Disclaimer: The information on this page is provided as an overview. The course outline, readings, and assignments may be subject to change in the final syllabus as determined by the lecturer and/or preceptors.
INSTRUCTORS:
Larry Swain
Board Member Faculty Representative; Lecturer; PreceptorMaggie Parke
Lecturer; PreceptorThis course places the principle Classical myths and legends in their cultural and historical context, with some attention to discussion of subsequent influence. The course focuses on the rich array of theme, genre, imagery, and message of Classical myths and their reception in the classical world. The readings are drawn from the elements of the key myths that inform nearly a millennium of literature, philosophy, and art. The lectures and the topics in this course by nature are grander in scope than is possible to cover fully in a single course. In this course, we will contextualize the myths, point to how they were understood in Classical antiquity, and how they were depicted in Classical art. Most importantly, where possible, connections will be made to later, Germanic myths and legends to illustrate both continuity and influence.
Weekly Schedule
This course includes two live 90-minute lectures per week with one 60-minute discussion session as assigned.
Course Schedule
Week 1
- Mythography and Comparative Mythography
- Hesiod’s “Theogony” and other selections
Week 2
- The Iliad 1-12 (The Judgement of Paris)
- The Iliad 13-24
Week 3
- The Odyssey 1-12
- The Odyssey 13-15
Week 4
- Mycenaean Cycle
- Theban Cycle
Week 5
- Theseus and Athens
- Perseus
Week 6
- The Argonauts
- Select Homeric Hymns
Week 7
- Pindar and Baccyliades
- Hymns and Pindar
Week 8
- Metamorphoses
- The Returns
Week 9
- Hercules
- Homer as Understood in Later Days
Week 10
- The Aeneid 1-6
- The Aeneid 7-12
Week 11
- Foundations of Rome
- Casting of Kings
Week 12
- Encounters with the East in Myth
- Encounters with the West in Myth
Required Texts
The Iliad, The Odyssey, and The Aeneid translated by Robert Fagles (this specific box-set not required).
Further required and suggested readings will be provided by the course instructors in the final syllabus.
Course History
This course has been offered in the following semesters.
Semester | Preceptor(s) |
---|---|
Spring 2020 | Dr. Larry Swain & Dr. Maggie Parke |