Introduces students to the characters, themes, and questions of Greek and Roman mythology. Offers a who’s who of the ancient imaginative world; students will learn stories of Achilles and Helen, Zeus and Athena, Perseus and Theseus, the Cyclops, the Minotaur, and a host of other heroines, heroes, gods, and monsters. Students consider how myth addresses such indelible human concerns as coming-of-age, identity and transformation, community and society, kindness, bravery, justice, and death, as well as how these myths were produced, received, and reworked within specific social and historical contexts. Provides the opportunity for close reading of major poetic works by Greek and Roman authors, including Homer’s Iliad, Aeschylus’ Oresteia, Sophocles’ Oedipus at Colonus, Euripides’ Iphigenia at Aulis, and Ovid’s Metamorphoses.
