefactors and members of the advisory board; Dr. John C. Rouman, Professor Emeritus of the Classics Department of the University of New Hampshire; Dr. Stanley Lombardo, guest performer and lecturer; Dr. Marilyn Hoskin, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at the University of New Hampshire; and Dr. Stephen Brunet, director of the Classics Program at the University of New Hampshire. |
