UNIT 2: CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY
"Myths are not in the business of solving problems but of demonstrating and correlating them."
-- Joseph F. Nagy, Conversing with Angels and Ancients |
"Art is a lie that tells the truth."
-- Pablo Picasso |
UNIT OVERVIEW
The object of this unit is not only to celebrate ancient literature on the occasion of its supposed passing, but also to highlight the ways in which Greek and Latin literature has informed the creation of -- and might yet continue to re-inform our understanding of -- many subsequent forms of literary expression. The unit will begin, therefore, with the close textual analysis of one or more ancient stories, and proceed with a comparative study of texts drawn from later literary traditions
The object of this unit is not only to celebrate ancient literature on the occasion of its supposed passing, but also to highlight the ways in which Greek and Latin literature has informed the creation of -- and might yet continue to re-inform our understanding of -- many subsequent forms of literary expression. The unit will begin, therefore, with the close textual analysis of one or more ancient stories, and proceed with a comparative study of texts drawn from later literary traditions
The core text of the unit will be Edith Hamilton's Mythology, which offers concise and comprehensive, albeit dry and arbitrarily chosen, retellings of the myths and legends of ancient Greece and Rome. This text will be our introduction to the major gods and goddesses of classical mythology, as well as the gateway into some of the grander Greek epics, namely the Homeric sagas of the Iliad and the Odyssey. On certain occasions we will wander into the world of Athenian philosophy, peeking briefly at critical points made by Plato in the Timeaus and Republic as well as those of his student Aristotle, whose remarks on the genre of tragedy in the Poetics will prove to be as relevant now as they did to his pupils (e.g., Alexander the Great) in the fourth century B.C.E. We will also glance at select books from a masterpiece of Latin poetry, Ovid's Metamorphoses, a mythological work that had a profound and far-reaching impact on literature and learning during the Middle Ages.
We will also survey certain mythic and archetypal motifs that classical poets and dramatists demonstrate such a keen grasp of, such as the slaying of the father, the descent into the underworld, the parent-quest, and the "star-crossed" lovers, among others. These archetypes will be revisited in all upcoming units, including our reading of Lord of the Flies and Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet.
We will also survey certain mythic and archetypal motifs that classical poets and dramatists demonstrate such a keen grasp of, such as the slaying of the father, the descent into the underworld, the parent-quest, and the "star-crossed" lovers, among others. These archetypes will be revisited in all upcoming units, including our reading of Lord of the Flies and Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet.
THE GREEK COSMOS: The Mythic Arena
A worldview is a particular philosophy of life or conception of the world. In the Greek worldview, cosmologically speaking, the world was flat, but circular, like a paper plate. At the center of the Universe was Greece. Their world was divided by the Mediterranean, which means "Middle of the Lands" in Latin. The river Ocean flowed around the world in a clockwise motion. In the north lived the Hyperboreans -- an extremely happy people for whom life was sweet. When the old people became tired of living, they threw themselves into the sea. This was a land of constant pleasure where people were said to live for 1,000 years. In the south lived the Ethiopians. In Greek drama and Homeric epics, mention is often made of various gods being in Ethiopia, meaning really far away. The Ethiopians were said to be on good terms with the gods and liked to entertain them. To the west were the Elysian Fields. This was the closest the Greeks got to the idea of heaven; only the best and brightest of the dead people got to go there. |
What events occurred within the cosmological arena outlined above is the stuff of myth -- literally.
Of the many gifts passed on to us from the Greeks and Romans, their myths are surely one of our most persistent and important cultural legacies. Because of the enduring appeal of these traditional stories about gods and heroes, modern audiences are exposed to a steady supply of mythically inspired popular and highbrow culture in a variety of media, from animated movies to operas. With surprising regularity, modern audiences also still turn directly to an ancient source for their myth. Somewhere in the world right now a play of Euripides is being staged, the appearance of new translations of Homer's epics can still cause critical and popular stirrings (and sell a lot of books), and visitors to museums gaze daily in rapt fascination at Greek and Roman sculptures and painted vases depicting mythical figures.
Classical mythology, which originates with the Greeks and is further developed and transformed by the Romans, not only makes for interesting and fascinating storytelling, but is the foundation of allusion and character genesis in literature and other art forms. To begin your journey into the vibrant world of classical mythology, visit some of the websites and sources listed below.
Of the many gifts passed on to us from the Greeks and Romans, their myths are surely one of our most persistent and important cultural legacies. Because of the enduring appeal of these traditional stories about gods and heroes, modern audiences are exposed to a steady supply of mythically inspired popular and highbrow culture in a variety of media, from animated movies to operas. With surprising regularity, modern audiences also still turn directly to an ancient source for their myth. Somewhere in the world right now a play of Euripides is being staged, the appearance of new translations of Homer's epics can still cause critical and popular stirrings (and sell a lot of books), and visitors to museums gaze daily in rapt fascination at Greek and Roman sculptures and painted vases depicting mythical figures.
Classical mythology, which originates with the Greeks and is further developed and transformed by the Romans, not only makes for interesting and fascinating storytelling, but is the foundation of allusion and character genesis in literature and other art forms. To begin your journey into the vibrant world of classical mythology, visit some of the websites and sources listed below.
ONLINE RESOURCES
- Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greece, hosted by the British Museum, uses artifacts from its collection to present a rich picture of the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece
- Odyssey Online: Greece, hosted by Emory University, uses artifacts, ruins, and other archaeological findings from ancient Greece to tell the story of this fascinating culture and civilization, including its influence on the modern Western world
- Theoi Project, a comprehensive reference guide to the gods, spirits, and fabulous creatures and heroes of ancient Greek mythology and religion
- Encyclopedia Mythica, an internet encyclopedia of the mythologies, folklore, and religions from six geographical regions: Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Middle East, and Oceania
GLOSSARY: A Short List of Terms Related to the Study of Mythology
archetype: a recurrent pattern or motif (e.g., character, symbol, situation) in literature, art, or mythology; recognizable figures or images (e.g., Mother Earth, damsel in distress); the basic sense is that an archetype is a "universal model" cosmogony: the origin of the universe (adj. cosmogonic) cosmology: the nature or structure of the universe (adj. cosmological) iconography: the study of the significance of images (sculpture, painting, etc.) in relation to their cultural settings and significances logos: The Greek term alongside mythos for "word," but after Plato, taken to represent the logical/rational rather than the mythical/expressive mythography: (1) originally, collections of mythical traditions; (2) later, the analytical study of myths and rituals myth: (1) a narrative that discloses a sacred world; (2) a traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events; (3) a misrepresentation of the truth; (4) a fictitious or imaginary person or thing mythology: (1) a collection of myths, especially one belonging to a particular religious or cultural tradition; (2) a set of stories or beliefs about a particular person, institution, or situation, especially when exaggerated or fictitious; (3) the study of myths mythos: (1) Greek work from which English myth is derived; (2) plot of a story or myth; (3) a "mythic sense," or "feeling, or plot" that is "behind" or at the core of a particular narrative polis: Greek, "city-state," but specifically of the proto-democracy and the birth of philosophy, as they took shape in 6th-century Athens rite: a religious or other solemn ceremony or act ritual: a religious or solemn ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order sacred: regarded with great respect and reverence by a particular religion, group, or individual theogony: account of the generation and ordering of divine beings |
IMAGE GALLERY
VIDEO GALLERY.
Greek Mythology is the body of myths and teachings that belong to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. Modern scholars refer to and study the myths in an attempt to throw light on the religious and political institutions of Ancient Greece and its civilization, and to gain understanding of the nature of myth-making itself. In the following documentary from the History Channel, Gods and Goddesses, experts on Greek mythology explain how the mythology of the ancient Greeks has had an extensive influence on the culture, arts, and literature of Western civilization and remains part of Western heritage and language.
Greek Mythology is the body of myths and teachings that belong to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. Modern scholars refer to and study the myths in an attempt to throw light on the religious and political institutions of Ancient Greece and its civilization, and to gain understanding of the nature of myth-making itself. In the following documentary from the History Channel, Gods and Goddesses, experts on Greek mythology explain how the mythology of the ancient Greeks has had an extensive influence on the culture, arts, and literature of Western civilization and remains part of Western heritage and language.