Greek and Roman Mythology - MOOC - Coursera verified listing

BECOMING A HERO In Week 2, we begin our intensive study of myth through Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey. Not only does this central text give us an exciting story to appreciate on its own merits, it also offers us a kind of laboratory where we can investigate the myth using different theoretical approaches. This week we focus on the young Telemachus tour as he begins to come of age; We also accompany his father Odysseus as he travels home from the Trojan War. Along the way, we'll examine questions of heroism, relationships between gods and mortals, family dynamics, and the Homeric values ​​of hospitality and ingenuity. Readings: Homer, Odyssey, books 1-8

ADVENTURES BACK AND BACK This week we will follow the exciting pilgrimages of Odysseus, "man of twists and turns", by sea and land. The hero's travels abroad and upon re-entry to his homeland are fraught with danger. This part of the Odyssey features unforgettable monsters and exotic witches; We also follow Odysseus to the underworld, where he meets shadowy comrades and relatives. Here we meet some of the best known stories to survive from all the ancient myths. Readings: Homer, Odyssey, books 9-16

IDENTITY AND SIGNS As he draws ever closer to retaking his place in Ithaca and his family, a disguised Odysseus must use all his resources to reclaim his kingdom. We will see many instances of reunion as Odysseus carefully begins to reveal his identity to various members of his family: his servants, his dog, his son, and finally his wife Penelope, all the while plotting against those who have usurped his place. the. Readings: Homer, Odyssey, books 17-24

GODS AND HUMANS We'll take a close look at the most authoritative story about the origin of the cosmos from ancient Greek times: Hesiod's theogony. Hesiod was generally considered the only poet who could rival Homer. The Theogony, or "birth of the gods", speaks of an older order of gods, before Zeus, who were driven by powerful passions and strange appetites. This poem presents the beginning of the world as a time of fierce fighting and violence as the universe begins to take shape and order from chaos. Readings: Hesiod, Theogony

RITUAL AND RELIGION This week's readings give us an opportunity to take a close look at Greek religion in its various forms. Myth, of course, forms an important aspect of religion, but so does ritual. How ancient myths and rituals interact teaches us much about these two powerful cultural forms. We will read two of the greatest hymns to the Olympian deities that tell up close and personal stories about the gods while providing complex descriptions of the rituals they like us humans to perform. Readings: Homeric Hymn to Apollo; Homeric Hymn to Demeter (there are two hymns for each that survive, only the LONGER Hymn to Apollo and the LONGER Hymn to Demeter are needed for the course)

JUSTICE What counts as a righteous action and what counts as an unfair action? Who decides? These are more difficult questions than some would have us think. This unit looks at one of the thorniest issues of justice in the entire ancient world. In Aeschylus' Oresteia, the only surviving example of tragedy in its original trilogy form, we hear the story of Agamemnon's return home from the Trojan War. Unlike Odysseus's eventual joyous reunion with his wife and children, this hero is betrayed by those he considered closest to him. This family's cycle of revenge, of which this story is just one episode, involves questions of justice and competing loyalties far beyond Agamemnon's immediate family, ultimately ending on the Athenian Acropolis itself. Readings: Aeschylus, Agamemnon; Aeschylus, Eumenides

UNSTABLE SELF This week we meet two famous tragedies, both set in Thebes, that focus on questions of guilt and identity: Sophocles "Oedipus the King and Euripides" Bacchae. Oedipus is confident that he can escape the unthinkable fate that was foretold by the oracle at Delphi; we watch as he finally realizes the horror of what he has done. With Odysseus, we saw how a great hero can rebuild his identity after fights, while Oedipus shows us how our identities can dissolve before our very eyes. The Oedipus myth is one of transgressions, intentional and unintentional, and about the limits of human knowledge. In Euripides' Bacchae, the identity of gods and mortals is under scrutiny. Here, Dionysus, the god of wine and tragedy, and also madness, appears as a character on stage. Through the dissolution of Pentheus, we see the dire consequences that can occur when a god's divinity is not properly recognized. Readings: Sophocles, Oedipus Rex; Euripides, Baca

THE ROMAN HERO, REMADE Fast forward several centuries, we jump to a different part of the Mediterranean to let the Romans give us their take on the myth. Although many poets tried to rewrite Homer for his own time, none were as successful as Vergil. His epic poem, the Aeneid, narrates a powerful reconstruction of a culture that identifies and defines itself against previously told myths. In contrast to the paucity of information about Homer, we know a great deal about Vergil's life and historical context, giving us insight into mythmaking in action. Readings: Vergil, Aeneid, books 1-5

ROMAN MYTH AND THE METAMORPHOSES OF OVID / FINAL PROJECT Our consideration of Vergil's story ends with his journey to the underworld in Book 6. Next, we turn to a more playful Roman poet, Ovid, whose genius is evident in almost every type of records. Profound, witty, and satirical at once, Ovid's powerful repetitions of many ancient myths became the versions most familiar to us today. Finally, through the lens of the Romans and others who ""remythologize"", we conclude the course with a look back at myth. Readings: Vergil, Aeneid, book 6; Ovid, Metamorphoses, books 3, 12 and 13.