ClSt/ComL 200, "Classical Mythology"
Spring 1999
Texts
-
Stephen L. Harris and Gloria Platzner, Classical Mythology: Images and
Insights, 2d ed. 1998
-
Apollodorus, The Library of Greek Mythology, tr. Robin Hard,
1998
-
The Metamorphoses of Ovid, tr. Allen Mandelbaum, 1995
(all of these titles are available at the University Book Store)
Schedule
Week 1: Gods and Goddesses
January 11
Introductory
lecture
January 13
Background
to Greek Mythology (1): Geography and History
no assignment
January 14/15
Harris & Platzner, ch. 5
Week 2: The Birth of the Gods
January 18
Background
to Greek Mythology (2): Kinds of Interpretation
Harris & Platzner, ch. 1
January 20
The
Great Goddess and the Olympian Religion
Harris & Platzner, ch. 2
January 21/22
Harris & Platzner, ch. 3, 6
Week 3: Religious Contexts
January 25
Ancient
Contexts of Greek Myth: Olympian and Epichoric Religion
Harris & Platzner, ch. 4
January 27
The
Homeric Hymns
Harris & Platzner, chh. 7-8
January 28/29
Review Homeric Hymns to Demeter, Apollo, Dionysus
Week 4: Concepts of the Hero
February 1
Overview
of Greek Pantheon
Harris & Platzner, ch. 9
February 3
God
and Hero
Harris & Platzner, ch. 10
Quiz
on Olympian Gods (names, provinces, attributes)
February 4/5
Week 5: The Trojan saga in epic (1)
February 8
Contexts
for the Trojan saga
Apollodorus, Iliad material (pp. 146-158)
February 10
The
Homeric Iliad
Harris & Platzner, ch. 11
Quiz
on timeline
February 11-12
Week 6: The Trojan saga in epic (2)
February 15
The
Homeric Odyssey (1)
Harris & Platzner, ch. 12
February 17
The
Homeric Odyssey (2)
Apollodorus, Odyssey material (pp. 158-170)
February 18-19
Week 7: Myth and tragedy (1)
February 22
Euripides,
Bacchae
Harris & Platzner, ch. 13
February 24
Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound
Harris & Platzner, ch. 14
February 25/26
Aeschylus, Oresteia
Harris & Platzner, ch. 15
Week 8: Myth and tragedy (2)
March 1
Sophocles, Oedipus
the King and
Oedipus at Colonus
Harris & Platzner, ch. 16
March 3
Euripides, Medea
Harris & Platzner, ch. 17
March 5
Mid-semester examination (preview)
Spring Break
March 8-12
Week 9: The Roman reception of Greek mythology
March 15
Greek
Myths and the Roman Empire
Harris & Platzner, ch. 18
March 17
Vergil's
Aeneid
and Heroic Genealogy
Harris & Platzner, ch. 19
March 18/19
No assignment
Week 10: Ovid
March 22
Introduction
to Ovid, Metamorphoses
No assignment
Outline
of the Metamorphoses
Comparative
outline of the Metamorphoses
and Apollodorus' Library
March 24
"Major Themes in the Metamorphoses"
Ovid, Metamorphoses 1-3
Outline
of the Metamorphoses
Comparative
outline of the Metamorphoses
and Apollodorus' Library
March 25-26
"Major Themes (continued)"
Ovid, Metamorphoses 1-2 (review)
Apollodorus, Library pp. 27-48, 58-69, 96-117
Outline
of the Metamorphoses
Comparative
outline of the Metamorphoses
and Apollodorus' Library
Week 11
March 29
"The Theban Cycle"
Apollodorus, Library pp. 96-114
Ovid, Metamorphoses 3 (review)
Outline
of the Metamorphoses
Comparative
outline of the Metamorphoses
and Apollodorus' Library
March 31
"The Tales of the Minyads"
Ovid, Metamorphoses 4
Outline
of the Metamorphoses
Comparative
outline of the Metamorphoses
and Apollodorus' Library
April 1-2
"The Rape of Persephone"
Ovid, Metamorphoses 5-6
Apollodorus, Library 29-35 (review)
Homeric Hymn to Demeter (review)
Outline
of the Metamorphoses
Comparative
outline of the Metamorphoses
and Apollodorus' Library
Week 12
April 5
"Parents and Children"
Ovid, Metamorphoses 7-9
Outline
of the Metamorphoses
Comparative
outline of the Metamorphoses
and Apollodorus' Library
April 7
No class.
April 8-9
The "Abandoned Woman" motif.
Review Euripides, Medea.
Apollodorus, Library pp. 48-58.
Outline
of the Metamorphoses
Comparative
outline of the Metamorphoses
and Apollodorus' Library
Week 13
April 12
No class.
April 14
"The Song of Orpheus"
Ovid, Metamorphoses 10-12
Outline
of the Metamorphoses
Comparative
outline of the Metamorphoses
and Apollodorus' Library
April 15-16
"Mock-heroism"
Apollodorus, Library 146-170
Outline
of the Metamorphoses
Comparative
outline of the Metamorphoses
and Apollodorus' Library
Week 14
April 19
"The Little Aeneid"
Ovid, Metamorphoses 13-14
Review Aeneid material
Outline
of the Metamorphoses
Comparative
outline of the Metamorphoses
and Apollodorus' Library
April 21
"The End"
Ovid, Metamorphoses 15
Outline
of the Metamorphoses
Comparative
outline of the Metamorphoses
and Apollodorus' Library
April 22-23
Review of Ovid, Metamorphoses
Outline
of the Metamorphoses
Comparative
outline of the Metamorphoses
and Apollodorus' Library