This course is a survey of Classical mythology. It follows the development of the fantastical stories of gods, goddesses, heroes, and extraordinary mortals from the Bronze Age to Late Antiquity. Our journey takes us across the Mediterranean, from the cities of Mesopotamia to the archaic sanctuaries of the Greek islands, to the hills of Rome. Ancient societies developed their myths to explain the world around them, everything from natural phenomena to human emotions.  Because of where and how myths were told, this class also serves as a general introduction to life in the ancient Mediterranean where myth  formed a common language among diverse communities. They were the means by which people understood themselves, their communities, their histories, their neighbors, and their place in the broader world. Myths were recited at festivals, portrayed in plays, they provided the basis for religious life and were used to justify war and support political action. We will discuss the historical context in which these myths developed, how they spread, and how they were portrayed in literature, ritual, and visual art. We will read texts (in translation) from across the ancient world and develop a general familiarity with the basic themes, settings, and characters of myth as well as the skills to read these myths critically and understand their origins and development over time. 

 Name the main characters of Classical mythology and identify them by their primary attributes

 Have a basic understanding of the broad contours of the history of the ancient Mediterranean

Be familiar with the most important cults, festivals, and cult sites of the ancient Aegean 

Understand the connections and differences between Greek and Roman myths

Be able to conduct critical analysis of mythical themes in both literature and visual art 

Understand the connections between myth and society in the ancient world

ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY

You are required to attend class and have prepared the assigned reading in advance. One absence is permitted without question. Subsequent missed classes require a Dean's excuse. Missed courses without a Dean's excuse will result in deductions from the participation grade.

You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until ____________

Week 1

Class 1: Introduction to class and expectations, Introduction to myth

Readings:

CM: “The Nature of Myth” 1-16

Class 2: The Cultural Context of Classical Myth

Readings:

CM: “The Cultural Context of Classical Myth” and "The Development of Classical Myth” 17-70 

Hesiod, Works and Days

Class 3: Origins: Myths of Creation

Readings:

CM: “Myths of Creation: The Rise of Zeus” 72-102

Hesiod, Theogony 

Enuma Elish (selections)

Class 4: Origins: Prometheus, Pandora, and the flood

Readings:

            CM “Myths of Creation: The Origin of Mortals: 103-128

      Hesiod, Works and Days, revisit lines 1-212

    Hesiod, Theogony, revisit 505-620

            Ovid, Metamorphoses 1.68-462

Week 2 

Class 1: The Olympians, Zeus, Hera

Readings:

            CM: “Myths of the Olympian Gods: Zeus and Hera” 129-153

Class 2: Apollo, Hermes

Readings:

    Homeric Hymn to Apollo

            Homeric Hymn to Hermes

    CM: “The Great God Apollo” 154-172; Hermes, God of Wayfarers” 173-190

 Class 3: Diana/Artemis

Readings:

        Euripides, Iphigenia in Tauris 

CM: “Artemis, Mistress of Animals” 212-222

 Class 4: Demeter and Myths of Fertility

Readings:

Homeric hymn to Demeter

CM: Myths of Fertility: Demeter and the Great Goddess” 231-260

Week 3: 

Class 1: Dionysius

Readings: 

    Euripides, the Bacchae

             CM: “Myths of Fertility: Dionysius” 261-290

Class 2: Athena/Minerva and Athens

Readings:

            CM: “Athena: Mistress of the City” 222-230, 

Class 3: Aphrodite

Readings:

            Homeric Hymn to Aphrodites

   CM “Aphrodite, Goddess of Sexual Love” 198-212

Class 4: The afterlife and the mysteries

Readings:

Aeneid Book 6

Odyssey Book 11

CM: “Myths of Death: Encounters with the Underworld” 291-320

 Week 4

Class 1: Heroes in Context: Gilgamesh and Herakles

Readings:

            CM: “Introduction to Heroic Myth” 323-336 and “Herakles” 357-392

            The Epic of Gilgamesh (selections)

Class 2: Heroes: Jason, the Argonauts, and Medea,

Readings: 

        CM: “Jason and the Myths of Iolcus and Calydon” 473-508

Euripides: Medea

Class 3: The Trojan War

Readings: 

Iliad Books 1-4, 16-24

CM: “The Trojan War: The House of Atreus, the Anger of Achilles” 508-544

 Class 4: The Fall of Troy

Readings:

Euripides, Trojan Women

CM: “The Trojan War: The Fall of Troy” 545-558

 Week 5

Class 1: Curse of House Atreus 

Readings:

            Aeschylus: The Oresteia (group project) 

Class 2: The Nostoi: Odysseus

Readings:

Odyssey Books 1-9

CM: “the Return of Odysseus” 572-602

Class 3: The Nostoi: Aeneas

Reading:

Aeneid Books 1-6

CM: “Roman Myth” 605-630

Class 4: Exam