CLASS 102 Fall Term 2008

Introduction to Greek and Roman Mythology

MWF 11:00 - 11:50

T B 45

"Henceforth all things are to be believed, all things expected / by men" (Archilochus Fr. 122.5-6)

Instructor: Dr. K.A. MacFarlane
Office: Tory 2-2
Office Hours:M T W 10-10:50; or by appointment
Office Phone: 492-0403
Email: kmacfarl@ualberta.ca

Course Description: Classical mythology, which includes both the amorphous and authorless system of beliefs about the gods, heroes, and the nature of the universe together with the literary expression of these beliefs by specific authors in particular literary works, is one of the ways a culture works to define itself to itself and others and enshrine its moral values, ethics, legal, political and social mores. Through our reading of select Greek and Roman myths, we will examine the nature of mythology and its relevance to the cultures that created it, as well as its survival in much of Western culture. There are no prerequisites for this course.

Course Goals: The intention of this course is for you to become familiar with the following notions:

  1. what myths are and how they are transmitted;
  2. the major gods and heroes of Greece and Rome, their spheres of influence, character, relationships, and exploits;
  3. Greek and Roman attitudes towards the relationship between human and divine;
  4. how myths reflect the culture and society that create them;
  5. the importance of myths first to the cultures that created them and then to us as evidence for those cultures;
  6. approaches to the interpretation of myth;
  7. the ancient literary works that transmit myths;
  8. the application of these myths, and of myth in general, to the Western world;
  9. and the need to understand people with different religious, social, and cultural beliefs on their own terms.
  10. In the process, you will acquire the transferable and marketable skills of source analysis and criticism, the ability to retain and organize unfamiliar material, and the ability to convey it logically and coherently to others.
Required Texts:
  1. Stephen M. Trzaskoma, R. Scott Smith, & Stephen Brunet, Anthology of Classical Myth: Primary Sources in Translation. Hackett, 2004. (ISBN: 872207218; bookstore price: $19.70 new; $14.80 used) [Abbreviated ACM in our syllabus]
  2. Sophocles, Aias. trans. Herbert Golder and Richard Pevear. Oxford, 1999. (ISBN: 978-0-19-512819-2; bookstore price: $13.95 new / $10.45 used)

Grading & Assignments:
Analysis 1 10% Sept. 29 (due in class)
Analysis 2 15% Nov. 3 (due in class)
Analysis 3 15% Nov. 24 (due in class)
Midterm 25% Oct. 22
Final 35% Date TBA
NB: The sole date for a deferred final exam, for those students with a legitimate and documented reason approved by the Registrar's Office, will be Jan. 12, 11:00- 1:00.

Marking Scheme:
NB: You must earn a minimum grade of 55% in order to pass this course. While marks will generally be calculated using raw scores which will then be converted to letter grades according to the following chart, I reserve the right to assess students' overall performance, taking into account such things as completion of the requirements of the course as well as improvement and/or deterioration in performance in the course when assigning final grades.

A+ 97-100% B+ 87-89% C+ 77-79% D+ 63-69%
A 93-96% B 83-86% C 73-76% D 55-62%
A- 90-92% B- 80-82% C- 70-72% F 54% and lower

Policies:

  1. Course Outlines:
    • "Policy about course outlines can be found in section 23.4(2) of the University Calendar."
  2. Moodle
    • Our course is supported by Moodle. You are required to register for access to the Moodle course site; the password for our class is "Ajax."
    • On the Moodle course site you will find:
      • an outline for each lecture which includes a list of Key Terms and Concepts, and Questions for Reflection. The outline is usually posted no later than the night before class. This outline does not replace your doing the assigned readings, attending class, following the lecture, and actively participating in class. If you rely only on the posted outlines, you will find that your overall course grade will suffer. NB: Not everything contained in the readings will be covered in class or in the lecture notes outline. You are, nonetheless, responsible for the entire content of the readings. Some of the transferable skills brought to you by an Arts Course / Degree are the ability to wade through large amounts of unfamiliar material, digest it, determine the relative significance of the information, and report it back concisely. The list of Key Terms/Concepts and the Questions for Reflection in each outline can help you hone these skills.
      • Instructions and Guidelines for the Analysis Assignments
      • A study guide for the Midterm and Final, detailing types of questions, weighting of sections, and offering sample questions. NB: I do not use the Student Union Exam Registry; the guides on the Moodle site are how you will be able to access representative evaluative exam material.
      • Links to sites offering help with note-taking, advice on how to get the most out of your readings, advice on writing papers, etc.
      • Ancillary readings that you may find useful and interesting.
  3. Attendance and Readings:
    1. You are expected to attend every class, having read the assigned readings.
      • "Students who chose not to attend lectures must assume whatever risks are involved (see Calendar 23.3 & 23.5.6)."
    2. Some classes will have heavier readings than others, so pace yourself. Read ahead when possible and be certain to have the readings for the class done in time for the class. You will get far more out of the class, and do far better on tests and assignments if you have your readings done for class.
      • There will be a lot of unfamliar names in the readings. Many of them are "Red-shirted ensigns" and it is up to you to determine who matters, who doesn't, and why. There will be a list of Key Terms / Concepts as well as "Questions for Reflection" in the outlines on the course webpage to help you hone this skill. Also helpful are the glossary in the back of your text (ACM) and the Oxford Classical Dictionary (Reference section in Rutherford library: DE 5 O98 2003).
    3. You are responsible for the content of the entire assigned readings, whether particular episodes are discussed in class or not.
  4. Analysis Assignments:
    1. Topics and Guidelines are (to be) posted.
    2. The assignment is due in class on the day specified.
    3. Late assignments (that is, all papers not turned in in class on the day specified) will be penalized at the rate of one step per day (i.e., a paper that would otherwise get a B turns into a B- as soon as class begins, a C+ the following day, a C the next day and so on.) Not handing your writing assignment in on time can have serious consequences for your grade.
    4. If your writing assignment is late, do not slip it under my office door. Not only can assignments go astray this way, but the assignment is not deemed to have been "turned in" until I have it in my hands or it has been date-stamped by the main office (Tory 2-28).
  5. Midterm and Final Exam:
    1. The dates for the midterm and final exam are as scheduled and can't be changed.
    2. It is not possible to make up a missed test unless you have a valid reason for missing the test, supported by the appropriate documentation (e.g., a medical problem, verified by a doctor's note; a death in the family, verified by a note from the funeral home). Having two tests in one day, having to work, oversleeping or having conflicts with vacation plans are not valid reasons.
    3. If you do miss a test for a legitimate and documented reason, contact me, in person, by phone, or by email, as soon as possible. Advance notice is appreciated.
    4. The midterm will consist of multiple-choice questions, short paragraph answers, and passages from the readings to identify and comment upon.
    5. The final exam will include a cumulative essay question (the topic will be circulated ahead of time); the cumulative essay is in addition to the multiple-choice questions, short paragraph answers, and passages to identify and comment upon.
  6. Problems:
    1. If ever you find that you are having difficulties with the material, do not allow them to become worse by avoiding class or me. Problems are easier to solve when handled early.
    2. One easy way to avoid problems is to ask questions. Feel free to ask questions during class if you need clarification, want the material repeated, or would like to discuss the issue further. Do not, however, ask questions of your seatmates during class. This distracts them, the people around you, and me.
    3. One easy way to create problems, for you, your classmates, and for me, is to spend class time chatting with your buddies rather than paying attention to and participating in the exercises. For the sake of your grade and the grades of others, confine your chatting to outside of class and turn your cellphones OFF.
    4. You are welcome to come by my office - if my door is ajar, I am available to help you. If I'm not there, email me and we can set up a time to meet.
  7. Academic Offenses:
    1. "The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behavior and avoid any behavior which could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University." (U of A Calendar 23.4.2c)
    2. Like the U of A, I have a zero-tolerance policy for cheating and plagiarism. I will not hesitate to seek the highest possible penalty against anyone caught committing these offenses or helping others to commit them.
    3. Ignorance of what constitutes academic offenses is not an acceptable defense. Refer to the Code of Student Behaviour section 30.3.2 for a full description of academic offenses and to section 30.4 for their possible penalties.
    4. If you have any questions, see me, the University Governance page, or the Truth in Education page.

Date Topic Required Readings
Sept. 3 Introduction to Course No Readings
Sept. 5 On Myth Herodotus Histories 1.1-1.5 and 2.113-2.120 (pp 123-128 ACM)
Critias, Sisyphos fragment (pp 92-93 ACM)
Sept. 8 Creation Myths I: Universe & Gods Hesiod Theogony lines 1-412 (pp 131-143 ACM)
Xenophanes Frags 11 & 15 (p 431 ACM
Sept. 10 Creation Myths II: Olympians I Hesiod Theogony lines 456-508; 621-725 (pp 144-146; 149-152 ACM)
Sept. 12 Creation Myths II: Olympians II Hesiod Theogony lines 456-508; 621-725 (pp 144-146; 149-152 ACM)
Sept. 15 Creation Myths IIIa: Mortals Hesiod Theogony lines 509-620 (ACM 146-149)
Hesiod Works and Days lines 1-234 (pp 161-167 ACM)
Sept. 17 Creation Myths IIIb: Women Semonides fr. 7 (p. 387-390 ACM)
Sept. 19 Zeus & Justice Plato Protagoras (pp 361-363 ACM)
Cleanthes Hymn to Zeus (pp 84-85 ACM)
Sept. 22 Dionysus Homeric Hymn to Dionysus (p 203 ACM)
Sept. 24 Eurpides' & Aristophanes' Dionysus no assigned readings
Sept. 26 The Greek Underworld Plato, Republic 10.614a-10.621d ("Myth of Er", pp 367-372 ACM)
Homer Odyssey 11.485-520 (to be provided via Moodle)
Sept. 29 Tantalus & Family
Analysis 1 due 		Pindar, Olympian I (pp 356-360 ACM)
Oct. 1 The Eleusinian Mysteries Homeric Hymn to Demeter (pp 169-178 ACM Oct. 3 The Eleusinian Mysteries Homeric Hymn to Demeter (pp 169-178 ACM Oct. 6 Heracles: The Labours Apollodorus 2.4.8-2.7.7 (pp 33-45 ACM))
Oct. 8 Heracles: The Labours (con't) Apollodorus 2.4.8-2.7.7 (pp 33-45 ACM))
Oct. 10 Heracles: The Aftermath Apollodorus 2.4.8-2.7.7 (pp 33-45 ACM);
Xenophon Memoralia 2.1.21-2.1.34 (pp 435-437 ACM)
Oct. 13 Thanksgiving Holiday No Classes
Oct. 15 Theseus: A Real Athenian Hero no assigned readings
Oct. 17 Theseus & Ariadne Ovid Heroides 10 (pp 318-322)
Oct. 20 Achilles v Hector texts to be provided via Moodle
Oct. 22 Midterm (all material up to and including Oct. 20) Midterm (all material up to and including Oct. 20)
Oct. 24 Jason the Good Apollodorus 1.9.16-1.9.28 (pp 25-30 ACM)
Oct. 27 Jason the Bad Ovid Heroides 12 (pp 322-328 ACM)
Oct. 29 Mortals v the Gods Archilochus fragment 130 (ACM 58);
Babrius 20, 117 (ACM 61-62);
Lucian On Sacrifices (ACM 293-297)
Oct. 31 Ghosts, Witches, and other Spooky Stuff Pausanias 8.2.3-8.2.7 (pp 350-351 ACM) and texts to be provided via Moodle
Nov. 3 Some Theories of Myth
Analysis 2 due 		Palaephatus Prologue, 1, 2, 4, 6, 43 (pp 329-332; 338)
Cornutus 30 (pp 90-91)
Diodorus 5.66-5.69 (pp 96-99)
Nov. 5 Plato on Myth Republic 2.376d-2.380c (pp 363-367);
Symposium 189D-193B (ACM 373-375)
Nov. 7 Epicureanism on Myth Lucretius de rerum natura 1.1-101 (pp 298-301)
Nov. 10 No Classes No Classes
Nov. 12 Oedipus Pausanias 9.5.10-9.5.11; 9.26.2-9.26.4 (pp 352-353 ACM)
Nov. 14 Virgil on the Fall of Troy Virgil Aeneid 2.1-558 (pp 410-420 ACM)
Nov. 17 Dido & Aeneas Virgil Aeneid 4
Nov. 19 Virgil on the Underworld Virgil, Aeneid 6.237-755 (pp 421-430 ACM)
Virgil Georgics 4.453-527 (pp 430-432 ACM)
Nov. 21 Roman Myths and Legends Livy Preface and 1-1.13
Horace Odes 3.5
Nov. 24 Aias / Ajax pre-Sophocles
Analysis 3 Due 		no assigned readings
Nov. 26 Sophocles and the Aias no assigned readings
Nov. 28 The gods and the Universe in Sophocles' Aias Sophocles Aias
Dec. 1 Ajax' Suicide Sophocles Aias
Dec. 3 Review Day No Assigned readings

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