CL 222 Section 001: Greek Roman Mythology
Spring, 2011
3 Credit Hours
Primary Instructor: Kirk Summers
Core Designation: Humanities
OFFICE HRS. 9:30-11:15 am, TR and by appointment. You can always talk to me immediately after class.
How to contact me:
Professor Kirk Summers
239 B.B. Comer Hall
Phone: 348‑2503
e‑mail: beza1519@aol.com or ksummers@ML.AS.UA.EDU
This course is designed for the general student; there are no prerequisites. Greek and Roman mythology is at the spiritual core of much of Western civilization. For the ancients, myth was a religion, a means of alleviating common fears, a way of adding structure to the world, and a means of communicating values from one generation to the next. For literary authors and dramatists from ancient times to now, myth has provided a mechanism for conveying the desired message and image to the mind of the reader. For material artists of all periods, myth has been a favorite subject matter. Thus, the investigation of myth should be undertaken early in one's studies in order to lay the foundation for understanding other cultural and artistic disciplines.
At its most basic level, the course will focus on the stories about the Greco‑Roman gods and heroes, their attributes, their accomplishments, their cult (that is, how they were worshiped). On another level, however, our objectives will be much higher (after all, this is a college course, not a high school one). We will examine together the insights these myths give us into the human psyche as it is extracted from the confines of linear time. Students will see that myths reveal the recurring patterns of human thought in regard to the physical workings of the universe, the stages of our existence (birth, puberty, marriage, adulthood, old age, death), and problems of our relationship to one another and the gods. Students will gain an understanding of how those patterns work themselves out in our own institutions and mythology. Therefore, by the end of the course, students will be expected to know both the important details of the myths that we study and also the interpretations that are applied to them in class.
In short, in this course, the student should
JANUARY 13 (2011):
Introduction to the course, including an explanation of the ACTIVE PROJECTS..
You should look over the web pages ASAP, and look at anything that relates to the next lecture (NEW THINGS ARE BEING ADDED ALL THE TIME, SO KEEP CHECKING). All readings from the book must be done BEFORE the class, otherwise you will not fully understand the lectures.
JANUARY 18:
READ: Chapter One, "Introduction to Myth." Today we will talk about the interpretation of myth; the geography and major sites of Greece; the time line of mythology; the nature of Greek myth; Greek and Roman skepticism about myths. Make sure you know, among many, many other things, the difference between the Minoan and Mycenean civilizations, that you know how myth fits in with the Time Line, that you know what are the "Cyclopean Walls," and who are the Dorian Greeks. What is the Parthenon, and where is it located? What is the significance of the town Mycene? Can you identify Delphi and other major sites on the maps provided on the web?
JANUARY 20:
READ: Chapter Two, "Creation According to the Greeks." Today we will discuss Cosmogony (division and union in the universe), Theogony (the power of intelligence), and Creation (the problem with Prometheus: humans at odds with the gods). Also, Pandora. Note differences in spelling conventions; study the Generations chart.
JANUARY 25:
The JANUARY 20 lecture is continued.
THE FOLLOWING LECTURE IS POSTED ON THE WEB SITE:
READ: Chapter Three, "Ovid's Creation Story." Today we will also discuss the Roman version of Creation, The Four Ages, Jove's (Zeus') Intervention, The Story of Lycaon, The Flood, Deucalion and Pyrrha. Know when Ovid lived and what is meant when we say he wrote in a "Comic Tone".
JANUARY 27:
READ: Chapter Four, "Zeus and Hera." We will also talk about Hera. Who are Dike, Eileithyia and Hebe?
FEBRUARY 1:
READ: Chapter Five, "Poseidon, Ares, Hephaestus, Hermes." Know the term "psychopompos".
FEBRUARY 3:
READ: Chapter Six, "Artemis and Athena." For more interesting details on Artemis' cult and the myth of the she‑bear, see William Sale, "Temple Legends of the Arkteia," Rheinischer Museum 118 (1975) 255‑284 and Paula Perlman, "Acting the She‑Bear for Artemis," Arethusa 22 (1989) 111‑134. The Athenian coinage depicting the head of Athena and her owl are very significant.
FEBRUARY 8:
REVIEW FOR TEST ONE. Look on the course web page for a study guide.
FEBRUARY 10:
TEST ONE: Please bring a pencil!
FEBRUARY 15:
READ: Chapter Seven, "Cybele."
FEBRUARY 17:
MAKE-UP DAY FOR TEST 1. Those with officially documented excuses (medical issues, family tragedy, etc.) may, with the approval of the professor, take the make-up on this day.
FEBRUARY 18:
READ: Chapter Eight, "Aphrodite." Who is Cupid in relation to Aphrodite?
FEBRUARY 22:
READ: Chapter Nine, "Demeter and Persephone." Note the Hymn to Demeter.
FEBRUARY 24:
READ: Chapter Ten, "Apollo."
MARCH 1:
READ: Chapter Eleven, "Dionysus." I will give an overview of Eurpides' Bacchants. It is definitely a play worth reading if you have not already, since it's one of the most interesting and influential to come out of antiquity. You might also want to look at the novel, The Secret History, by Donna Tartt, a young Mississippi author. She spins a tale of some college kids who are able to recreate the spirit (and danger) of the Dionysiac cult.
MARCH 3:
TEST TWO. Look on the course web page for a study guide. BRING A PENCIL!
MARCH 8:
READ: Chapter Twelve, "The Topography of Hell." You have to know the names of those who received special punishments in Hades and why.
MARCH 10:
MAKE-UP DAY FOR TEST 2. Those with officially documented excuses (medical issues, family tragedy, etc.) may, with the approval of the professor, take the make-up on this day.
MARCH 22:
READ: Chapter Fourteen, "Herakles." We will also discuss the Heroic Pattern.
READ: Chapter Thirteen, "Orpheus." The lecture on Orpheus is posted on the web site.
MARCH 24:
Finish Herakles.
MARCH 29:
READ: Chapter Fifteen, "The Cretan Myths." Also, we will discuss Minoan civilization.
MARCH 31:
READ: Chapter Sixteen, "Theseus and Perseus." No fooling!!
APRIL 5:
TEST 3, bring a pencil, same as always.
APRIL 7
Trojan War. READ: Chapter Seventeen.
APRIL 12:
Conclusion of the Trojan War.
APRIL 14:
READ: Chapter Eighteen, "The Adventures of Odysseus."
APRIL 19:
MAKE-UP DAY FOR TEST 3. Those with officially documented excuses (medical issues, family tragedy, etc.) may, with the approval of the professor, take the make-up on this day.
READ: Chapter Nineteen, "The Return of Agamemnon". We will discuss his return to Mycenae and its aftermath. CHECK THE WEB SITE FOR THE LECTURE.
APRIL 21:
READ: Chapter Twenty, "Oedipus". We will discuss our "ephemeros" nature, among other things.
APRIL 26:
READ: Chapter Twenty‑One, "Jason and the Argonauts." If you have the time and interest, read the play Medea by Euripides.
APRIL 28:
READ: Chapter Twenty-Two, “Roman Myths and Legends.”
! Four exams: 25% each
(see dates for exams in the list of topics/dates above).
FINAL EXAM: WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2010, 11:30 AM. – 2:00 PM. in the same room where we held our regular class.
All four exams (including the final) will have equal weight. No exam is comprehensive or cumulative (that is, it does not include material from a previous segment of the course), except to the reasonable extent that all knowledge is cumulative. In other words, you can't forget your ABC's from the 1st grade, else you're sunk. Here's how your final grade will be calculated:
! Four exams: 25% each
Make‑up Policy: YOU MUST INFORM ME THAT YOU MISSED THE EXAM WITHIN 48 HOURS OF THE EXAM TO TAKE THE MAKE‑UP AND PROVIDE ME WITH A WRITTEN EXCUSE DEMONSTRATING EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES LEADING TO YOUR ABSENCE.
Attendance is expected but not required. Students are responsible for all information, schedule changes, etc. that are announced in class. I will not provide anyone with lecture notes except through TEGRITY. You can access Tegrity through eLearning.
Slides/Images: During the course of the semester you will view several hundred slides in class. The slides show vase paintings, sculptures, and reliefs from ancient Greece and Rome. On the tests I will ask you questions that relate to information you gleaned from looking at the slides and listening to me explain them (e.g., what attributes help us recognize Athena in vase paintings? and so on). You will have questions about slides on the test. If you miss a class, or you simply want to review slides that we've seen in class, you can see them all on the course web page.
COURSE WEB SITE: http://bama.ua.edu/~ksummers/cl222/
Extra Credit: There will be TEN additional questions on the final exam that you can try to answer for up to TEN additional points on your final average. The questions will be based on Vergil's Aeneid, which is not part of the assigned reading for the course. More on this later.
All students in attendance at the University of Alabama are expected to be honorable and to observe standards of conduct appropriate to a community of scholars. The University expects from its students a higher standard of conduct than the minimum required to avoid discipline. Academic misconduct includes all acts of dishonesty in any academically related matter and any knowing or intentional help or attempt to help, or conspiracy to help, another student.
The Academic Misconduct Disciplinary Policy will be followed in the event of academic misconduct.
In the case of a tornado warning (tornado has been sighted or detected by radar; sirens activated), all university activities are automatically suspended, including all classes and laboratories. If you are in a building, please move immediately to the lowest level and toward the center of the building away from windows (interior classrooms, offices, or corridors) and remain there until the tornado warning has expired. Classes in session when the tornado warning is issued can resume immediately after the warning has expired at the discretion of the instructor. Classes that have not yet begun will resume 30 minutes after the tornado warning has expired provided at least half of the class period remains.
UA is a residential campus with many students living on or near campus. In general classes will remain in session until the National Weather Service issues safety warnings for the city of Tuscaloosa. Clearly, some students and faculty commute from adjacent counties. These counties may experience weather related problems not encountered in Tuscaloosa. Individuals should follow the advice of the National Weather Service for that area taking the necessary precautions to ensure personal safety. Whenever the National Weather Service and the Emergency Management Agency issue a warning, people in the path of the storm (tornado or severe thunderstorm) should take immediate life saving actions.
When West Alabama is under a severe weather advisory, conditions can change rapidly. It is imperative to get to where you can receive information from the National Weather Service and to follow the instructions provided. Personal safety should dictate the actions that faculty, staff and students take. The Office of Public Relations will disseminate the latest information regarding conditions on campus in the following ways: