Classical Studies 101: Schedule of Assignments
(Easter, 2007)

Index

• Part I
• Part II
• Part III
• Part IV

Part I

Class #1
• Date: January 17
• Topic: Introduction to Mythology
• Reading assignment: Classical Mythology in Literature, Art, and Music by Philip Mayerson,
  Chapter I.

Classes #2 and #3
• Date: January 19 and January 22
• Topic: The Goddess Myth--Matriarchal Order; myth and symbolism in the paleolithic and neolithic age; myths of Crete and "Old European Myths." Matriarchal vs Patriarchal mythology
• Reading assignment: begin reading for the classes on Hesiod's Theogony--Classical Mythology in Literature, Art, and Music, Chapters II-IV.

Class #4 and #5
• Date: January 24 and 26
• Topic: The emergence of the Sky God; Hesiod's creation story and succession myths; the first three generations of gods; Ovid's creation story and his treatment of the gods
• Reading assignment: Theogony, lines 1-337 (pp. 23-34 in Wender's translation of Hesiod's Theogony); Ovid, Metamorphoses, (Humphries' translation), Bk I, pp. 3-27.

Classes #6, #7, and #8
• Date: January 29, 31, and February 2
• Topic: The succession of Zeus; opposition of Prometheus; the story of Pandora; the myth of Prometheus; Titanomachy; Gigantomachy; Hesiod's cosmology; the underworld in Greek Myth; the reign and influence of Zeus; comparison with Ovid's portrayal of Zeus
• Reading assignment: Theogony, remaining lines; Classical Mythology in Literature, Art, and Music, Chapter V; Metamorphoses, Bk II, pp. 27-40 (Phaethon), pp. 40-45 (Callisto), pp. 54-56 (Europa); Works and Days (Hesiod--in your Wender text).

Class #9
• Date: February 5
• Topic: The First Generation Olympian gods: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Hades, Demeter, and Hestia
• Reading assignment: Classical Mythology in Literature, Art, and Music, Chapt. IV, pp. 90-116.

Class #10
• Date: February 7
• Examination #1
  
  Study List #1
  Study List #2

Part II

Class #11
• Date: February 9
• Topic: The transition to the Homeric World; Mycenaean gods; Second Generation Olympian gods: Athena, Ares, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, and Dionysus
• Reading assignment: Classical Mythology in Literature, Art, and Music, Chapt. IV, especially 117-226.

Classes #12 and #13
• Date: February 12 and 14
• Topic: Amalgamation of cultures; myths of Crete and Athens; Emergence of the Age of Heroes--myths of Athens (Theseus)
• Reading assignment: Classical Mythology in Literature, Art, and Music, Chapt. 7, pp. 316-322 (Minos) and pp. 358-374 (Theseus); Metamorphoses, Bk. VI, pp. 143-152 (tragic story of Procne and Philomela); Metamorphoses, Bks. VII and VIII, pp 167-190(war between Crete and Athens; story of Theseus).

Class #14
• Date: February 16
• Topic: Myths of Argos/Mycenae (Perseus)
• Reading assignment: Classical Mythology in Literature, Art, and Music, Chapt. 7, pp. 280-296; Metamorphoses; from Bks. IV and V, pp. 100-114 (Perseus).

Classes #15 and #16
• Date: February 19 and 21
• Topic: Myths of Argos/Mycenae (Heracles)
• Reading assignment: Classical Mythology in Literature, Art, and Music, Chapt. VII, pp. 300-316; Metamorphoses, pp. 209-219 (Heracles).

Classes #17, #18, and #19
• Date: February 23, 26, and 28
• Topic: The great adventures of the Mycenaean Age; The Myths of Thebes; Oedipus; Seven vs Thebes
• Reading assignment: Classical Mythology in Literature, Art, and Music, Chapt. VII, pp. 322-342 (Class #17); Sophocles' Antigone(Class #18); Euripides' Bacchae and Ovid's Metamorphoses, Bks. III-IV, pp. 57-100 (Class #19).

Class #20
• Date: March 2
• Examination #2
  Study List #3
  Study List #4, Minoan and Mycenaean Legends
  Notes on Examination #2
  

Part III

Classes #21, #22, #23
• Date: March 5, 7, and 9
• Topic: Thessaly, Jason and the Argonauts; Orpheus; selected local heroes; Medea and Heroines of Greek Mythology
• Reading assignmentClassical Mythology in Literature, Art, and Music, Chapt. VII, pp. 342-358, Metamophoses, Bk VII, pp. 153-167 (Jason and Medea); Metamorphoses, Bk. VIII, pp. 190-198 (Calydonian Boar Hunt).

Class #24 and #25
• Date: March 12 and 14
• Topic: The House of Atreus, Mycenae, & the Trojan War
• Reading assignment:Classical Mythology in Literature, Art, and Music, Chapt. VIII pp. 375-397; (review pp. 24-33); Metamorphoses, Bks. XI- XII, pp. 265-304 (Troy); begin reading Homer's Odyssey.

Class #26and Class #27
• Dates: March 26 & 28
• Topic: Homer's Trojan war story
• Reading assignment:Classical Mythology in Literature, Art, and Music, pp.397-411.

Classes #28 and #29
• Date: March 30 and April 2
• Topic: the Destruction of Troy and Nostoi
• Reading Assignment: Classical Mythology in Literature, Art, and Music, Chapt. VIII, pp. 411-422, Metamorphoses, Bk. XIII, pp. 305-326 (end of Troy); the "Homecomings," Classical Mythology in Literature, Art, and Music, Chapter IX, pp. 423-436; Aeschylus' Agamemnon (Class #29) .

Class #30
• Date: April 4
• Assignment: Examination #2
  Study List #5
  

Part IV

Classes #31 through #36
• Date: April 6, 9, 11, 13, 16, and 18
• Topic: The Return of Odysseus
• Reading Assignment:The Odyssey of Homer

Classes #37 through 41
• Date: April 20, 23, 25, 27, and 30
• Topic: The Roman mythological vision; Vergil's version of the Trojan War;
• Reading Assignment: Vergil's Aeneid

Class #42
• Date: May 2
• Topic: A final word on Ovid's mythology: a study in contrasts.
• Additional Images from Metamorphoses
• Text for the Metamorphoses
• Metamorphoses, pp. 114-153 (Minerva's vengeance); pp. 219-265 (love stories); 198-209 (Baucis and Philemon VS Erysichthon)
  Outlines for the Metamorphoses
  Part One
  Part Two
  Part Three
  Part Four