CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY

FALL 2008 ~ MWF 11:15AM-12:10PM

PROF. JACKIE MURRAY

OFFICE HOURS: MWF 1-2PM

LADD 205 B

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Schedule of Topics & Readings

Week 1: September 3 - 5, 2008

Introduction to the Study of Classical Mythology

Wednesday: What is Myth? An introduction to the concept "myth" and the nature and function of mythical thought.

online video: Atlantis and Alien Genetic Manipulation of Humanity

Friday: Introduction to the major theories of interpreting myths.

Readings: E-RESERVE

Morford, Historical Background of Greek Mythology
Morford, Interpretation and Definition of Classical Mythology

UNIT 1: Comparative Approaches

Week 2: September 8 - 12, 2008

Myths about the Origin and Nature of the Universe

Monday: Genesis 1 -3 (reserve); Creation Epic (e-reserve); ACM, Hesiod's Theogony
Wednesday: Presocratic Cosmogonies; ACM, Lucretius Readings 1 &2; Handout: Csapo 10 -top of p.30
Friday: Orpheus’ Cosmogony; The Creation in Ovid’s Metamorphoses;

Online Video: History of Quantum Physics

Week 3: September 15-19, 2008

Myths about the Nature and Origins of the Gods

Monday: ACM: Hesiod's Theogony; Apollodorus A-D; Horace 1.10, 2.19; Appendix 1; Finish Csapo Handout on Comparative approaches

Wednesdy: ACM: Archilochus; Homeric Hymns 6-33; Eratosthenes

Friday: ACM: Homeric Hymns 1-6; Cleanthes Hymn to Zeus; Diodorus 3.56, 5.66-5.73; Callimachus' Hymn to Zeus; Callimachus' Hymn to Artemis ;Aratus' Phaenomena (1-18)

LECTURE NOTES FOR UNIT 1

UNIT 2: Psychological Appraoches

Week 4: September 22-26,2008

Myths about the Nature and Origins of Human Beings

Monday: Unit 1 in class essay

Wednesday :ACM: Hesiod's Works and Days; Ovid's Metamorphoses, 5 ages of Man; Nebuchadnezzar's Dream in Book of Daniel 2:1-49; (reserve: Bible); Myth of metals in Plato's Rebpublic; Csapo chapter 3

Friday: Greek Drama 1: Prometheus Bound; Plato's Protagoras; Plato's Timaeus 39e-47e; ACM: Apollodorus E1-3; Prometheus Freed p.6-7;

Online Videos: Carl Sagan's Summary of Evolution; Human Origins and Planet X

Week 5: September 29-October 3, 2008

Myths about the Origins and Nature of the Demi-gods

Monday:Catalogue of Women;Catalogue of Goddesses ;ACM: Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite; Odyssey 5

Wednesday: Ovid's Metamorphoses, Book 1- 2 to the end of the Phaethon Story

Friday: ACM: Arrian; Pindar Olympian 1;

Lecture notes for Unit 2

UNIT 3: Myth and Ritual Approaches

Week 6: October 6-10, 2008

Myth and Religious Rituals and Festivals

Monday: Unit 2 in Class essay

Wednesday:ACM: Homeric Hymn to Apollo; Bion's Lament for Adonis; Homer's Iliad 1; Callimachus' Hymn to Apollo; Paean to Apollo in Apollonius' Argonautica;

Friday: Euripides' Bacchae; Burkert on festivals; Csapo ;

Extra Reading: Burkert on the cults of the Olympian Gods

Week 7: October12-18, 2008

Myths about the Nature of Death, After-life, and Soul

Monday: Homeric Hymn to Demeter; Callimachus' Hymns to Athena and Demeter; Ovid's Metamorhphoses: book 5 - The Rape of Persephone, book 10 - Orpheus and Eurydice; ACM: Pausanias;Graf

Wednesday: ACM Plato's Myth of Er ; Vergil, Aeneid 6.237-755; Cicero's Dream of Scipio; Odyssey 11; Burkert on Burial cults

Friday: Apollo: Homeric Hymn to Apollo; Bion's Lament for Adonis; Homer's Iliad 1; Callimachus' Hymn to Apollo; Paean to Apollo in Apollonius' Argonautica; Dionysus: Euripides' Bacchae; Demeter: ACM: Homeric Hymn to Demeter; Callimachus' Hymns to Athena and Demeter; Ovid's Metamorhphoses: book 5 - The Rape of Persephone, Orpheus: Ovid book 10 - Orpheus and Eurydice; ACM: Pausanias;Burkert on festivals;

online video: The Day I died

UNIT 4: MYTH & HISTORY

Week 8: October 20-24, 2008

Myths about Culture and Foundation Heroes

Monday: ACM: Bacchylides Ode 5; Horace Ode 3.11; Lucretius 5.1162-5.1240; Ovid's Metamorphoses Book 11- death of Orpheus

Wednesday: ACM: Apollodorus L1-N7; Plutarch; Dowden Myth and History; Ovid's Metamorphoses Book 14 - from Legends of Early Rome to Book 15 the Death of Numa, and the Apotheosis of Caesar;

Friday: STUDY DAY

Lecture notes for unit 3

UNIT 5: STRUCTURALISM

Week 9: October 27-31, 2008

Classical Quest Myths

Monday:*****MIDTERM*****

Wednesday:Csapo: Structuralism up to p.211; ACM: Apollodorus G1-K21; Ovid 's Metamorphoses Book 4 & 5: Perseus & Andromeda, Perseus' fight in the palace of Cepheus;

Friday: Csapo: Structuralism up to 234; Sophocles' Oedipus the King; Antigone; Ovid's Metamorphoses Book 3 Cadmus;

Week 10: November 3-7, 2008

Heroes

Monday: Csapo: Structuralism up to 261; Ovid 's Metamorphoses Book3 & 4 up to Cadmus;

Wednesday: Euripides' Herakles; Ovid's Metamophoses Book 9 -Hercules, Book 12 - Nestor and Hercules.

Friday: Ovid's Metamorphoses Book 7 and 8 up to Althaea and Meleager; Euripides' Medea; Apollonius' Argonautica Book 3

UNIT 6: Gender and Sexuality, Ideology,

Week 11: November 10-14, 2008

The Trojan Saga I

Monday: Gender and Sexuality: Ovid's Metamorphoses Book 3: Tiresias, Book 4: Salamacis and Hermaphroditus, Book 9: Byblis, Iphis and Ianthe; Book 10; Diodorus Siculus; Csapo up to 276

Wednesday: Csapo up to 301; ACM: Acusilaus 39; Proclus; Statius; Colluthus; Defiant Female Heroes

Friday: Csapo to the end;Homer's Iliad Books 1-3, 5-7,

Week 12: November 17-21, 2008

Trojan Saga II

Monday: Homer's Iliad Books: 9, 14, 16-17

Wednesday:Homer's Iliad Books: 18-21

Friday: Homer's Iliad Books: 22-24; ; Quintus of Smyrna book 3: Death of Achilles; Ovid's Metamorphoses Book 12: Death of Achilles; Book 13 Ajax and Ulysses and the Arms of Achilles

Week 13: November 24-28, 2008

Trojan Saga III

Monday:Tryphiodorus: The Fall of Troy; Quintus of Smyrna book 12: Trojan Horse; Quintus of Smyrna book 13: The sack of Troy

Wednesday: Thanksgiving break (no Class)

Friday: Thanksgiving Break (no Class)

Week 14: December 1-5, 2008

Trojan Saga IV

Monday: Quintus of Smyrna book 14: the returns; Odyssey books 1-4

Wednesday:Odyssey 5-13

Friday: Odyssey 16, 19, 22-24

Week 15: December 8, 2008

Myth Misrepresented