''The Star Wars films, the first of which appeared 25 years ago, are steeped in the traditions bequeathed to us by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Heroes with doubtful parentage and no place to settle down, tutors with mysterious powers, immense journeys that represent whole lifetimes, the endless struggle against disorder and violence -- all these are familiar to readers of the Iliad, Odyssey, and Aeneid. It is gratifying to note that these immensely popular films bear witness to the enduring power of the ancient world.''

Carl A. Rubino is the Edward North Professor of Classics and at Hamilton College. He teaches a course, ''Heroism Ancient and Modern,'' that examines ancient and modern views of the hero and compares the Star Wars series to the Iliad and Odyssey.

Rubino has published and lectured on ancient Greek and Roman literature, comparative literature, philosophy, literary theory, and the relations between science and the humanities. He is also the originator of an interdisciplinary seminar for entering students. Rubino is a member of the core faculty of VRoma (www.vroma.org), an NEH funded project that aims to create a community dedicated to exploring the resources of technology for teaching and learning classics.