Beyond Nolan’s Odyssey: Near Eastern Roots, Chinese Epics, and the Global Power of Myth

Zoom Webinar

Christopher Nolan’s 2026 cinematic spectacle The Odyssey has reignited global fascination with Homer’s epic. But how did ancient sea routes, multicultural trade, and oral performance shape this timeless tale? 

Join the University of Chicago Hong Kong Campus for an extraordinary panel featuring UChicago scholars Carolina López-Ruiz and Haun Saussy, moderated by renowned historian Kenneth Pomeranz. 

Moving beyond Hollywood, Professor López-Ruiz uncovers the Near Eastern and Phoenician maritime roots that birthed Greek myth, while Professor Saussy bridges Homeric oral poetics with classical Chinese literary traditions. Moderated by Professor Pomeranz, this civilizational dialogue explores how seafarers and storytellers across the ancient Mediterranean and East Asia constructed enduring narratives of wandering, fate, and homecoming, revealing the deep cross-cultural foundations of world literature. 

Speakers 

Carolina López-Ruiz  
Professor of Ancient Mediterranean Religions and Mythologies in the Divinity School, the Department of Classics, and the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures; also in the College 
The University of Chicago 

Haun Saussy
University Professor 
East Asian Languages and Civilizations and the Committee on Social Thought 
The University of Chicago 

Moderator 

Kenneth Pomeranz 
University Professor of Modern Chinese History and the College  
The University of Chicago 

REGISTER NOW

September 29, 2026 (Tuesday) 
9:30 pm Japan | South Korea    
8:30 pm Hong Kong | Beijing | Singapore    
6:00 pm Delhi    
2:30 pm Paris    
1:30 pm London   
7:30 am Chicago