Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea: Journeys Through Ancient Literature
Emily Wilson presents *Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea: Journeys Through Ancient Literature*, a wide-ranging examination of how translation transforms the way modern readers encounter the ancient world. Drawing on two decades of translating and studying classical texts, Wilson considers the choices, discoveries, limitations, and frustrations involved in bringing Greek and Roman works into English.
Her discussion ranges from Helen of Troy and Aristophanes to Roman adaptations of Greek literature and current debates over “foreignizing” and “domesticizing” translation. She also explores how contemporary ideas about gender, sexuality, violence, humor, and power shape interpretations of ancient writing. Wilson will discuss the book with Claire Catenaccio, whose scholarship and theatrical work focus on ancient Greek literature and its continuing influence.
When: Saturday, September 5, 2026
Showtime: 5:00 p.m.
Venue: Politics and Prose at 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Format: In-person event; a livestream option is also indicated on the event page.
Tickets: Free
Seating: First come, first served.
Conversation: Emily Wilson will be in conversation with Claire Catenaccio, a Georgetown University Classics faculty member who studies ancient Greek literature and its modern legacy. Catenaccio is the author of *Monody in Euripides: Character and the Liberation of Form in Late Greek Tragedy* and has written widely on ancient epic, drama, biography, and myth. She has also worked as a dramaturg and director on contemporary productions of ancient plays.
Featured speaker: Emily Wilson is a professor of classical studies at the University of Pennsylvania and a translator of Homer’s *Iliad* and *Odyssey*, as well as works by Sophocles, Euripides, and Seneca. She is a fellow of the American Academy in Rome, a Guggenheim Fellow, and a MacArthur Fellow.
Book: *Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea: Journeys Through Ancient Literature* is available for preorder in paperback for $19.99, with publication scheduled for September 1, 2026.
Signing: Wilson will sign for one hour after the event. Because of time limitations, each customer may have no more than two books signed.
Accessibility: To request accommodations or ask about accessibility, email events@politics-prose.com, ideally at least one week before the event. The venue will try to accommodate requests made up to the event’s start time.