Classics 30: Classical Mythology (Spring 2017)

Professor Alex Purves

Department of Classics Office hours: M 12:15-1:15, F 11-12, and by appointment
Dodd 226B purves@[Link]

Course Description and Objectives

The mythology of the ancient Greeks and Romans was more than the family trees of their gods and
heroes. They used myth as a way of reflecting upon underlying issues in their society, and as a means of
working through various structures of thought and belief held by the community as a whole. Myths
might set codes or rules by which individuals can orient themselves, establishing a template for what it
means to be a human, to be a citizen, or to live with certain choices. But why then is Greek and Roman
mythology often outlandish and risky in its subject matter? Why does it so often show characters
breaking rules and rejecting norms? Why unlike folktale, for example does it trade so explicitly in the
fantastic or impossible? Since myth is typically so entertaining, how has it managed to convey serious
and enduring messages, resulting, for example, in some of Freuds best-known theories about the
human psyche? In this course we will study Greek and Roman mythology through literature, art,
philosophy, history, science, and reception, following a rough mythological chronology which begins
with the birth of the cosmos and ends with Aeneas, one of the remaining Trojan heroes after the fall of
Troy, sailing to Italy and beginning the civilization that will become Rome. Students will come away from
this course not only with a strong sense of the various stories, poets, and traditions within the Greek
and Roman world, but also having thought carefully and analytically about the function of myth and its
purpose both in ancient societies and our own.

Course website: [Link] (make sure your email address is

current)

Lectures: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 10:00A 10:50A. Dodd 147.

Teaching Assistants
Chris Bingley cbingley@[Link]
Sarah Bishop sbishop@[Link]
Zachary Borst zborst@[Link]
Alison Crandall amcrandall@[Link]
Eric Glawe ericglawe@[Link]
Lea Madda leamariemadda@[Link]

Sections meet on Wednesday afternoons and Thursdays. It is important that you check the Registrars
schedule of classes online to verify rooms before 1st section, as rooms often change)

1A W 11:00A 11;50A PUB AFF 1329

1B W 12:00P 12;50P BUNCHE 3164
1C W 1:00P 1:50P PUB AFF 2319
1D W 2:00P 2:50P DODD 162
1E R 8:00A 8:50A DODD 162
1F R 9:00A 9:50A DODD 162
1G R 10:00A 10:50A KAUFMAN 101
1H R 12:00P 12:50P KAUFMAN 101
1I R 1:00P 1:50P KAUFMAN 153
1J R 2:00P 2:50P PUB AFF 2325
1K R 3:00P 3:50P ROLFE 3105
IL R 4:00P 4:50P DODD 162

Required Reading Material, available at UCLA Book Store (Ackerman). Listed in order of appearance in
course. You must use the text and translation listed here, not a different translation.
 Hesiod, The Theogony, transl. Athanassakis (Johns Hopkins)
The Homeric Hymns, transl. Athanassakis (Johns Hopkins)
Homer, The Odyssey, transl. Lombardo (Hackett)
Aeschylus, The Oresteia transl. Grene and Lattimore (Chicago)
Sophocles, Oedipus the King, transl. Grene (Chicago)
Euripides, Bacchae, transl. Woodruff (Hackett)
Virgil, The Aeneid, transl. West (Oxford)
Seneca, Six Tragedies, transl. Wilson (Oxford)
Ovid, Metamorphoses, transl. Melville (Oxford)

Course Reader In addition to the books listed above, there is a course reader required for purchase from
Course Reader Materials in Westwood (price estimate $25-$27). Please buy this immediately, as we will
begin using it in week 1.

Library Reserves
All the books required for the course are on reserve at the College Library, for either 2 hour or, in some
cases, 2 day loan. The following books are also on reserve:
Lombardo, Stanley, Homers Iliad
Logue, Christopher, All Day Permanent Red: the first battle scenes of Homers Iliad rewritten Logue,
Christopher, War Music: an account of books 1-4 and 16-19 of Homers Iliad

Breakdown of Grades
Participation 10% (refer to your TAs syllabus for more details)
Quizzes 8% total (April 12th/13th, May 10th/11th, in section)
Midterm 22% (Friday April 28th in lecture)
Paper 25% (8pm, Sunday May 21st)
Final 35% (Wed June 14th 3-6pm)

In order to do well in this class, you must read the required material BEFORE the lecture, and you must
be ready to discuss it prior to your section. Get into the habit of jotting down your own ideas a) as you
read and b) in lecture. You will be expected to bring not just yourselves but your thoughts on the
material to section.

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a serious offense, and ignorance will not be tolerated as an excuse. All cases of plagiarism
will automatically receive a grade of zero and will be reported to the Dean of Students. At that stage you
could lose your financial aid, your student housing, be asked to leave the university, and/or have the
plagiarism inserted into your academic record. If you do not fully understand what plagiarism is, or in
any cases of doubt, always feel free to contact me or your Teaching Assistant. You are required to read
this guide carefully on how not to plagiarize: [Link] (also be
sure to pull down the menus under citing and documenting sources, avoiding disaster, and dont get
busted boxes).

[Link]
The paper for this course must be 6-8 pp. long. You will find specific guidelines on the course website as
to formatting and other issues. Papers must adhere to these guidelines in order to receive full credit. All
papers must be electronically submitted to [Link] by the stated time and date (hard
copies will not be accepted as evidence of submission). It is your responsibility to do a trial run of
submitting a test document to this site in advance. Last minute technological difficulties will not be
accepted as an excuse, nor will the untimely malfunction of your computer, internet connection,
roommate, etc., (see penalties for late paper, below).

Penalties
Late Paper: 2% deducted per 24 hours from papers final grade. No extensions. No excuses.
Missed Final or Midterm You will receive a 0 for any exams you miss. No make-ups. No excuses.
If you have a query regarding one of these rules, please contact me directly, not your TA.

Classroom Etiquette
Please refrain from talking during lectures. It not only distracts the lecturer but also those trying to
listen around you.
Do not walk out of lectures midway. If you have an urgent appointment, please sit at the back of
the room so that you can leave unobtrusively.
Mobile devices must be switched off for lectures and sections and are not allowed in the room
during exams.
Emailing or web-surfing of any kind is prohibited during lectures, as is reading the newspaper,
listening to music, or any other activity that takes your attention away from the lecture itself.
Please respect the requests that any of the TAs might make to you in lecture and know that your
behavior in lecture may be reflected in your participation grade for the course.

Illnesses and Personal Tragedies

Please alert me immediately to any situations involving serious illness or emergency, and provide me
with written verification in all cases. I will be sympathetic but always skeptical until proof is provided. In
case of minor illness, please provide your TA with a doctors note. Attendance is obligatory at all
lectures and sections.

Sensitive Material
Please be aware that some of the material in this course may be personally upsetting. For example,
ancient Greek and Roman myths often explore taboo topics such as incest, and in one lecture we will
discuss how to read the myth of the rape of Persephone. If you have concerns about any of the topics
broached in this class, please contact me directly as soon as possible. I want to hear from you and will
try to work with you to find a solution.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WK 1. Monday April 3rd: What is Myth?
1. GREEK EPIC (c. 8th 6th centuries BCE)
1.1. HESIOD : In the beginning
Wednesday April 5th: The Creation of the Greek Cosmos: Hesiod, Theogony lines 1-
452 (pp. 13-24). *NB there are helpful notes starting at p. 39!, & Introduction, pp. 1-
11. Also read Caldwell (CR), pp. 1-9 (up to the end of Table 12).
DISCUSSION SECTION: What is a myth? How to read Hesiod.
Friday April 7th: Battle, Succession, and Interpretation: Hesiod, Theogony lines
453-end (pp. 24-38); Caldwell (CR), pp. 9-17.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WK 2. Monday April 10th: Near Eastern Parallels Powell, Myth and Creation: Hesiods Theogony and its
Near Eastern Sources (A Short Introduction to Classical Myth, pp. 86-95).
Wednesday April 12th: The Myth of Prometheus and the Origin of Women Theogony
507616 (pp. 25-28, reread); Works and Days 1-269 (same book, pp. 67-73, NB notes
start at p. 88).
DISCUSSION SECTION: Gender in Hesiod; trickery and violence in Hesiod. Quiz 1

1.2. THE HOMERIC HYMNS : The Lives of the Greek Gods I

 Friday April 14th: Sexual Desire The Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite (Hymn 5 in Athanassakis, The
Homeric Hymns)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WK. 3. Monday April 17th: Growing up as a God: The Homeric Hymn to Apollo; The Hymn to
Hermes (Hymns 3 & 4)
Wednesday April 19th: Mothers and Daughters: The Homeric Hymn to Demeter (Hymn 2).
DISCUSSION SECTION: Homeric hymns.
1.3. HOMERS ILIAD: The Lives of the Greek Gods II
Friday April 21th: Gods and Men: Iliad selections from bks. 1,5,14 (CR); Alice Oswald, Memorial
(selection, CR); Greek historians on Homer (CR).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WK. 4. Monday April 24th: Immortal but Troubled: Iliad selections from bks. 16, 22, 24 (CR);
Christopher Logue selections (CR); Wolfgang Petersens Troy: what went wrong? The
clash between Greek philosophy and myth (Xenophanes; Heraclitus; Plato (Dowden
pp. 39-42, 47-49, CR)).
1.4. HOMERS ODYSSEY: Gods, Monsters, and Mortals.
Wednesday April 26th: Back on Ithaca: Odyssey (Lombardo) introduction & book 1
DISCUSSION SECTION: Compare the Iliad and Odyssey (bring Iliad selections as well as
Odyssey to class). Is Telemachus a hero? Were the Presocratics right about
Homer and Hesiod?
Friday April 28th: Midterm: 50 minutes. Arrive promptly. Bring blue book/s.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WK. 5. Monday May 1st: Whats the Son of a Hero to Do? Telemachus Odyssey books 2-4,
Linda Pastan, At the Loom, Rereading the Odyssey in Middle Age, The Son,
(CR); Robin Robertson Swimming in the Woods,On Pharos (CR).
Wednesday May 3rd: Myth and the Fantastic Odyssey books 5-6
DISCUSSION SECTION: What makes a hero? Why Odysseus? Why or why not
Telemachus? Odysseus decision to pass on immortality. What about Penelope?
What is allegory?
Friday May 5th: Telling Myths (and rationalizing them) Odyssey books 7-8; Allegory (Graf, pp.
194-8, CR).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WK. 6. Monday May 8th: Table Manners (Myth and Culture) Odyssey books 9-10; Euhemerism
(Graf 191-2, CR).
Wednesday May 10th: Meeting with the Dead Odyssey books 11-12.
DISCUSSION SECTION: Odysseus fantastic adventures; ancient theories of myth. Quiz 2
2. GREEK TRAGEDY (5th century BCE)
2.1. AESCHYLUS, ORESTEIA: The Cycle of Revenge
Friday May 12th: Back at Argos Aeschylus, Agamemnon (Grene & Lattimore, Oresteia)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WK. 7. Monday May 15th: Whats the Son of a Hero to Do? Orestes Aeschylus, Libation Bearers (Grene
& Lattimore, Oresteia)
Wednesday May 17th: Myth and the City Aeschlyus, Eumenides (Grene & Lattimore, Oresteia)
DISCUSSION SECTION The Atreus Trial: who is most justified in their actions,
Agamemnon, Clytaemestra, or Orestes?
2.2. SOPHOCLES, OEDIPUS THE KING: The Endurance of the Oedipus Myth
Friday May 19th: Know Yourself Sophocles, Oedipus the King (Grene)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WK. 8. PAPER DUE SUNDAY MAY 21st BY 8PM TO [Link] (UPLOAD THROUGH YOUR MYUCLA
PAGE FOR THE COURSE)
 Monday May 22nd: Oedipus - Theories and Complexes Freud on Oedipus (CR); Claude Lvi-
Strauss The Structural Study of Myth (CR); Vladimir Propp, Oedipus in the Light of
Folklore (CR).
2.3. EURIPIDES, BACCHAE: Dionysus, Odd God Out?
Wednesday May 24th: Know Your God Euripides, Bacchae (Woodruff)
DISCUSSION SECTION: Oedipus and the theories which are more or less persuasive? Is
Apollo fair in his treatment of Oedipus? Could Oedipus have escaped his fate? Does
the Oedipus myth retain its force in modern day society?
3. ROMAN MYTH (1st century BCE 1st century CE)
3.1. VIRGIL, AENEID: Rewriting Homer
Friday May 26th: Looking Backwards: The Fall of Troy Virgils Aeneid (West), bks
1&2. Powell, pp. 197-203.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WK. 9. Monday May 29th: Memorial Day (no lecture)
Wednesday May 31st: Looking Forwards: Towards the Foundation of Rome Virgils Aeneid
(West) bks 3,4, & 6.
DISCUSSION SECTION: Aeneid 1-4: What kind of a hero is Aeneas? In what ways does the
Aeneid look back to the Iliad or the Odyssey? (e.g. the frieze on Junos temple at
Carthage.) What does Aeneas treatment of Dido tell us about Roman myth?
3.2. SENECA, THYESTES: Reviewing the Atreus Myth
Friday June 2nd: Delicious myths? Cannibalism Again Seneca, Thyestes (Wilson)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.3. OVID, METAMORPHOSES: The Mutability of Myth
WK. 10. Monday June 5th: Running From one Myth to the Next Ovid, Metamorphoses
(Melville) pp.1436, 4973.
Wednesday June 7th: Family Relations Ovid, Metamorphoses pp. 134-142, 176-178,
225-248; W.H. Auden, Muse des Beaux Arts (CR)
DISCUSSION SECTION: How does Seneca change the Atreus myth? What is Ovid up to? How can
we start to describe Roman myth? In what ways does it differ from Greek myth? How much
does it depend on Greek models and antecedents? What role does culture and history play in
shaping a nations myths?
Friday June 9th: Conclusion

FINAL EXAM: Wednesday June 14th, 3.00-6.00pm