This course is being taught on-line, and all components of the course are delivered through Blackboard. You should log in to the Blackboard site regularly to participate in on-line discussions, read or listen to posted lectures, and check for announcements. 

Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites for this course. If you have never taken a Classics course, however, or if you have never read any Greek literature before, you will need to put in extra effort in order to succeed in this class. It will be essential for you to devote a significant amount of time to reading.

Required Reading and/or Listening:

        Harris, S. and G. Platzner, ed. Classical Mythology. 5th edition OR 6th edition. New York, 2008/2011.

        Lectures (text and audio) will be posted and linked to the syllabus over the course of the semester.

Components of Course Grade: Exams (2) 70%; Participation in weekly on-line discussions 30%.

[Note: Individual postings will not be given a letter grade. But in order to get full credit for the posting you should show your knowledge of readings and lectures, ideally discussing particular passages and making connections between readings. In most cases, a thoughtful paragraph will suffice. You may post an original comment or respond to someone else's post to receive credit. Plagiarism on any post will receive a minimum punishment of a 0% for the discussion portion of the course grade. Additional penalties are at the discretion of the University.]

Important Dates:

First exam Wednesday, October 15 (on-line; instructions will be announced)

Second exam Wednesday, December 3 (on-line; instructions will be announced)

Schedule of Readings, Lectures, and Discussions

  NOTE: PAGE NUMBERS BELOW CORRESPOND TO THE 6th EDITION OF CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY.

   

Unit I: Creation and Myths of Succession; Matriarchy to Patriarchy?

*Week 1
Required Reading: CM Chapter 3
Recommended Reading: CM Chapter 1
Additional assignments: After reading CM chapter 3, post to the discussion board for this week by Friday at noon.

*Week 2
Required Reading: CM Chapter 5
Additional assignments: After reading CM chapter 5, post to the discussion board for this week by Friday at noon.

 

Unit II: Zeus and Hera; Gods and Heroes

*Week 3
Required Reading: CM chapter 6
Additional assignments: After reading CM chapter 6, post to the discussion board for this week by Friday at noon.

*Week 4
Required Reading: First read CM 352-369 [5th ed. 388-405]; next read Selections from the Iliad, pp. 13-18 (available on Blackboard); third, read Lecture 1 and Lecture 2
Additional assignments: After completing the readings and lectures, post to the discussion board for this week by Friday at noon.

 

Unit III: Apollo

*Week 5
Required Reading: CM chapter 7; Lecture 3
Additional assignments: After completing the readings and lecture post to the discussion board for this week by Friday at noon.

*Week 6
Required Reading: Selections from the Iliad, pp. 18-32 (available on Blackboard); Lecture 4
Additional assignments: After completing the readings and lecture post to the discussion board for this week by Friday at noon.

*Week 7
Required Reading: Sophocles, Oedipus Rex (CM 679-727; 5th ed. 666-714); Lecture 5
Additional assignments: After completing the readings and lecture post to the discussion board for this week by Friday at noon.

*Week 8

Exam 1 on 10/15 (on-line; instructions will be announced)

Unit IV: Dionysus and Greek Tragedy

*Week 9
Required Reading: CM Chapter 8 Additional assignments: After completing the readings and lecture post to the discussion board for this week by Friday at noon.

*Week 10
Required Reading: CM chapter 14

*Week 11
Reading: CM pp. 513-527 and 528-581 [5th ed. 765-777 and 817-870] (Euripides, Bacchae); Lecture 6
Additional assignments: After completing the readings and lecture post to the discussion board for this week by Friday at noon.

 

Unit V: Athena, Artemis, and Aphrodite

*Week 12
Required Reading: The Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite and selections from Sappho; Lecture 7 and Lecture 8

*Week 13
Required Reading: Euripides, Hippolytus and Lecture 9
Additional assignments: After completing the readings and lecture post to the discussion board for this week by Friday at noon.

*Week 14 THANKSGIVING

A review discussion board will be posted.

*Week 15

 Exam 2 on 12/3 (on-line; instructions will be announced)

Learning Outcomes: In this course students will enhance their critical thinking and communications skills by  reading and interpreting works of classical Greek and Roman literature. By studying ancient Greek myth and demonstrating their understanding of the religion of another culture in various writing assignments students will develop intercultural competence. By engaging the choices of characters in the Iliad and Greek tragedy and analyzing the relationships between gods and heroes in Greek myth in weekly writing assignments and test essays,  students will “connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making.”