Daily Activities (Click week to see activities | Expand All | Collapse All)

Generally speaking, readings should be read in the order they are listed
Authors in CAPS indicate a reading from a book available in the campus bookstore
P indicates a Primary Source, S indicates a secondary source

 

Section Alpha: Myth and Creation

Week 1: 1/22-1/24

 

T 1/22: Introduction to the Course and Classical Mythology

“We can keep from a child all knowledge of earlier myths, but we cannot take from him the need for mythology.”—Carl Jung

Class Activities: Introduction to the Course; What is myth anyways?

Resources: Slides for "Introduction to the Course"

 

Th 1/24: Why of Myth? Theories on the Origin and Interpretation of Myth

“He who knew the famous riddle and was a most powerful man”—Freud's favorite quotation from Sophocles' Oedipus the King

Readings (recommended that you read the readings in the order listed)

1. BUXTON, The Complete World of Greek Mythology, pp. 16-41 (“General Characteristics”, “Sources of Evidence”, “Contexts”) S
   1. Be sure to note and study pictures (esp. photographs of Delphi, Mycenae, and Athens); and the map of Aegean and Mediterranean (pp. 12-13)
   2. Also note the chronology of Greek Myth-telling (p. 8). You want to have a general sense of the time period, but need not worry about details of chronology at this point.
2. Morford, Classical Mythology, " Interpretation and Definition of Classical Mythology" (pp. 5-18) S
   1. Please note that the analytical portions of Morford's chapter are open to disagreement and critique. So, for example, when he says “Myth provides us with absolutes in the place of ephemeral values and with a comforting perception of the world that is necessary to make the insecurity and terror of existence bearable” (p. 4), this is the opinion of a person who has thought long and seriously about myth, but it is in the end only his opinion, which you can weigh, consider, accept, or reject.
   2. When Morford says "primitive", we might more accurately say "preliterate", since that the social state to which he is referring, and lacks the pejorative sense of "primitive".

Resources:

• An Outline of "What" and "Why" Theories of Myth
• A Helpful summary of "Ways of Interpreting Myth"
• Slides for "Theories on the Origin & Interpretation of Myth"
• Vladimir Propp's 31 Functions

Some Questions to Ponder

• First and foremost: what is a myth? How does it differ from other narratives? Try to think about this question before and after you read Buxton and Morford.
• What is the range of sources we have for mythology?
• When you read about the different theoretical approaches to mythology in Morford, think about the advantages (and disadvantages) of approaching myth from these perspectives. Do you find any more or less convincing on first approach?

 

Week 2: 1/29-1/31

 

T 1/29: From Chaos to Cosmos

"It was Homer and Hesiod who created for the Greeks a genealogy of the gods, gave the gods their epithets, distributed their honors and competences, and stamped them with their forms."—Herodotus (484-425 BCE)

Readings

1. Hesiod, Theogony lines 1-962 (pp. 129-160 in Anthology of Classical Myth) P
• Be sure to read the short introduction on pp. 129-131.
2. OVID, Metamorphoses 1.1-606 (pp. 15-33) P
• We will come to know Ovid quite well over the course of the semester, but if you'd like a brief introduction to his life, works, and times now: Introduction to Ovid
3. BUXTON, pp. 44-45: “Genealogy of the Gods” (Chart) S
   • Note: the Anthology of Classical Myth also contains useful genealogical charts on pp. xlii-liii.

Response Paper: Elizabeth Vandiver has defined myth as the "traditional stories a society tells itself that encode or represent the world-view, beliefs, principles, and often fears of that society.” Although this semester we are focusing on the myths of the Greeks and the Romans, we've already seen that all groups have myths, and the communities of Haverford and Bryn Mawr are no exception.

In a few paragraphs (a typed page at most), describe a Havermyth or Mawrterology--a myth or legend that took place on or has relevance to Haverford or Bryn Mawr. I highly recommend that you discuss and write your description as part of a group (of up to 4 students is fine)--but you may work alone for this assignment. If you work in a group, you can submit one paper for the group. I will collect these in class.

Welcome Survey: Please remember to fill out the welcome survey and bring it to class on Tuesday.

Resources

• Key Terms for "From Chaos to Cosmos" [a guide to the important terms and characters for today's class]
• Slides for "From Chaos to Cosmos"
• Havermyths & Mawrtologies: a compilation of your myths
  • Incidently, there is some dispute about whether cows can walk down stairs. Many people note that they frequently do so in India an Bangledesh to reach rivers in urban settings. Perhaps those cows are more talented than those in the vicinity of your average college campus? At any rate, if you find you with a cow-stairs problem, you can always call Bovine Descenders.
• A structural outline of the Theogony
• Brief notes on the similarities between Near Eastern and Greek stories of creation.
• The Birth of Zeus: a cool video from the game God of War 2

Some Questions to Ponder

• NOTE: We will be investigating the relationship between gods and humanity on Thursday, so focus your thinking for now on the nature of universe and creation in Hesiod and Ovid, and their accounts of divine nature and behavior.
• What creates the universe in Hesiod's and Ovid's accounts?
• Overall, what vision of divinity does Hesiod present?
• How would you describe the relationship between male and female in the Theogony? What about the role of sexual and asexual reproduction?
• When you are describing the creation of existance, you inevitably need to pick and choose what you describe. What sorts of things or events do Hesiod and Ovid chose to focus on? Ovid, writing after Hesiod, certainly had the Hesiodic creation in mind when he writting his own narrative. How is his different? the same? What do you think would motivate the differences?
• Contemplate how one or more of the modern theories of myth would approach the story in Hesiod (Allegorical, Etiological, Structuralist, Psychoanalytical, Feminist, etc.)

 

 

 

Th 1/31: Zeus/Jove, Prometheus, and the Origins of Humanity

"The beautiful fables of the Greeks, being proper creations of the imagination and not of the fancy, are universal verities. What a range of meanings and what perpetual pertinence has the story of Prometheus!"—Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Essays"

Readings

1. Hesiod, Works & Days lines 58-234 (pp. 162-167 in Anthology of Classical Myth) P
   • Be sure to look at the introduction to the Works & Days (pp. 160-161)
2. Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound
3. BUXTON, pp. 54-65: “Origins of Humanity”, “Local Origins”, “Bringers of Culture”, “Colonies
   • Note picture of Mt. Parnassos (BUXTON p. 59), the landing site for Deucalion and Pyrrha

Resources

• Key Terms for Zeus, Prometheus, and the Origins of Humanity
• Slides for "Prometheus and the Origin(s) of Humanity
• Pandora's Jar?
  • In Hesiod, Pandora has a pithos, a large earthenware container for storing provisions such as wine or oil (see p. 58 BUXTON for a picture). Only in medieval times did the pithos (jar) become a pyxis (box), that is a small portable vessel. It may have been Erasmus who first mistranslated pithos as pyxis in 1508. Ever since, if not before, Pandora’s jar has become in art and literature a small container in place of a large jar.
• A translation of the Prometheus Bound by Henry David Thoreau
• Prometheus is the subject of one thrice-weekly internet comic (The Miserable World of Prometheus) and makes an appearence in Monday's Dinosaur Comics
• Lykaion: Cannibalistic Despot or Tourist Destination? Both! Recent excavations have shown Mt. Lykaion to be one of the oldest cult centers in Greece.
• Pandora's Box beer by Magic Hat?
• Pandora Radio (all the evils of the world, or hope?)

Some Questions to Ponder

• Compare the depictions of Zeus and Prometheus in Hesiod and Aeschylus. What might account for the different representations?
• The myths of Prometheus and Pandora appear in both the Theogony and the Works & Days. Compare the two versions of the story. It is difficult to explain that meaning of Hope remaining in Pandora's jar. Try to think of at least two possible interpretations for this aspect of the myth.
• Humans are almost an afterthought in the Theogony. How are they created and how to they develop in the Works & Days. How does Ovid's discussion differ?

 

 

 

 

Section Beta: The Olympians and Other Major Divinities

Week 3: 2/5-2/7

 

T 2/5: The First Family: Zeus and his Loves

“Open your mouth and shut your eyes and see what Zeus will send you.”-Aristophanes

"The whole classical pattern shocked him. These gods and goddesses--they seemed to have as many different aliases as a modern criminal. Indeed they seemed to be definitely criminal types. Drink, debauchery, incest, rape, loot, homicide, and chicanery--enough to keep a "juge d'Instruction" constantly busy. No decent family life. No order, no method. Even in their crimes, no order or method!"--Agatha Christie "The Labours of Hercules"

Readings

• BUXTON, The Complete World of Greek Mythology
  • pp. 68-72: "Zeus and Hera"
    • Note: "Greek Divinities and their Principal Attributes" (p. 69)
  • pp. 97-100: “Loves of Zeus"
    • Note: "Genealogy of Zeus & his Lovers" (p. 97)
  • pp. 156-57: “Antiope”
• Homer, Iliad
  • 1.587-735 (pp. 94-98: Zeus and Hera Quarrel)
    • Context: During the seige of Troy, Agamemnon, leader of the Greeks has stolen Briseis, the concubine of Achilles, the greatest Greek warrior and the son of Thetis, a sea nymph. The scene begins with Thetis cashing in a favor...
  • 14.187-429 (pp. 374-381: Zeus and Hera in Love... sort of)
    • Context: The Trojans, under the leadership of Hector, are routing the Greeks. Hera hatches a plan to distract Zeus so that some gods can intervene on the side of the Greeks.
• OVID, Metamorphoses
  • Book 1, lines 783-1037 (pp. 38-46: Zeus and Io; Pan and Syrinx)
  • 2.1143-3.3 (pp. 85-91: Europa)
  • 3.318-408 (pp. 100-103: Semele)

Digital Exercise: Note the different locations for Mount Olympus (abode of the Olympians) and Olympia (site of Olympics and a cult center of Zeus):



Resources

• Key Terms: First Family
• Slides for "The First Family"

 

T 2/7: Poseidon/Neptune, Sea Deities, and Monsters

"And so I set sail for unknown shores. Oh, merciful Poseidon, take pity on this mechanical mariner." [He sails away from the land towards and storm. The ocean waves roll and batter Bender's boat around.]
(shouting) "Curse you, merciful Poseidon!"-Bender, Futurama "Obsoletely Fabulous"

Readings

1. BUXTON, p. 72
   • Note the entry for Poseidon in "Greek Divinities and their Principal Attributes" (p. 69)
2. Homeric Hymn to Poseidon 22 (ANTHOLOGY, p. 207)
3. Homer, Odyssey Book 9 (pp. 211-229)
   • Context: When Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, encountered the Cyclops Polyphemus, he was on his way home to Ithaca (although in no real hurry) after fighting in Troy for 10 years. In this passage, ten more years have passed, and Odysseus recalls his encounter with the cyclops to the assembled court of King Alcinoos (the grandson of Poseidon) on the mythic island of Phaeacia.
   • Optional: For a comic take on Polyphemus' appeal to his dad Poseidon, see Lucian, Dialogue of the Sea Gods 2 (ANTHOLOGY pp. 284-285)
4. Homer, Odyssey Book 5.288-547 (pp. 160-167)
   • Context: Odysseus has been away from his family and kingdom in Ithaca for 20 years, first in the Trojan War, then on a long adventure. The gods have convinced Poseidon to relent his anger and allow Odysseus to reach Phaeacia, from where it is fated that he will return safetly to his home on Ithaca. But as Odysseus nears the shores of Phaeacia, Poseidon has one final treat in store for Odysseus...
5. Theocritus Idyll 11
   • Who is Theocritus? Theocritus (3rd century BCE) is the first of the "Hellenistic" authors we will read this semester. The term "Hellenistic" refers to the culture of the Greeks from the death of Alexander (or his father Phillip) in the late 4th century BCE until the conquest of the Greek world by Rome, which was completed with the defeat of Cleopatra in 31 BCE. Hellenistic authors, many of whom had contact with the great library of Alexandria, are characterized by an erudite and often playful approach to literary and mythological tradition.
   • What's an "Idyll"? An idyll is a short poem (or painting) on rustic themes.
6. OVID, Metamorphoses
   • Review: 1.1.380-431 (Neptune's role in the destruction of early humanity: pp. 26-27)
   • Book 13.1055-14.106 (Acis and Galatea; Glaucus and Scylla: pp. 468-485)

Resources

• Key Terms for Poseidon, Sea Deities, and Monsters
• Slides for "Poseidon, Sea Deities, and Monsters"
• Comic etiology of coral (it involves Poseidon's feet)
• Handel's opera Acis & Galatea (overature and opening)
• A WEIRD Greek cartoon version of Acis, Galatea, and Polyphemos, one of a series of Animated Greek Myths [warning: rampant, graphic cartoon nudity... and its just generally disturbing]

 




Week 4: 2/12-2/14

 

T 2/12: Apollo & Hermes/Mercury

"[Apollo] is the very embodiment of the Hellenic spirit. Everything that marks off the Greek outlook from that of other peoples, and in particular from the barbarians who surrounded them—beauty of every sort, whether of art, music, poetry or youth, sanity and moderation—are all summed up in Apollo." - W.K. Guthrie, The Greeks and Their Gods

Readings

1. BUXTON, p. 73-75 (Apollo)
• Note the entry for Apollo and Hermes in "Greek Divinities and their Principal Attributes" (p. 69)
• Be sure to look at the pictures of Delphi.
2. Homeric Hymn to Apollo (ANTHOLOGY, pp. 178-187)
3. OVID, Metamorphoses
1. 1.607-782 (Apollo and Python; Apollo and Daphne: pp. 33-38)
2. 1.1038-2.453 (Phaethon: pp. 46-64)
3. 2.740-878 (Apollo and Coronis: pp. 73-77)
4. 6.209-589 (Niobe, Lycian Peasants, Marsyas: pp. 195-206)
5. 11.118-270 (Musical contest with Pan; Judgment of Midas: pp. 372-377)
6. 10.152-283 (Cyparissus & Hyacinthus: p. 345-349)
4. BUXTON, p. 77-78 (Hermes)
5. Homeric Hymns to Hermes (ANTHOLOGY, pp. 188-97)
6. OVID, Metamorphoses
   1. 4.372-533 (Hermaphroditus and Salmacis: pp. 134-139)
   2. Optional: 2.937-1142 (Mercury and Battus and Aglauros: pp. 79-85)
      
      

Digital Exercise: Find Delphi (the most important cult site for Apollo and the location of the famed Delphi Oracle) on the map. Delos is a small island in the Cyclades to the Southeast of Athens.



 

Resources

• Key Terms for Apollo & Hermes
• Slides for Apollo & Hermes
• Worst. Car Name. Ever. Although this has to be a close second...
• A map of the principal religious sanctuaries of the Olympian (and a few other) gods.

Some Questions to Ponder

• Can you detect a common thread in the stories of Phaëthon, Niobe, Midas, and Cyprarissus?
• Why do you think Apollo is so frequently unlucky in love? What do his reactions to his amatory setbacks reveal about the nature of the god?
• Compare and contrast Hermes to other deities we have seen so far. In what ways is he distinctive from the other male gods we have encountered so far?
• Why do you think Hermes, apparently alone of the gods, can lie, steal, and swear false oats with impunity?

 

 

Th 2/14: Aphrodite & Artemis I (Venus & Diana)

“It's no longer a warmth hidden in my veins: it's Venus entire and whole fastening on her prey.”-Racine

Readings

• BUXTON, p. 78
• Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite (5) (ANTHOLOGY, pp. 197-202)
• Sappho 1 ("Prayer to Aphrodite") (ANTHOLOGY, pp. 385-86)
  • Who is Sappho? Sappho is one of the few (and certainly the best known) of the Greek female poets, fragments of whose work survives. Her genius was recoFrom the island of Lesbos, she was born in the later the seventh century BCE (c. 630/12) and died sometime in the early sixth century (c. 570 BCE). Her artistic genius was recognized in antiquity, and she was the only women included in the ancient canon of lyric poets, and she often called "The Tenth Muse".
• Homer, Odyssey 8.300-410 (Affair of Ares and Aphrodite: pp. 200-203)
• OVID, Metamorphoses
  • 10. 284-371(Cerastae & Propoetides; Pygmalion: pp. 349-352)
  • Recommended: 10.372-617 (Myrrha: pp. 352-359)
  • 10.619-857 (Venus and Adonis; Atalanta & Hippomenes: pp. 359-366)
• BUXTON, p. 75-77
• Homeric Hymn to Artemis (27) (ANTHOLOGY, p. 208)
• OVID, Metamorphoses
  • 2.549-740 (Callisto & Arcas: pp. 67-73)
  • 3.163-317 (Actaeon: pp. 95-100)

Resources

• Key Terms for Aphrodite & Artmis
• Slides for Artemis & Aphrodite
• Artemis Rituals at Brauron (She-bears): 1) a description of the site (The Princeton Encyclopdeia of Classical Sites); 2) Professor Perlman has collected interested evidence for the ritual from votives and pottery (scroll down)
• The 3 Graces appear on the Cover of the April 2008 Vanity Fair (hat tip: Victoria & Emily)

Some Questions to Ponder

• In Sappho 1, what sort of love does Aphrodite's intervention promise: affection? romance? domination? something else? What does this reveal about the nature of Aphrodite?
• How powerful a goddess is Aphrodite? What do the different stories about Aphrodite's origins imply about her nature and her powers?
• How does the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite suggest a somewhat different understanding od the relationship of male gods might and their human lovers?

 

Week 5: 2/19-2/21

 

T 2/19: Aphrodite & Artemis II

"Is there any other playwright who is fiit to bring Euripides' his slippers?"--Goethe

***DISCUSSION SECTION*** [List of Sections, with room assignments]

Readings

• EURIPIDES, Hippolytus (be sure to bring book to section)

Resources

• Euripides' Hippolytus was satirized in the 2007 Greek Play at Bryn Mawr [apologies for the sound quality]

Some Questions to Ponder

• The injunction "meden agan" (on Temple of Apollo at Delphi) may be thought to underscore much of the action in this play. How does excess inform the actions of the characters?
• How are the pasts of Theseus and Phaedra important for the events of the play?
• What do you think of the depiction of the gods in this play? If you recall that it was performed as part of a religious festival in Athens, does that change how you understand their depiction?
• How important are Aphrodite and Artemis to the action of the play? How would the play be different if the human action played out independent of divine intervention?
• How does Hippolytus react to the Nurse's suggestion that he sleep with Phaedra? What does he subsequently declare about women?

 

Th 2/21: Crafty Gods: Athena & Hephaestus

Readings

• BUXTON, pp. 79-80 ("Athena") and pp. 82-84 ("Ares and Hephaistos)
  • Be sure to look at the entries for the gods in the summary on p. 69
• Callimachus Hymn 5 ("Hymn to Athena") (ANTHOLOGY, pp. 76-80)
• OVID, Metamorphoses 6.1-208 (Minerva and Arachne)
• Homeric Hymn to Hephaestos 20 (ANTHOLOGY p. 207)
• Homer, Iliad 18.430-729 (Shield of Achilles)
  • CONTEXT: In the fight against Troy, Patroclus, the favorite of the Greek warrior Achilles, went into battle wearing Achilles' armor. The Trojan Hector has killed Patroclus and taken Achilles armor. As a result, Achilles need new armor before he can return to battle and avenge his fallen friend.
• Homer, Iliad 21.370-494 (Hephaestus vs. Scamander)
  • CONTEXT: Achilles' rampage through the Trojan forces reaches a fevered pitch as the corpses of the dead clog the river. The river god assaults Achilles, putting him in dire straights.

Resources

• Key Terms: Athena & Hephaestus
• Slides for Athena & Hephaestus
• Pictures of the Hephaestion in Athens
• Pictures of Acropolis and Parthenon
• Acropolis 360: a Quicktime VR site of the Parthenons in Athens and Nashville; allows you to stand (virtually) in various sites around and inside the building and looking around.

 

Week 6: 2/26-2/28

 

T 2/26: Demeter & Persephone & Eleusinian Mysteries

Readings

• BUXTON, p. 72-73
• Homeric Hymns to Demeter (ANTHOLOGY, pp.169-78, 197-202)
• Callimachus, Hymn to Demeter (ANTHOLOGY, pp. 80-83)
• OVID, Metamorphoses 5.507-871 (Rape of Proserpina, Triptolemus, etc.)

Resources

• Slides for Demeter, Persephone, and the Eleusinian Mysteries
• Map: the Eleusinian Mysteries Procession [Google Earth/Maps]
• Image Gallery: Eleusinian Mysteries

 

 

Th 2/28: Hades, Orpheus, and Other Infernal Vistors

"The struggle itself is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy."--Albert Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus

In-class showing of Marcel Camus' Orfeu Negro

Readings

• Harris, "Land of No Return" (pp. 283-292)
  • Look at the pictures in BUXTON, pp. 206-212, esp. those of the rivers, the lekythos with the image of Charon and the skull of the athlete.
• Homer, Odyssey 11
  • Context: The hero Odysseus continues to tell the Phaecians about his adventures. After leaving Polyphemus' island and having several other adventures, he is told by his witch-lover Calypso that he must visit the Underworld and consult the dead prophet Tiresias before he can return to Ithaca.
• Vergil, Aeneid (ANTHOLOGY, pp. 421-430: Aeneas' descent into the Underworld)
  • Context: Having fled from the destruction of Troy, Aeneas and a small band of Trojans have wandered around the Mediterranean and have at last made it to Italy. There, he visits the Underworld to consult with his recently-deceased father, Anchises.
• Powell, "Orpheus & Eurydice" (pp. 310-312: Vergil's Georgics)
  • Optional: The myth of Orpheus & Eurydice in Ovid, Metamorphoses 10.1-122 (pp. 341-344) and 11.1-94 (pp. 369-371)

Resources

• Key Terms for Hades, Orpheus, and Other Infernal Visitors
• Slides for Hades, Orpheus, and Other Infernal Visitors

 

Su 3/2: Response to Orfeu Negro due (via email before 3 p.m.)

In 250-350 words (approximately 1 typed, double-spaced page), identify an aspect of the Myth of Orpheus--as seen in Powell and Vergil, the iconography of this myth, or more general patterns of Classical mythology--that Marcel Camus updates, transforms, or omits in his film; discuss why you think Camus made this decision and whether it was effective (or not).

Examples of possible topics include: the use and power of music; the figure of death; the relationship between Orpheus & Eurydice; Maenads; ecstacy & control; katabasis, characters with mythological models; characters without mythological models, etc. [nota bene: your discussion need not be limited to one of these topics; I encourage you to take your own interpretative path]

Information about the film, including a short essay thay may help you begin thinking about your response.

If you have any questions about the film, or the assignment, please email me.

Due: via email by 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 2nd.

 

 

Week 7: 3/4-3/6

 

T 3/4: Dionysius

***DISCUSSION SECTION*** [List of Sections, with room assignments]

Readings

• Powell, "Myths of Fertility: Dionysius" (pp. 263-272)
  • Optional: BUXTON, pp. 81-84
• Ovid,Metamorphoses 3.408-557 (pp. 103-111: Tiresias, Echo, and Narcissus)
• EURIPIDES, Bacchae
  • Optional: Ovid,Metamorphoses 3.558-940 (pp. 111-119: Dionysius' destruction of Pentheus

Resources

• Key Terms for Dionysius
• Slides for Dionysius
• Tagcloud for Dionysus Myth
• A good summary of Dionysius' iconography

 

Th 3/6: Review Session for Midterm: we will begin at 12 p.m. (rather than 11:30).

 

F 3/7: Midterm due before Noon, in box outside my office, Hall 109

 

 

 

 

Section Gamma: Heroes and Fraught Families

Week 8: 3/18-3/20

 

T 3/18: Perseus and the Legends of Argos; Models of Heroes and Their Quests

Readings

• BUXTON, pp. 104-105 (Perseus); pp. 158-159: (Danaids); pp. 160-161 (Bellerophon)
• ANTHOLOGY, pp. 31-33: Apollodorus (Perseus)
  • Optional: ANTHOLOGY: pp. 354-55: Pherecydes, Histories (Danaë, Perseus, and Acrisius)
• Pindar, Pythian 12
• OVID Metamorphoses 4.828-5.361 (Perseus)
• Homer, Iliad, 6.169-251 (pp. 200-202: Bellerophon)
  • Context: As Greeks and Trojans fight outside Troy, the Greek hero Diomedes encounters the Lydian Glaucus. Diomedes proclaims his heroic lineage, and Glaucus responds.

Resources

• Key Terms: The Heroic, Perseus, and the Myths of Argos
• Slides for The Heroic, Perseus, and the Myths of Argos
• Tag cloud for Perseus Lecture

Some Questions to Ponder

• What makes a Hero? What activities do they do? How do they act? Where do they go? What are their families like? What motivates them? Who do they encounter?

 

Th 3/20: The Greatest Hellenic Hero: Heracles I

Readings

• BUXTON, pp. 114-115 ("Herakles")
• ANTHOLOGY, pp. 33-45: Apollodorus ("Heracles")
  • Be sure to look at the illustrations of Heracles' Labors in BUXTON, pp. 115-17
• BUXTON, pp. 121-123 ("The Loves of Herakles")
• Apollonius of Rhodes, Argonautica 1.1187-1362 (pp. 74-78: Hylas & Herakles)
  • CONTEXT: Herakles has joined Jason's exedition to retrieve the Golden Fleece as one of the Argonauts. They have put into shore when...
  • Who was Apollonius? An epic poet (3rd century BCE), scholar, and the fourth director of the Library of Alexandria. He is best known for his epic poem the Argonautica, which told the mythological story of Jason and the Argonauts' quest for the Golden Fleece.
• OVID Metamorphoses 9.1-406 or 1147 (pp. 199-209)
• Theocritus, Idyll 24 (Infant Herakles & the Serpents)
• FOCUS TEXT: ANTHOLOGY, pp. 63-69: Bacchylides, Ode 5 (Heracles & Meleager)

Resources

• Podcast: Heracles: Comic Tendencies, Paradoxical Death, and Working Towards an Interpretation of the Hero
• Key Terms: Heracles
• Slides for Heracles: The Greatest Greek Hero
• Tag cloud for Heracles Lecture
• Excellent sites on the Labors of Heracles, with much visual material (Perseus Project, Theoi.com)
• Arnold Schwarzenegger stars in "Hercules in New York", his first movie role! (via hulu.com)
• Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson, retells the myth of Geryon and Heracles from Geryon's perspective.

 

 

Week 9: 3/25-3/27

 

T 3/25: The Greatest Hellenic Hero: Heracles II

***DISCUSSION SECTION*** [List of Sections, with room assignments]

Readings

• EURIPIDES, Heracles

Some Questions to Consider

• Why do the gods punish Heracles?
• Is there any significance in the weapons that Heracles uses?
• What is the nature and significance of friendship in the play?
• How is the depiction of madness in the play similar to or different from that in Bacchae? How arethe motivations of the madness different, and how does that cast the representation of divinity in the play?
  

 

Th 3/27: House of Atreus (Tantalus, Pelops, Atreus, Thyestes)

Readings

• BUXTON, pp. 148-153 ("House of Pelops")
• ANTHOLOGY, pp. 356-360: Pindar, First Olympian Ode
• Seneca, Thyestes
  • Context: Seneca (aka "the Younger"; c. 4 BCE – 65 CE) was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist. He had the unfortunate task being tutor and advisor to emperor Nero, and after the Pisonian Conspiracy, he was forced by Nero to commit suicide. His tragedies include The Madness of Hercules, The Trojan Women, The Phoenician Women, Phaedra, Medea, Thyestes, Agamemnon, Oedipus, and Hercules on Oeta. When knowledge of Greek and Athenian tragedy was lost in the West, Seneca's tragedies were profoundly influential on medieval and Renaissance drama, as well as Elizabethean (Shakespeare) and French Classical (Corneille, Racine) drama.

Resources

• Tag Cloud for "House of Atreus"
• Key Terms for "House of Atreus"
• Slides for "House of Atreus"
• The South Park episode Scott Tenorman Must Die is loosely inspired by the Thyestes myth, though it is more based on Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus.
• Tantalus in Love is Alan Shapiro's recent (2006) collection of poetry on a marriage strained and renewed.

 

 

 

Week 10: 4/1-4/3

 

T 4/1: Theseus and the Myths of Athens and Crete

Readings

• BUXTON, pp.124-129 (Theseus and the Heroic Athenian Past)
  • Review: Ovid Metamorphoses 2.757-815 (pp. 73-75: Aglauros, Pandrosos, and Herse)
• ANTHOLOGY, pp. 69-71: Bacchylides Dithyramb 17 (Theseus going to Crete)
• ANTHOLOGY, pp. 94-95: Diodorus of Sicily (Amazons)
• BUXTON, pp. 154-55 ("Tereus Prokne, and Philomela)
• OVID Metamorphoses 6.590-1038 (pp. 206-220: Tereus, Procne, and Philomela; Erechtheus, Boreas, and Orithyia)
• OVID Metamorphoses 7.575-1237 (pp. 240-260)

Resources

• Key Terms for Theseus & the Myths of Athens
• Slides for Theseus & The Myths of Athens
• Tag Cloud for Theseus & the Myths of Athens
• Mary Renault's novel The King Must Die (1958) is an entertaining retelling of the life of Theseus. She wrote a sequel, The Bull from the Sea (1962) about Amazons and Hippolytus' mother.

Th 4/3: Theseus, Minos, and the Myths of Crete

Readings

• ANTHOLOGY, pp. 5-6: fragment of Aeschylus' Europa
• ANTHOLOGY, pp. 45-47: Apollodorus (Europa and Her Cretan Children; Minos)
• ANTHOLOGY, pp. 54-57: Apollodorus (Theseus, Minos' War on Athens, Daidalos, Theseus' Journey to Athens, Crete, the Minotaur, and Ariadne, Daidalos, Icaros, and the Death of Minos, The Amazons, Phaidra, and Hippolytus)
• OVID Metamorphoses 8.1-1021 (pp. 263-293: Nisus and Scylla, Minos and Ariadne, Daedalus and Icarus, Daedalus and Perdix, Meleager and Althaea, Acheloüs and Theseus, The Echinades and Perimele, Baucis and Philemon)
  • Optional: BUXTON, pp. 106-7 (Meleager, Atalanta and the Kalydonian Boar)
• Catullus 64.1-277 (suggested: all)
  • CONTEXT: Catullus (84-54 BCE) is a Roman poet, who in the tradition of Callimachus, produced small-scale, intellectual poetry. This poem, an example of an epyllion or 'little epic', describes a wedding gift for the marriage of Peleus and Thetis, the parents of Achilles, on which is depicted the abandonment of Ariadne.

Resources

• Key Terms for Theseus & the Myths of Crete
• Slides for Theseus & the Myths of Crete
• Tag Cloud for Theseus & the Myths of Crete
• Modern Day Rocket Man: man flies over Alps with Rocketpack

 

 

Section Delta: Heroic Wars/Heroic Journeys

Week 11: 4/8-4/10

T 4/8: Oedipus and the Myths of Thebes

Readings

• OVID, Metamorphoses 3.1-161 (pp. 91-95: Cadmus founds Thebes)
• BUXTON, pp.162-168 ("The house of Laios")
  • Optional: ANTHOLOGY, pp. 46-53: Cadmus, Laius, and Thebes
• ANTHOLOGY, pp. 352-353: Pausanias (DId Oidipous have Children by his Mother?)
• SOPHOCLES, Oedipus Tyrannus

Resources

• Key Terms for Oedipus & the Myths of Thebes
• Slides for Oedipus & the Myths of Thebes
• Tag Cloud for Oedipus & the Myths of Thebes
• WATCH THIS! Simply the greatest story ever told using vegetables: Oedipus (as told with vegetables)
• The Storybook version of Antigone (retold using cartoon animals, a la those in Monty Python)
• Oedipus appears in a strip of the Red Sox comix "Soxaholix" (warning: profanity)

 

Th 4/10: Jason, Medea, and the Argonauts I

Readings

• BUXTON pp. 108-113 ("Jason, Medea, and the Argonauts")
  
• Selections from Apollonius, Argonautica
  • 1.559- (pp. 57-66: Lemnian Women)
  • 2.155-300 (pp. 83-87: Phineus & the Harpies)
  • 3.1-166 (pp. 113-117: Hera's Plot)
  • 3.276-471 (pp. 120-125: Medea)
  • 3.616-825 (pp. 129-134: More Medea)
  • 3.1191-1407 (pp. 194-198: Jason's Trials in Aea)
  • 4.1627-1781 (pp. 194-198: Talos & Return to Ioclus)
    
• OVID Metamorphoses 7.1-648 (Jason & Medea)

Resources

• Key Terms for Jason, Medea, and the Argonauts I
• Slides for Jason, Medea, and the Argonauts
• Tag Cloud forJason, Medea, and the Argonauts I
• Report of the voyage of a reconstructed Argo
• Medea... faucets?
• Greek philosopher Epictetus on Medea
• Jason & Medea together again: underwater robots

 

F 4/11: Due: Myth Lives! Project

Description

Find a reference to a Greek or Roman god or hero in modern* culture--i.e. a modern work or item that employs the name of the figure or an easily identifiable aspect of its iconography.

• * For this project, "modern" can include anything from the eighteenth century or later.
• Do not search for a reference on-line; think of a reference you have seen or heard yourself.
• Note: a reference is not the same as a retelling--so, the movie Troy is a retelling of the Trojan War myth; but the mascot of the University of Southern California, the Trojans, would be a reference. Conversely, just because something has a bull or an eagle does not necessarily mean that it is a reference to Zeus or the abductions of Europa and Ganymede.
• Do not submit discussions of references explicitly discussed in class or that I have already linked to on the course syllabus.

In a few sentences, describe the reference and where you found it (tv show, film, song, literature, newspaper or magazine article, advertisement, newscast, painting, sculpture, mascot, etc.).

• If your are describing a visual reference, please try to include a copy of the image in your document.
• if your reference is to a song, include lyrics. If you can loan me a copy of the song (or direct me to a place on-line where I can listen/download it) that would be appreciated.

In a few sentences, analyze your reference: why did they include this mythological reference; what is the intended meaning of the symbolism; is it effective; does the symbolism diverge from its representation in Classical literature or art.

If you have questions about whether the reference you have found is appropriate, please contact me in advance of the project deadline.

Due: via Email by 5 p.m. on Friday 4/11 (late projects will be sanctioned as indicated in the course description)

 

 

 

 

Week 12: 4/15-4/17

 

T 4/15: Jason, Medea, and the Argonauts II

***DISCUSSION SECTION*** [List of Sections, with room assignments]

Readings

• EURIPIDES, Medea

Resources

• Tag Cloud forJason, Medea, and the Argonauts II

 

Th 4/17 : The Greatest Saga I: The Trojan War

Readings

• BUXTON, pp. 130-140
• OVID Metamorphoses 11.271-13.980 (pp. 377-466)
  • N.B. includes passage you have already read: Nestor's lengthy account of the Lapiths and Centaurs.
• Homer Iliad Book 1 (pp. 77-98)
  • N.B. includes passage you have already read: the quarrel between Zeus and Hera at the end of the Book.

Resources

• Key Terms for Trojan War
• Slides for the Trojan War
• Tag Cloud the Trojan War
• Outline of the Trojan Cycle*
• Timeline of the Iliad
• A brief summary of the Iliad and its principal characters
• The Trojan War in Ancient Art
• The Chicago Homer: a multilingual database that uses the search and display capabilities of electronic texts to make the distinctive features of Early Greek epic accessible to readers with and without Greek.
• Selections from the Iliad read in Greek
• A list of deaths in the Iliad
• Achilles, Odysseus, Agamemnon: Homer on Military Leadership, a paper delivered at the Pentagon
• The official website of Troy movie

   

   

Week 13: 4/22-4/24

 

T 4/22: The Greatest Saga II: The Sack of Troy & Odysseus' Return

Readings

• BUXTON, pp. 140-145
• Vergil Aeneid 2.1-558 (ANTHOLOGY pp. 410-420: Aeneas recounts the destruction of Troy)
• Homer Odyssey
  • Book 1 (pp. 1-9)
  • Book 4.80-190 (pp. 100-190: Telemachus visits Menelaus & Helen)
    • CONTEXT: Telemachus has taken the advice of Mentor/Athena and gone in search of his father. After visiting Nestor, he comes to Sparta, the home of Menelaus and Helen.
  • Book 10 (pp. 141-157: The adventures of Odysseus after he leaves Polyphemus)
  • Book 17.220-537 (pp. 262-271)
    • CONTEXT: Odysseus has returned home and reunited with Telemachus. With his ally Eumaios, the swineherd, the two are heading to the palace. Odysseus is disguised as a beggar.
  • Book 23.1-338 (pp. 353-363: Reunion of Penelope & Odysseus)
    • CONTEXT: Odysseus has killed the suitors and now approaches a skeptical Penelope...
• Ovid Heroides 1 (ANTHOLOGY, pp. 306-309: Penelope to Ulysses)

Resources

• Slides for The Greatest Saga II: The Sack of Troy and Odysseus' Return
• Key Terms for The Greatest Saga II: The Sack of Troy and Odysseus' Return
• Tagcloud for The Greatest Saga II: The Sack of Troy and Odysseus' Return

 

 

Th 4/24: The Greatest Saga II: The Aftermath of Troy

No Class Today

• Review the end of the House of Atreus and aftermath
• Begin working on last response project (see Week 14)

 

 

 

 

Week 14: 4/29-5/1

 

T 4/29: Myths of Rome

Readings

• Ovid, Metamorphoses 14.1123-15.1112 (pp. 514-554)
• Vergil's Aeneid Books 3 &4 (pp. 57-106: Aeneas in the wake of Ulysses; Dido & Aeneas in Carthage)

Resources

• Key Terms for Myths of Rome
• Slides for the Myths of Rome
• Tagcloud for The Myths of Rome

 

Th 5/1: The End and Immortality of Myth

Readings

• BUXTON pp. 226-245: Myth in the Middle Age; From the Renaissance to the 20th Century; Present and Future [this is a good place to begin reviewing what he have explored this semester]
• Apuleius, The Golden Ass, 4.28-6.24 (pp. 86-128: Cupid and Psyche)

Resources

• Key Terms for Myths of Rome
• Slides for the End & Immortality of Myth
• Tagcloud for The Myths of Rome II
• Images of Cupid and Psyche
• Cincinnatus: NPR Interview with Classicist Elaine Fantam

 

 

F 5/2: Due Last Response Project: Reflecting on Mythology

Description

For your last response project, there are a variety of options which you may pursue. This project will provide a venue in which you can explore a topic, cultural connection, question, or character in more detail.

You are encouraged to collaborate with up to two other classmates on this project.

Choose one of the following options:

1. a creative work that engages some aspect of Classical Mythology.
   
   For example, you could draw a set of comics; write a short play; write a song; paint a picture; film a Mythological moment (real or imagined)
   
   All creative projects must underscore essential themes and characteristics relevant to Classical mythology.
   
   All creative projects must be supported by a brief description of the project's goals and symbolism.
   
   
2. a short essay (2-to-3-pages or ~550-800 words) that explores an issue that has piqued your interest.
   
   For example you could analyze a topic, theory, or text discussed in class (or not); you could provide a theoretical reading of a myth or text (e.g. a Structuralist or Formalist or Freudian reading of the myth of Minotaur); you could compare the representation of a mythic character, trope, or locale in two or more works (including text and artistic sources; ancient and/or modern); you could compare a Classical god or myth with an analogue in another culture.
   
   
3. another Myth Lives! essay: write about a modern* interpretation of a mythical story or mythical themes as presented in music, dance, film, literature, or drama. (For this project, "modern" can include anything from the eighteenth century or later).
   
   Note, this must be on a different topic than your previous Myth Lives! essay. Unlike the last essay, you are free to discuss retellings of Classical myth as well: e.g. a film that engages Classical themes explicitly (e.g. Contempt or Troy) or implicitly (e.g. Minority Report, Seven Samauri), a music composition (Mozart's "Jupiter" Symphony; Handel's Acis & Galatea), a poem or novel (e.g. Yeat's "Leda and the Swan", Tolkin's Frodo as a Classical Hero).
   

Do not use internet sources (unless pre-approved).

As you see, the range of acceptable options is nearly limitless. The only requirement is that your project be connected to Classical Mythology in some way, and somehow allowed you to synthesize, contextualize, or apply a theme, trope, or character from Classical Mythology.

Be creative and have fun!

If you have any questions about this project, please contact me as soon as possible.

Due: via Email or outside my office by 5 p.m. on Friday 5/2 (late projects will be sanctioned as indicated in the course description). If you are working on a physical work (artwork, song, movie, etc., please contact me to make arrangements for me to receive it).

 

 

 

 

Midterm

• Study Guide
• Answer Key and Summary

Final

• Study Guide