West Coast Hellenic Book Club: Hecuba by Euripides
January 17 @ 10:00 am - 11:00 am
free
John Gibson, RA
Ulysses Forcing Polyxena from Hecuba to be Sacrificed
Photo courtesy of the Royal Academy of Arts, London
West Coast Hellenic Book Club:
Hecuba by Euripides
Discussion led by Professor Kathryn Morgan, Joan Palevsky Professor of Classics at UCLA, Professor Sharon Gerstel, Director, UCLA SNF Hellenic Center and Dr. Eirini Kotsovili, Senior Lecturer, Global Humanities at Simon Fraser University
Saturday, January 17, 2026
10:00 A.M. Los Angeles / 8:00 P.M. Greece
Via Zoom
Hecuba takes place after the Trojan War and centers on the former queen of Troy, Hecuba, who is a prisoner. First, Hecuba is devastated by the sacrifice of her daughter Polyxena to honor Achilles. Then she learns that her son Polydoros has been murdered by King Polymestor, who was supposed to protect him. In response, Hecuba takes matters into her own hands, blinding Polymestor and killing his sons. The play is a powerful look at grief, revenge, and how war strips people of their humanity.
This program is made possible thanks to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).
Links to purchase book:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hecuba-euripides/1136993799
Find out more about the West Coast Consortium of Hellenic Studies Programs