Odysseus on trial

Protrayal of Odysseus slaying his wife's suitors in The Odyssey.

The crime committed? Mass murder. The victims? 108 young men seeking the affection of a faithful wife.

The culprit? An icon of classical literature.

Thursday night, students from the Schulich School of Law will be putting Odysseus on trial, debating before a judge and jury whether his climatic slaying of his wife’s suitors in Homer’s The Odyssey was justified. The event, which will take the famous epic poem and place its characters in a modern courtroom, is being performed as a fundraiser for Halifax Humanities 101, a local charity that offers free humanities classes to adults who otherwise could not afford to attend university. 

"It’s a great story to transplant into a courtroom," explains Ben Frenken, a law student and one of the organizers. "In the poem, his act is presented as fairly heroic, but when you take it out of its context it’s more than a little bit shocking."

"We’re sort of seeing it as a full Law and Order style trial," adds Andrew McCoomb, who will be representing the plaintiffs along with a practicing lawyer. The trial is being performed as a civil suit so that it can focus on the justifiability of the deed rather than the book’s evidence. "We’ll have opening statements, cross-examinations of five witnesses, closing statements and a decision from a jury of Halifax Humanities students."

The event features some local Halifax notables in its cast of characters, including former CBC Maritime Noon host Costas Halavrezos and author and King’s professor Laura Penny. The Honourable Justice Peter Bryson of the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal will preside over the trial.

Last year, Halifax Humanities 101 hosted a 24-hour reading of the 24 books of The Odyssey, raising $24,000 in donations. This year they’re raising money both in ticket sales for the event—$12, available in advance at the Dalhousie Arts Centre box office—and by inviting people to donate to support either the plaintiff or the defence funds, the entirety of which will support the students that take part in Halifax Humanities 101 with books and reading materials, bus tickets for transport and even child care during class time if needed.

"It’s a pretty easy cause to get behind," says fellow organizer Keith Guinn.

Odysseus on Trial takes place Thursday, February 17 at 7 pm in room 105 of the Weldon Law Building, with a reception and raffle to follow. Tickets are $12 and available at the Dalhousie Arts Centre Box Office. 

The event is presented by Ogilvy Renault (Toronto) with generous support from Moksha Yoga (Halifax). Community sponsors include Java Blend Coffee, Video Difference, Strange Adventures, the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, the Uncommon Group and Obladee Wine Bar.