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 complete assignments, 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) are posted on Blackboard.

    

        Readings not included in the text book may be found on Blackboard.

Components of Course Grade: Writing assignments (10 total, 10% each)

[Note: There are no exams in this class, only the ten short essays. You may post an original essay or respond to someone else's essay to receive credit. All essays should show your knowledge of readings and lectures and discussing particular passages and make connections between readings. Please see the grading rubric associated with each assignment for expectations associated with that assignment. In most cases, a few thoughtful paragraphs will suffice. Not every assigned chapter or lecture has a corresponding essay. You should work your knowledge of those readings into the most relevant essay topics. Plagiarism on any essay will result in a minimum punishment of a 0% for ALL ESSAYS. Additional penalties are at the discretion of the University.]

Schedule of Readings, Lectures, and Discussions

  NOTE: PAGE NUMBERS BELOW CORRESPOND TO THE 6th EDITION OF CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY. You should move though the units listed below at your own pace over the course of the mini-mester.

   

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

Required Reading: CM Chapter 3
Recommended Reading: CM Chapter 1
Additional assignments: After reading CM chapter 3, post your essay to the designated discussion board.

Required Reading: CM Chapter 5
Additional assignments: After reading CM chapter 5, post your essay to the designated discussion board.

 

Unit II: Zeus and Hera; Gods and Heroes

Required Reading: CM chapter 6
Additional assignments: After reading CM chapter 6, post your essay to the designated discussion board.

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 your essay to the two designated discussion boards.

 

Unit III: Apollo

Required Reading: CM chapter 7; Homeric Hymn to Apollo (available on Blackboard);  Lecture 3

Required Reading: Selections from the Iliad, pp. 18-32 (available on Blackboard); Lecture 4
Additional assignments: After completing the readings and lecture post your essay to the designated discussion board.

Required Reading: Sophocles, Oedipus Rex (CM 679-727; 5th ed. 666-714); Lecture 5
Additional assignments: After completing the readings and lecture post your essay to the designated discussion board.

Unit IV: Dionysus and Greek Tragedy

Required Reading: CM Chapter 8

Required Reading: CM chapter 14

Required 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 your essay to the designated discussion board.

 

Unit V: Athena, Artemis, and Aphrodite

Required Reading: The Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite and selections from Sappho (Blackboard); Lecture 7 and Lecture 8

Required Reading: Euripides, Hippolytus (Blackboard) and Lecture 9

Highly Recommended Reading: “Hippolytus” by Mary Ebbott (posted on Blackboard)
Additional assignments: After completing the readings and lecture post your essay to the designated discussion board.

Unit VI: Final Project

Required Reading: Choose any chapter from our textbook that interests you.
Additional assignments: After completing the reading post your essay to the designated discussion board.

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 their essays,  students will “connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making.”