UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS.
FULBRIGHT COLLEGE OF ARTS
AND SCIENCES
Illustration. Sphinx carrying off Theban youth
while others flee. Attica, ca. 560 BCE. Heidelberg painter. Black Figure
Siana Cup. from The Centaur’s Smile, #64, p. 265.
SYLLABUS AND SCHEDULE.
WLIT 2323: Gods, Monsters, and Heroes in
Classical Literature and Art
Welcome to Greek and Roman
Mythology! This semester we will read and discuss some important ancient
works that contain stories which have shaped European thought over the millennia.
We will see how the ancient Greeks and Romans formed literary works out
of their stories, and how they portrayed these myths in stone, clay, metal,
and paint. We will examine the religious beliefs and practices that the
Greeks and Romans associated with their myths, and look at the relationship
between myths and ancient society, culture, and history. In addition, we
will see how Classical Myth has left its legacy in our world, including
its imprint on our language.
Because our sources for ancient myths are poetic works meant to be read
aloud, we will read aloud from the translations of our textbooks,
and discuss their original contexts and audiences.
Because ancient myth related to gods and heroes, we will discuss the
religious cult practices of the Greeks and Romans.
Because our language has been enriched by the mythology of our classical
past, we will expand our understanding of English via presentations
on English expressions dealing with ancient myth.
Because writing helps to sharpen and clarify thoughts, we will
write about each reading assignment.
There will be an in-class midterm and final
examination.
REQUIRED TEXTS.
Please get all of these texts at the beginning of the semester.
(Students should have the following translations)
HESIOD WORKS & DAYS/THEOGONY tr. Lombardo
HOMERIC HYMNS tr. Sarah Ruden
HOMER ODYSSEY tr. Lombardo
EURIPIDES ALCESTIS MEDEA HIPPOLYTUS Tr. Svarlien
THE VOYAGE OF ARGO Apollonios of Rhodes, tr. Rieu
THE ESSENTIAL AENEID tr. Lombardo
READING REACTIONS.
Students will hand in daily written reactions to the reading assignments,
on subjects of interest to them. Click
here.
MYTH WORDS.
In order to see the extent of ancient myth in the modern world, students
will make presentations at the beginning of each class on the background
of English words that refer to classical mythology. The words are here.
GRADES.
Class Preparation and Participation 20%; Reading Reactions 30%; Midterm
20%, Final 20%, Myth Word Presentations 10%.
At the end of the semester, the Professor will drop the lowest three
participation grades, and the lowest 3 Reading Reactions.
A= 90-100; B= 80-89; C= 70-79; D= 60-69.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
Be honest. Cheating is NEFAS. Students will do their own work. It is
O.K. to study together, but the product of student work must be individual.
Do not download material and hand it in as your own. Do not give your homework
assignments to another student to copy. Do not ask for someone else’s work
so that you can copy it. Students who copy others’ work will suffer grade
sanction. If you are not sure what academic dishonesty is all about, please
check with the Office of Community Standards and Student Ethics. The professor
will report all students involved in incidents of academic dishonesty to
this office.
INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY
Students may make up work missed if they cannot come to class because
of inclement weather. If the University is open, we will hold scheduled
classes. Please do not call to find out if we will hold class; if the University
is open, class will go on.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
If you are registered with the Center for Students with Disabilities
for the purpose of accommodation, please inform the professor before the
semester begins, or in the first week of class, and bring all relevant paperwork
in a timely fashion.
ERRATA
The Professor will very much appreciate students who point out mistakes
on the course web site. We strive to improve.
Professor Daniel B. Levine
Kimpel Hall 502, University of Arkansas
Office Hours: MWF 9:30 -10:20 and by appointment.
dlevine@uark.edu, Telephone: 575-2951. Fax: 575-6795.
Leave messages in Kimpel Hall 425: Department of Foreign Languages.
WLIT 2323 Greek Mythology Spring, 2009.
Tentative Schedule.
Week 1
Monday, January 12. Welcome.
Wednesday, January 14. Hesiod, Works and Days.
Friday, January 16. Hesiod, Works and Days.
Week 2
Monday, January 19. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. No Class.
Wednesday, January 21. Hesiod, Theogony.
Friday, January 23. Hesiod, Theogony.
Week 3
Monday, January 26. Homeric Hymns. 1.Dionysos. 2. Demeter
Wednesday, January 28. ICE
Friday, January 30. ICE AND FALLEN
TREES.
Week 4
Monday, February 02. Homeric Hymns. 3. Apollo 4. Hermes.
Wednesday, February 04. Homeric Hymns 5. Aphrodite 6. Aphrodite.
7 Dionysos.
Friday, February 06. Homeric Hymns # 8-34.
Week 5
Monday, February 09. Odyssey 1-3.
Wednesday, February 11. Odyssey 4-6.
Friday, February 13.Odyssey 7-9.
Week 6
Monday, February 16. Odyssey 10-12.
Wednesday, February 18. Odyssey 13-15.
Friday, February 20. Odyssey 16-18.
Week 7
Monday, February 23. Odyssey 19-21.
Wednesday, February 25. Odyssey 22-24.
Friday, February 27. REVIEW.
Week 8
Monday, March 02. Midterm.
Wednesday, March 04. Special Presentation: The Myth of Orpheus
in Music and Art.
Friday, March 06. Euripides Aclestis I.
Week 9
Monday, March 09. Euripides Alcestis II.
Wednesday, March 11. Euripides Medea I.
Friday, March 13. Euripides Medea II.
SPRING BREAK (no class March 16, 18, 20)
Week 10
Monday, March 23. Euripides Hippolytus I
Wednesday, March 25. Hippolytus II.
Friday, March 27 REVIEW.
Week 11
Monday, March 30. Introduction. Hellenistic World.
Wednesday, April 01. Apollonius of Rhodes The Voyage of Argo.
Book 1.
Friday, April 03 REVIEW.
Week 12
Monday, April 06. Apollonius of Rhodes The Voyage of Argo.
Book 2.
Wednesday, April 08. Apollonius of Rhodes The Voyage of Argo.
Book 3.
Friday, April 10 REVIEW
Week 13
Monday, April 13. Apollonius of Rhodes The Voyage of Argo.
Book 4.
Wednesday, April 15. Art and the Argonautica.
Friday, April 17. Introduction. Roman Mythology.
Week 14
Monday, April 20. Virgil. Aeneid 1-2.
Wednesday, April 22. Virgil. Aeneid 4-6
Friday, April 24. Virgil. Aeneid 7-9.
Week 15
Monday, April 27. Virgil. Aeneid 10-12.
Wednesday, April 29. Aeneid and Art.
Friday, May 01 Dead Day
Final Examination. Wednesday, May 6, 2009 10:00 a.m. to 12:00
noon
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