Introduction. Background to Greek mythology: myth, folktale, and the Mesopotamian tradition

Wd Aug. 27 Introduction: What is Myth?

Fr Aug. 29 Near Eastern Backgrounds: the comparative approach

Reading: CM 21-33, 51-64, 65-66 (Perspective 3.2)
(CM = Powell, Classical Mythology)

Mo Sept. 1 The Epic of Gilgamesh: the allegorical approach

Reading: CM 618-624 (allegory, euhemerism) Gilgamesh, 61-96 (chap. 1-3)

Wd Sept. 3 The Epic of Gilgamesh: patterns in folklore

Reading: Gilgamesh, pp. 97-119 (chap. 4-7)

1. Myth in Literature: myth-making & the high literary treatment of Greek myth

Fr Sept. 5 Trojan Tales I, Homer's Iliad

Reading: CM 499-533 (chap. 18) + Iliad excerpts [handout]

Mo Sept. 8 Trojan Tales II: Homer, Myth, & History

Reading: CM 534-545, 9-12 (Perspective 1.1)

Wd Sept. 10 Return of Odysseus: Homer's Odyssey

Reading: CM 556-582 (chap. 20)

Fr Sept. 12 The Birth of the Cosmos: Hesiod's Theogony

Reading: CM 75-107 (chap. 4)

Mo Sept. 15 The Beginnings of Man & Woman: Hesiod's Works & Days

Reading: CM 109-134 (chap. 5) + Works & Days excerpt [handout]

Wd Sept. 17 The Allusive Treatment of Myth: Greek Lyric

Reading: lyric excerpts [handout]

==PAPER #1: First Finished Draft DUE==

Fr Sept. 19 Trojan tales revisited, & the house of Atreus

Reading: start Aeschylus, Agamemnon + Odyssey excerpt [handout]

Mo Sept. 22 The Aeschylean Vision: The house of Atreus ctd.

Reading: finish Aeschylus, Agamemnon + CM 551-555

==PAPER #1: Responses DUE==

Wd Sept. 24 The Sophoclean Vision: the house of Labdacus

Reading: Oedipus Rex (first half) + Freud excerpts [handouts]

Fr Sept. 26 Oedipus, Psychoanalysis, and Structuralism

Reading: Oedipus Rex (second half) + Structuralism excerpts [handout]

==PAPER #1: Final Revision DUE==

Mo Sept. 29 Mythographers and Romans: Cretan tales

Reading: CM 346-371

Wd Oct. 1 Summary & review

No new reading: begin exam review, bring in questions

Fr Oct. 3 Exam #1 (40 minutes)

2. Myth in Art: iconography & the representation of unwritten traditions of Greek myth

Mo Oct. 6 Heracles: iconography of the hero

Reading: CM 398-427

Wd Oct. 8 Medea, Jason and the Argonauts

Reading: CM 465-498

Fr Oct. 10 Perseus; Gorgons & other monsters

Reading: CM 379-397

Mo Oct. 13 FALL RECESS

3. Myth in Religion: Olympians; mystery religions; hero cults

Wd Oct. 15 Greek religion; Myth as ritual

(enjoy your break: no assignment)

Fr Oct. 17 Zeus & older male gods

Reading: CM 139-147 (Zeus), 149-151 (Poseidon, Hades), 347-349 (Europa & the Bull), 373-379 (Wanderings of Io)

Mo Oct. 20 Mystery cults: Demeter & the Eleusinian mysteries

Reading: CM 224-241

==PAPER #2: First Finished Draft DUE==

Wd Oct. 22 Hermes & Apollo: lies, truth, & art

Reading: CM 164-177, 195-210

Fr Oct. 24 Apollo & Dionysus: Greeks and the Irrational

Reading: CM 243-279 (note: reading can be finished on Monday)

==PAPER #2: Responses DUE==

==PAPER #2: First Finished Draft DUE==

Mo Oct. 27 Reflections of Womanhood: Hera, Athena

Reading: CM 147-148, 191-194; Euripides, Hippolytus (first half)

==TUESDAY: RESPONSES DUE FOR PAPER #2==

Wd Oct. 29 Reflections of Womanhood: Artemis & Aphrodite

Reading: CM 178-184; 152-162, Euripides, Hippolytus (second half)

==PAPER #2: Final Revision DUE==

Fr Oct. 31 Heroes & hero cults: Oedipus revisited

Reading: CM 451-462

==PAPER #2: Final Revision DUE==

Mo Nov. 3 Hero cults & politics: Theseus revisited

Reading: CM 324-344

Wd Nov. 5 Summary & review

No new reading: begin exam review, bring in questions

Fr Nov. 7 Exam #2 (40 minutes)

4. Myth as Thought: mythos, logos, and the "rise of Rationalism"

Mo Nov. 10 "History" and myth

Reading: Herodotus & Thucydides [handout]

Wd Nov. 12 The "presocratics": philosophy, science, and myth

Reading: Anaximander, Parmenides, Empedocles [handout]
(Concentrate on Parmenides and Empedocles )

Fr Nov. 14 Plato, logic, and myth

Reading: Plato's Phaedo: (first half) [reserve] [background reading for paper #3]

Mo Nov. 17 Plato, logic, and myth (ctd.)

Reading: Plato's Phaedo (second half) [reserve]
Excerpts from Clouds, Protagoras [handout]

Wd Nov. 19 Excursus #1: Views of male and female in Aristotle

Reading: Aristotle: On the Generation of Animals [handout]

==PAPER #3: First Finished Draft DUE==

Fr Nov. 21 Excursus #2: Views of male and female in the Greek medical writers

Reading: Hippocrates & Galen [handout]

Mo Nov. 24 Summary, response, review

==PAPER #3: First Finished Draft DUE==

==PAPER #3: Responses DUE==

Nov. 26-30 THANKSGIVING RECESS

5. Theories of Myth

Mo Dec. 1 Allegorical & historicizing theories

[no assignment]

Wd Dec. 3 Psychoanalytical theories

[Reading]

==PAPER #3: Final Revision DUE==

Fr Dec. 5 Structuralism & post-structuralism

[Reading]

Mo Dec. 8 Conclusions, evaluations

No new reading: begin exam review, bring in questions

==PAPER #3: Final Revision DUE==

==Submit in printed form your two best papers for evaluation==

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Final Examination (40 minutes): date set by registrar