Skip to main content

Classical Mythology (260-0-1)

Instructors

Ryan Platte
847/467-6976
Kresge Hall 4355
Office Hours: 10-12 pm and by appointment

Meeting Info

Technological Institute L361: Mon, Wed, Fri 11:00AM - 11:50AM

Overview of class

The primary purpose of this course is to familiarize students with the mythology of the ancient Greek world and to develop tools for using it to improve and interrogate our own understanding of ancient Greek culture. Our focus will be on the mythology of the Greek Archaic and Classical periods, for which we will cover the most of important myths that our sources preserve for us. Beyond the facts of the myths, however, we will study the nature of the literary, historical, and archaeological sources from which they come, their historical circumstances and generic characteristics. This will allow us to consider in an informed way the relationship between evidence, culture, and even author. In doing so we will consider what these myths reveal about cultural attitudes and realities of life in the ancient Greek world for all its inhabitants: Greek and non-Greek, native and immigrant, free and enslaved.

Class Materials (Required)

Trzaskoma, Stephen and Smith, R. Scott, Anthology of Classical Myth: Primary Sources in Translation,
(ISBN-13: 978-1624664977)
Lombardo, Stanley, The Essential Homer
(ISBN-13: 978-0872205406)
Morwood, James, Bacchae and Other Plays
(ISBN-13: 978-0199540525)
Meineck, Peter and Helene P. Foley, Oresteia
(ISBN-13: 978-0872203907)
Meineck, Peter and Paul Woodruff, Theban Plays
(ISBN-13: 978-0872205857)

Class Attributes

Historical Studies Foundational Discipline
Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
Historical Studies Distro Area
Interdisciplinary Distro-rules apply
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area
Ethics & Values Distro Area

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Pre-Registration -- Reserved for Classics majors or minors.

Associated Classes

DIS - TBA: Fri 8:00AM - 8:50AM

DIS - TBA: Fri 9:00AM - 9:50AM

DIS - TBA: Fri 1:00PM - 1:50PM

DIS - TBA: Fri 2:00PM - 2:50PM

DIS - TBA: Fri 3:00PM - 3:50PM

DIS - TBA: Fri 4:00PM - 4:50PM