Classical Mythology

By Dr Rhiannon Evans

Education Higher Education

What's Classical Mythology about?

In this subject we explore Greek and Roman mythology, with particular reference to some core narratives and themes. Greek mythology is very focused around hero myths, and this is a central aspect of our study. Heroes studied in the subject include Heracles, Jason, Perseus, Bellerophon and Odysseus. We also examine some key thematic elements of Classical mythology- the figure of the monster, the sexual conduct of gods and mortals, conception and birth, fire, images of the underworld and life after death. The adaption of Greek myth in Italy (Entruscan and Roman) to meet the needs of different cultures will be explored. Sources dealt with in the subject include epic poetry, drama, painted vases, tomb paintings, and architectural remains. We conclude the subject with some modern cinematic adaptations of mythic themes from the ancient world.

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Myth in Film

06.05.2013

Classical myth and film have a long history of being intertwined, as myth was made into film from the days of silent movies, and ancient texts themselves often use what we might see as ‘cinematic’ techniques when framing a scene. ...

Classical Mythology episodes:

06.05.2013 Myth in Film Classical myth and film have a long history of being intertwined, as myth was made into film from the days of silent movies, and ancient texts themselves often use what we might see as ‘cinematic’ techniques when framing a scene. ...
06.05.2013 Myth in Film (handout) Classical myth and film have a long history of being intertwined, as myth was made into film from the days of silent movies, and ancient texts themselves often use what we might see as ‘cinematic’ techniques when framing a scene. ...
06.05.2013 Greek Myth at Rome: Power Ovid’s Metamorphoses was written during the Augustan period, and it is clear that its author was often out of tune with the political regime. This lecture explores the different ways in which the poem transforms Greek mythology to explore issues ...
06.05.2013 Greek Myth at Rome: Power (handout) Ovid’s Metamorphoses was written during the Augustan period, and it is clear that its author was often out of tune with the political regime. This lecture explores the different ways in which the poem transforms Greek mythology to explore issues ...
05.31.2013 Greek Myth at Rome: Metamorphosis Ovid’s Metamorphoses is one of the most significant ancient texts for the study of Greek mythology, but we should remember that this is a Roman work, which absorbs influences from the whole of the Mediterranean world. This lecture looks at ...
05.23.2013 Roman Identity II: Heroines Although Ancient Rome was clearly a patriarchal society (literally so, as the father had supreme power in the Roman household), Roman myth also features many prominent women, from the Sabine wives who intervene to end a war, to individualised women ...
05.23.2013 Roman Identity II: Heroines (handout) Although Ancient Rome was clearly a patriarchal society (literally so, as the father had supreme power in the Roman household), Roman myth also features many prominent women, from the Sabine wives who intervene to end a war, to individualised women ...
05.23.2013 Roman Identity I: Heroes Rome’s mythic history is littered with heroes who exemplify positive and negative ways of behaving. Livy in particular is fond of using mythic figures as exempla in his historical work, but we see it elsewhere too, for example in poetry ...
05.23.2013 Roman Identity I: Heroes (handout) Rome’s mythic history is littered with heroes who exemplify positive and negative ways of behaving. Livy in particular is fond of using mythic figures as exempla in his historical work, but we see it elsewhere too, for example in poetry ...
05.16.2013 Rome II: Asylum: Romulus and Remus Romulus was revered as the founding hero of Rome, later made a god, but his myth is not without ambiguity. A significant element of the city foundation story is the murder of his brother Remus, and the most common version ...
05.16.2013 Rome II: Asylum: Romulus and Remus (handout) Romulus was revered as the founding hero of Rome, later made a god, but his myth is not without ambiguity. A significant element of the city foundation story is the murder of his brother Remus, and the most common version ...
05.16.2013 Rome I: Foundation Rome was famously founded by Romulus in 753 BCE, but that’s not the end of the story, for the Romans also traced their ancestry back to Aeneas, a survivor of the Trojan War. In this lecture and the next, we ...
05.16.2013 Rome I: Foundation (handout) Rome was famously founded by Romulus in 753 BCE, but that’s not the end of the story, for the Romans also traced their ancestry back to Aeneas, a survivor of the Trojan War. In this lecture and the next, we ...
05.08.2013 Thebes II: Destruction Incest, fratricide and patricideare central to the Theban myths explored in Athenian tragedy, particularly Sophocles’ Oedipus the King. Written during a plague at Athens, the play opens with plague at Thebes, which as Oedipus discovers, has been caused by his ...
05.08.2013 Thebes II: Destruction (handout) Incest, fratricide and patricideare central to the Theban myths explored in Athenian tragedy, particularly Sophocles’ Oedipus the King. Written during a plague at Athens, the play opens with plague at Thebes, which as Oedipus discovers, has been caused by his ...
05.08.2013 Thebes I: Foundation Thebes, in central Greece, had its own distinctive foundation myths, which combined divine origin, autochthony and immigrant stories. There are several myths of foundation: the walls were built by sons of Zeus, while the territory was laid out by Cadmus, ...
05.08.2013 Thebes I: Foundation (handout) Thebes, in central Greece, had its own distinctive foundation myths, which combined divine origin, autochthony and immigrant stories. There are several myths of foundation: the walls were built by sons of Zeus, while the territory was laid out by Cadmus, ...
05.02.2013 Founding Athens II: Ion and Origin Myths in Tragedy Mythological stories dramatized in Athenian tragedy provide us with a good opportunity to explore how myth is used in aparticular political and social context. Dramatists choose specific mythological episodes, which make it possible to reflect on Athenian society and to ...
05.02.2013 Founding Athens II: Ion and Origin Myths in Tragedy (handout) Mythological stories dramatized in Athenian tragedy provide us with a good opportunity to explore how myth is used in aparticular political and social context. Dramatists choose specific mythological episodes, which make it possible to reflect on Athenian society and to ...
05.02.2013 Founding Athens I: Creating History (handout) Origins of cities and peoples are an important component of Greek mythology, and were central to ancient Greeks’ conception of their own identity. The most famous Greek origin myth is that of the Athenians, who, unlike most other Greeks, thought ...
05.02.2013 Founding Athens I: Creating History Origins of cities and peoples are an important component of Greek mythology, and were central to ancient Greeks’ conception of their own identity. The most famous Greek origin myth is that of the Athenians, who, unlike most other Greeks, thought ...
05.01.2013 Founding Athens I: Creating History Origins of cities and peoples are an important component of Greek mythology, and were central to ancient Greeks’ conception of their own identity. The most famous Greek origin myth is that of the Athenians, who, unlike most other Greeks, thought ...
05.01.2013 Founding Athens I: Creating History (handout) Origins of cities and peoples are an important component of Greek mythology, and were central to ancient Greeks’ conception of their own identity. The most famous Greek origin myth is that of the Athenians, who, unlike most other Greeks, thought ...
04.24.2013 Essay Writing for Myth This lecture shows students which pitfalls should be avoided when writing an essay, and gives the basics on how to research, plan and structure an essay, as well as detailed information on how to quote, paraphrase and reference primary and ...
04.24.2013 Essay Writing for Myth (handout) This lecture shows students which pitfalls should be avoided when writing an essay, and gives the basics on how to research, plan and structure an essay, as well as detailed information on how to quote, paraphrase and reference primary and ...
04.24.2013 Theories of Mythology, Part II How can we explain where myths come from and what they mean? This lecture looks at the various ways that scholars have attempted to analyse and interpret classical myths. Through ritual theory to Freud and Jung’s psycholanalytical theories, and the ...
04.24.2013 Theories of Mythology, Part II (handout) How can we explain where myths come from and what they mean? This lecture looks at the various ways that scholars have attempted to analyse and interpret classical myths. Through ritual theory to Freud and Jung’s psycholanalytical theories, and the ...
04.17.2013 Murder and Retribution: the House of Atreus Cannibalism, murder and revenge are at the heart of the complex of myths surrounding the House of Atreus, a family cursed to exact violence on one another from generation to generation. This lecture investigates the way that the murder of ...
04.17.2013 Murder and Retribution: the House of Atreus (handout) Cannibalism, murder and revenge are at the heart of the complex of myths surrounding theHouse of Atreus, a family cursed to exact violence on one another from generation to generation. This lecture investigates the way that the murder of Agamemnon ...
04.17.2013 Trojan War and Nostos: The Quest of Odysseus The Greek heroes of the Trojan war often have difficult journeys and disastrous homecomings. This lecture looks at the nostos or homecoming tale of Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey. It examines the consequences of upholding, subverting and transgressing civilised values in ...
04.17.2013 Trojan War and Nostos: The Quest of Odysseus (handout) The Greek heroes of the Trojan war often have difficult journeys and disastrous homecomings. This lecture looks at the nostos or homecoming tale of Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey. It examines the consequences of upholding, subverting and transgressing civilised values in ...
04.15.2013 Heroes in the Underworld A trip to the home of the dead is a specific kind of ‘quest narrative’ carried out by Greek mythology’s greatest heroes, as a rite of passage and a demonstration of a great hero’s power. To journey to the underworld ...
04.14.2013 Heroes in the Underworld A trip to the home of the dead is a specific kind of ‘quest narrative’ carried out by Greek mythology’s greatest heroes, as a rite of passage and a demonstration of a great hero’s power. To journey to the underworld ...
04.12.2013 Heroes in the Underworld (handout) A trip to the home of the dead is a specific kind of ‘quest narrative’ carried out by Greek mythology’s greatest heroes, as a rite of passage and a demonstration of a great hero’s power. To journey to the underworld ...
04.10.2013 Heroes and Quests Heroes go beyond the realms of ordinary mortals, and a significant element in the heroic narrative is a quest – for a precious or supernatural object, a person or for knowledge. One of the most famous quest narratives is that ...
04.10.2013 Heroes and Quests (handout) Heroes go beyond the realms of ordinary mortals, and a significant element in the heroic narrative is a quest – for a precious or supernatural object, a person or for knowledge. One of the most famous quest narratives is that ...
03.28.2013 Heroes and Monsters (handout) In Greek myth heroes do not always fight for the greater good – instead many strive for personal glory and some are downright anti-social. This lecture discusses the patterns of heroic behaviour found in myths by looking at heroes such ...
03.28.2013 Heroes and Monsters In Greek myth heroes do not always fight for the greater good – instead many strive for personal glory and some are downright anti-social. This lecture discusses the patterns of heroic behaviour found in myths by looking at heroes such ...
03.27.2013 Heroes and Monsters In Greek myth heroes do not always fight for the greater good – instead many strive for personal glory and some are downright anti-social. This lecture discusses the patterns of heroic behaviour found in myths by looking at heroes such ...
03.27.2013 Heroes and Monsters (handout) In Greek myth heroes do not always fight for the greater good – instead many strive for personal glory and some are downright anti-social. This lecture discusses the patterns of heroic behaviour found in myths by looking at heroes such ...
03.26.2013 Golden Age and the Five Races The Golden Age and subsequent decline through inferior 'races' is an important element of Greek myth from our earliest mythological texts, and reflects a distancing between gods and humans. The utopian aspects of the Golden Age include a simple but ...
03.25.2013 Golden Age and the Five Races The Golden Age and subsequent decline through inferior 'races' is an important element of Greek myth from our earliest mythological texts, and reflects a distancing between gods and humans. The utopian aspects of the Golden Age include a simple but ...
03.25.2013 Golden Age and the Five Races (handout) The Golden Age and subsequent decline through inferior 'races' is an important element of Greek myth from our earliest mythological texts, and reflects a distancing between gods and humans. The utopian aspects of the Golden Age include a simple but ...
03.20.2013 Olympians in Art A vast array of mythological narrative is found on Greek vases, temples and in free-standing sculpture. These visual representations of Greek myths are as malleable as narratives found in written texts, and sometimes give us information on mythological variations which ...
03.20.2013 Olympians in Art (handout) A vast array of mythological narrative is found on Greek vases, temples and in free-standing sculpture. These visual representations of Greek myths are as malleable as narratives found in written texts, and sometimes give us information on mythological variations which ...
03.20.2013 Female Olympians (handout) The two generations of female Olympians include various figures who represent aspects of ancient Greek female experience: Artemis, associated with young women; Hera with marriage; Demeter with marriage; and Aphrodite with illicit sexuality. This lecture further explores the variant versions ...
03.20.2013 Female Olympians The two generations of female Olympians include various figures who represent aspects of ancient Greek female experience: Artemis, associated with young women; Hera with marriage; Demeter with marriage; and Aphrodite with illicit sexuality. This lecture further explores the variant versions ...
03.19.2013 Female Olympians The two generations of female Olympians include various figures who represent aspects of ancient Greek female experience: Artemis, associated with young women; Hera with marriage; Demeter with marriage; and Aphrodite with illicit sexuality. This lecture further explores the variant versions ...
03.19.2013 Female Olympians (handout) The two generations of female Olympians include various figures who represent aspects of ancient Greek female experience: Artemis, associated with young women; Hera with marriage; Demeter with marriage; and Aphrodite with illicit sexuality. This lecture further explores the variant versions ...
03.13.2013 Male Gods (handout) This lecture explores male gods of Greek mythology and their various spheres of influence: Zeus, the chief god, associated with mountains and the sky, and known for his prolific sexual conquests, along with his brothers, who control the earth and ...

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