CLAS 430 A: Greek and Roman Mythology

Of the many traditions handed down to us by the Greeks and Romans, their mythology has surely exercised the farthest-reaching and longest-lasting influence and attracted a long line of artists, writers, philosophers, composers, and filmmakers. The extent of this influence results in part from the vibrant ancient literary and artistic tradition that has transmitted the mythology to us, though it should be borne in mind that classical (Greek and Roman) mythology makes up only a portion of our rich and varied mythic heritage. A familiarity with classical mythology can therefore significantly enrich one's appreciation of art, literature, music, and film, and beyond that, the myths often provide fascinating insights into human behavior, culture, and the individual and societal psyche. And, of course, the stories are in and of themselves exceptionally entertaining. 

The overall aim of this course is to help you acquire substantial familiarity with the principal classical myths and the ways those myths are represented in Greek and Roman literature and, to a degree, art. Your responsibilities will include reading chapters from the required textbook (see below), viewing recorded lectures, and completing assignments determined by the assignment path you select (see descriptions below).

On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• identify the major and many of the minor characters and narratives from Greek and Roman mythology
• recognize numerous ancient literary sources for classical mythology and some of the artistic evidence
• identify and describe the most influential theories about and approaches to interpreting mythology
• describe and analyze mythological themes and structures in various media, including literature, art, music, and film.

In Summer quarter 2024, Classics 430 will be implemented entirely online and asynchronously and can be successfully completed from anywhere in the world (with Internet connectivity) in any time zone. It will be a full-term course (June 17 - August 16) worth 3 A&H credits.

Note: All course content in Canvas will be published by Monday, June 17, 2024 at 12:01 a.m. PST.

Required text: The 12th edition of M. Morford, R.J. Lenardon, and M. Sham, Classical Mythology, Oxford University Press, 2023. A hardcopy of the text can be purchased at the University Book Store. A hardcopy or e-version of the text can be purchased from Oxford University Press or other vendors. It can also be rented from RedShelf, VitalSource, Chegg, and others.

Choose from Two Different Assignment Paths

Every student in this course will complete the same readings and view the same lectures. However, when the quarter begins, YOU will select the assignment path you prefer and complete the assignments in that path only. Read the descriptions below to learn more about each path and the related assignments.

TEST PATH

Quiz bank assignments: For the quiz bank assignments (seven short assignments spread out over the course of the quarter), you will compose multiple-choice questions that will become part of a ‘quiz bank’ used to build the four exams this quarter, and potentially in future courses as well. Writing these questions will help you review and reinforce the course material, and you will be able to test yourself as you prepare for the exams with your peers’ questions. 

Four exams: Your progress will be assessed at four points throughout the quarter with exams administered on Canvas. The first exam covers the content of lessons 1-3, the second exam covers the content of lessons 4-6, the third exam covers the content of lessons 7-8, and the fourth exam covers the content of lessons 9-10. Answers to each exam will become available after the due date.

RESEARCH & WRITING PATH

Forum post assignments: For the forum post assignments (five short assignments spread out over the course of the quarter), you will compose brief responses to discussion question prompts and/or your peers’ responses and post them to the course discussion forums. 

Virtual museum assignment: For the virtual museum assignment (broken into five major milestones), you will work in pairs or small groups to select and analyze a piece of work (literature, fine art, music, dance, theater, film/television, video game, etc.) on a Greco-Roman mythic figure. With your group, you will contribute a museum exhibit with a description of your chosen piece, and individually, you will contribute your own ‘museum curator’s’ analysis essay of the piece (and later, a comment on a peer’s work) to a collaborative, digital museum exhibit on the open-source web publishing platform Manifold. 

NOTE: Your contributions for this assignment will be available to the public via the UW Libraries Manifold home page.